The Evolution of Scouting

The word Scout comes from the French verb encounter, which means "to listen". Armies have long used Scouts to gather information about the enemy. On the American frontier a Scout was someone always on the lookout for danger. He also used outdoor skills and knowledge of nature to help him in his work.

The 20th-centuryScouting movement began as a series of games and exercises to help men--primarily soldiers--learn to live in the open under difficult conditions. The Program was started during the Boer War in South Africa by Robert Baden-Powell. Then a colonel in the British Army, he developed a military textbook called 'Aids to Scouting' as a way of training recruits. This book became an instant hit among Boys. Baden-Powell was a little dismayed that Boys were using a military manual. He was convinced that he should take time from the military to create a non-military version for the Boys to focused on observing nature and tracking animals rather than spying on enemy soldiers and tracking Troop movements.

When Baden-Powell returned to England in 1903, he began to adapt his Program to the training of Boys. He conducted his first Boy Scout camp on Brown Sea Island in 1907, and his book 'Scouting for Boys' was published in 1908. Ernest Thompson Seton helped Baden-Powell with his handbook. In England Boy Scouts formally started on Jan. 24, 1908.

In the Trooped States the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) had been running camps for Boys since 1884. In 1902 Ernest Thompson Seton founded the Tribe of Woodcraft Indians as a Boy's organization. Three years later Daniel Carter Beard started a similar society called the Sons of Daniel Boone. These two groups, along with the YMCA camps, laid the foundation on which the Boy Scout movement developed in the Trooped States in conjunction with Baden-Powell's work in England. Seton combined his Woodcraft manual with Baden-Powell's Scouting for Boys to create the BSA's first hand book in 1910. The BSA was started using a very deliberate well executed process. First the founders of the USA Scouting movement formed a coalition of the prominent Youth groups in the USA at the time and used the YMCA as the lead organization to lead this coalition. Second it incorporated, which made the organization a legal entity. The Boy Scouts of America was incorporated on Feb. 8, 1910. Then, it lobbied the U. S. Congress to get a Charter granting it exclusive rights to the name Boy Scout, Scout, etc. On June 15, 1916, Congress did this by granting a charter to the organization. The Scouting Program has three phases.

• Cub Scouting, which started in 1930, is for Boys in first through fifth grade. Cub Scouts are organized into Dens of seven or eight Boys, and Dens make up Cub Scout Packs. Each Pack is headed by a Cubmaster.
• Boy Scouting, which started in 1910, is for Boys from sixth grade through 17 years of age. Boy Scouts are organized into Patrols, and Patrols are parts of Troops. Each Troop is headed by a Scoutmaster.
• Venturing, which started in 1935 as Senior Scouting and later became Exploring, is for Boys and girls from 14 through 20. Venturing crews each pursue an interest such as an activity area. Each crew is headed by Youth officers under direction of an advisor.

Each Boy Scout, by Meeting specific requirements, advances through Ranks called Tenderfoot, Second Class, and First Class. A First Class Scout may earn Merit Badges to qualify as a Star Scout, Life Scout, and eventually Eagle Scout. There are other awards given for outstanding achievements. Eagle palms are given for Merit Badges earned beyond the Eagle requirements. The Order of the Arrow is a national brotherhood of Scout campers. The Medal of Merit and the Honor Medal are awarded by Scouting's National Court of Honor. The Medal of Merit is presented for outstanding acts of service. The Medal of Honor, Scouting's highest award, is bestowed upon Scouts who save, or attempt to save, lives at the risk of their own.

Scouts from many nations meet, usually every four years, in a world jamboree. At these gatherings as many as 50,000 Scouts set up camp, demonstrate woodcraft skills, and work for better international understanding. The first world jamboree was held in England in 1920. National jamborees are held between the international events. These attract over 30,000 Scouts.

As of 12/31/97 there were more than 25 million Scouts, young people and Adults, male and female, in 217 countries and territories.

• There are 148 countries with internationally recognized national Scout Organizations
• There are 28 territories where Scouting exists as overseas branches of Member Scout Organizations
• There are 39 countries where Scouting exists but where there is no National Scout Organization which is yet a Member of WOSM
• There are 5 countries where Scouting does not exist; Andora, Cuba, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Lao People's Democratic Republic and Myanmar

Ernest Thompson Seton devised the Cub Scout Program down to the last detail in 1911. Called "The Cubs of America", it used the bear Cub as its symbol. Disagreements among Scouting's founders over the value of the new Program caused it to be set aside.

Cub Scouting was finally introduced as Cubbing, an experimental Program in 1930 with 9 year-olds in the Wolf Den, 10 year-olds in the Bear Den and 11 year-olds in the Lion Den. Cubbing was described as a pre-Scout Program. 12 year-olds joined Boy Scouts. The Den Leaders were Boy Scouts called Den Chiefs, not Adults. The Cubmaster was the Leader of the Pack which was composed of the Dens. Only males were registered Cubmaster "since it was an American Indian tradition" and Cubbing was based on these traditions.

In 1932 the Den Mother became an official part of the Program as a co-Leader. In 1933 the Cubbing Program dropped the experimental status and was officially adopted. In 1936 Den Mothers could register, but registration was optional. Cubbing became Cub Scouts in 1948 and registration of Den Mothers was mandatory.

The 1930, "The Boy's Cub book, Part III - Lion Rank" states the tribal name "We-be-los" signifies "We'll Be Loyal," indicating that a Cub is loyal to his Country, his home and his God, W-B-L being the first letters of the three Ranks. The Webelos Rank was introduced in 1941 as a Rank earned in the Lion Den after the Lion Rank. It indicated a Boy was ready to become a Boy Scout. The 1941 "The Lion Cub book" with Webelos Rank says the same thing about Webelos. The symbol for the Webelos Rank was the Arrow of Light.  Originally, the Arrow of Light was the chief of the Webelos tribe, and Akaka was one of the braves.

