Celebrating the Life and Legacy of Baden Powell

Dear Friends,

Today, all over the world, Scouts are gathered in different places to celebrate what would be the 158th birthday of Lord Baden Powell, Founder of the Scouting and Guiding Movements, alongside that of his wife, Lady Olave – with whom he shares a birthday.

I know that you may have already heard so much about this man we fondly refer to as BP, who bequeathed to us the legacy of a global movement of brotherhood and service for a better world. However, allow me to share with you a little about him. He was a man of many things including a soldier, an artist, a sportsman, an actor, and an explorer among many other talents. For the purpose of this day I will focus on just three things – upon which I hope we can reflect.

1. Baden Powell the Educator of Young People

Released from his missions, Baden Powell set up a home in England. He looked at the pressing problems of a British society weakened by unemployment and decided to devote himself to the service of young people. Taking advantage of his fame, he spoke directly to them by means of newspapers sold in stalls throughout England.

In July 1907, he gathered 20 youngsters from different social backgrounds on the Island of Brownsea. The participants built refuges, learnt the skills of life in the outdoors, shared their experiences and helped the local inhabitants. The enthusiasm generated was impressive. Scouting was born!

Since then Scouting has grown into the largest educational youth movement in the world with the mission of contributing to the education of young people, through a value system based on the Scout Promise and Law, to help build a better world where people are self-fulfilled as individuals and play a constructive role in society. Scouting offers young people numerous opportunities to develop their talents and skills both to lead and serve.

2. Baden Powell the Peacemaker

After the war in 1917 Baden Powell assigned a new mission for scouting- to strive for and maintain peace; saying “The roots of scouting have grown among young people of all civilized countries and are developing more each day. It might be thought that if in years to come a considerable proportion of the future citizens of each nation forms part of this brotherhood, they will be joined by a bond of personal friendship and mutual understanding such as have never existed before, which will help to find a solution to terrible international conflicts.”

It is on this background that new Strategy for Scouting focuses on making Scouting the world’s leading educational youth movement, enabling 100 million young people to be active citizens creating positive change in their communities and in the world based on shared values by 2023. This will help us to multiply and amplify the many wonderful success realized so far through the Messengers of Peace programme.

3. The Way to Real Happiness

In the last message he wrote to Scouts worldwide, before his death, Baden Powell shares some advice saying, “Happiness doesn't come from being rich, nor merely from being successful in your career, nor by self-indulgence. One step towards happiness is to make yourself healthy and strong while you are a boy, so that you can be useful and so can enjoy life when you are a man.

… But the real way to get happiness is by giving out happiness to other people. Try and leave this world a little better than you found it and when your turn come to die, you can die happy in feeling that at any rate you have not wasted your time but have done your best.” (Lord Baden Powell, Last Message to Scouts, 1941)

Fellow Scouts,

To this day, these three things: non-formal education of young people, peace building and pursuit for happiness through service to others, remain at the core of the Scouting programme.

As we celebrate this great man, let us also take time to reflect on what he stood for. Let us be reminded that we now are the custodians of his legacy.

And let us always, guided by our Scout Law and Promise, “Be Prepared” to do whatever is our duty in keeping his vision for the world alive.

I wish you all a successful Founder’s Day and happy Scouting!

Yours in Scouting,

Frederic Tutu Kama-Kama
Regional Director
World Scout Bureau-Africa Regional Office