The Arrow of Light had seven rays depicting the seven days of the week and a reminder to "do one's best" every day. The arrow forever points upward and onward toward good citizenship, and also has the meaning of world friendship symbolized by the Golden Arrow.

In 1949, the age level was dropped one year; 8 year-olds in the Wolf Den, 9 year-olds in the Bear Den, and 10 year-olds in the Lion Den. 11 year-olds joined Boy Scouts. Then in 1954 the Webelos Rank was expanded in scope and the Lion badge was renamed the Lion-Webelos badge. In 1956 the Webelos Day Camp was introduced.

The Lion Program was dropped in 1967 when the Webelos Program became the Program for 10 year-olds. The Webelos Rank replaced the Lion Rank, and the Arrow of Light replaced the Webelos Rank. Also, in 1967, the title Den Mother was changed to Den Leader to include male and female Den Leaders and the new cloth Bobcat patch was introduced. Cub Scouting was still a 3 year Program until 1982.

In 1972 new cloth patches for Bobcat, Wolf, Bear, and Webelos were introduced.

In 1973 women were allowed to serve in all Pack Positions except Cubmaster and Webelos Den Leader and their Assistants. In 1976 women Cubmaster were permitted.

In 1982 Tiger Cubs started as a 7 year-old or second grade Program. Wolf was the 8 year-old or third grade Program, Bear was the 9 year-old or fourth grade Program, and Webelos was the 10 year-old or fifth grade Program.

Starting in 1986 ages for the various Programs was lowered and the two year Webelos Program was introduced:

• In 1986 the Tiger Cub Program started for first-grade Boys. That same year Wolf was a second-grade and third-grade Program
• In 1987 Bear was a third grade and fourth grade Program. Wolf became a second grade only Program
• In 1988 the new fourth grade Webelos Program started and the old Webelos Program was used for fifth graders
• In 1989 the first second-year Webelos Dens were formed and were for fifth graders

Today's Webelos book states that "Webelos" means "We'll Be Loyal Scouts", not "We'll Be Loyal", but that is historical revisionism since it is not quite what the 1930 "The Boy's Cub book, Part III - Lion Rank" stated. Older Boys participated in a senior Program in early Boy Scout Troops. These older Boys carried out high-adventure Activities and Service Projects, and gave Leadership to young Scouts.

In 1912, Sea Scouting was founded for older Scouts and flourished as a Program based on the traditions of the sea. Sea Scouting in America was founded in 1912. That year, Arthur A. Carey of Waltham, Massachusetts, had Sea Scouts using the schooner Pioneer and was appointed Chair of the National Council Committee on Sea Scouting. Carey's Cruising for Sea Scouts was the first literature related to Sea Scouting.

Since its beginning, the Boy Scouts of America had been aware of the need for an older-Boy Program. Mr. Carey made the first real effort to satisfy that need when he helped promote Sea Scouting with his pamphlet.

In 1935, senior Scouts, Boys 15 and older, were called Explorers for the first time, and many were organized in separate Explorer crews in Troops, using a senior Scout Program.

In 1942, an Air Scout Program for Boys 15 and older was created in cooperation with the Trooped States Army Air Corps. Air Scouting was discontinued in 1965.

On September 1, 1949, all young men who were 14 years of age or older and registered with the Boy Scouts of America were called Explorers whether they were in a Boy Scout Troop of any Senior Scout Troop. The Sea Scouts officially became Sea Explorers and Air Scouts became Air Explorers. In a Troop a group of Explorers was called a Crew. This was primarily a change in terminology since these Programs continued much the same is they had in the past.

In 1954, the National Executive Board of the Boy Scouts of America authorized the Research Institute for Social Service of the University of Michigan to make a national study of adolescent Boys. This study of 14 to 16 year old Boys indicated that 83 percent of Youth surveyed wanted more information on careers than they were getting at home or in school, and 94 percent wanted Adult associations. As a result, a completely new Explorer Program was developed and put into effect on January 1, 1959. Special-interest Explorer posts began to be organized by businesses and professional and trade organizations. The career interest survey of high school students was developed to identify and recruit Members. This Program was pioneered by William H. Spurgeon III. Explorer crews in Boy Scout Troops were eliminated. These Boys became Senior Scouts again. However, this did not bring about a change in Sea Exploring. It was decided that changes should be postponed until there had been sufficient time to observe Sea Exploring in operation alongside the new Explorer Program. After extensive field testing, the Exploring Division put the revised Sea Exploring Program into effect. This was done in May 1966 with a new edition titled Sea Exploring Manual, written by Arthur N. Lindgren.

In the mid-1960s, after almost ten years of limited progress, a study was made of the special-interest posts being organized by William H. Spurgeon III, a businessman from California, and the newly completed research project of the BSA by Daniel Yankelovich. Coed participation, sports, and Adult-life recognition were found necessary to attract young Adults to Exploring. In 1968, a new Exploring Division, BSA was organized and established under the direction of John M. Claerhout to serve young men who had dropped out or never were Boy Scouts. Claerhout placed a new emphasis on Sea Exploring by naming William J. Lidderdale as the first time director of Sea Exploring since 1935. In 1969, young women were invited to participate in Explorer posts as guests. This opportunity to join posts that specialize in careers or recreational Programs attracted large numbers of young Adults to Exploring.