Be prepared!

The enemy had laid siege and BP was at a loss for sending messages to the Headquarters. It struck him that if he used young boys to deliver the messages, they would be neither noticed, nor suspected. The idea worked brilliantly. With the arrival of reinforcements, BP overcame the enemy. When he reached England, he began writing about his experiences in newspapers.

When boys read it, they got inspired and formed groups in street corners. In 1901, BP wrote Aids to Scouting. It got such a good response that he decided to delicate his life to making young boys follow his scouting principles.

The spread of scouting:
BP decided to conduct an experimental camp to see if his concept would work. In 1907 he took 20 boys to Brownsea Island, where he taught them how to tie knots, lashing, find directions and so on. It was a roaring hit.

Also, it was here that BP stumbled upon scouting8217;s most unique feature 8211; the patrol system. Here, a troop is divided into patrols8217; or units which have a senior, trained scout as the leader. The scout-master teaches the leader and he, in turn, teaches the younger boys.

In 1908, BP brought out a special book for the boys called Scouting for Boys, in which he simplified army tactics and skills like pioneering, first-aid and mapping, and mapping.Today, it has become the Bible of every scout anywhere in the world.

And as a climax, in 1920, scouts from all over the world came together at Olympia Greece, to mark the beginning of the first world Jamboree. On the final day of the Jamboree, BP was declared the Chief Scout of the World.

The by-products:
Scouting initially meant only for boys between the ages of 11 and 18. But younger boys and girls, not wanting to be left behind, started forming their own groups and practicing the same skills.

Thus, cubbing, meant for boys between six to 12 years, and guiding, meant for girls between 11 to 18 years, took off with a flourish.

On January 18, 1941 BP died in Nyeri, Kenya where it had all begun. But his legacy will live on in the hearts of all scouts forever.

The skills and disciplines:
If you thought that scouting was just having fun, you have another think coming. The rules, disciplines and principles to be followed are almost army-type.

You are taught how to make ladders and signalling towers and bridges and you can learn skills like estimation, trekking, map reading and so on.

On a scout camp, you rise by 5.30 am, do BP8217;s six exercises by 6.00 am and prepare for inspection by 7.30 am.

Yes, you do get to play games 8211; scouting games, that is! Like observation, or making pioneering projects.

How it works:
You have to pass the specified tests and you can earn badges accordingly. In India, there are six levels. Starting with Pravesh, Pratham Sopan, Dwitya Sopan, Tritya Sopan and Rajya Puraskar. These are the five levels you have to complete before you can pass the Rashtrapati Scout Award8217;, which is the highest award in India.

The worldwide headquarters are in England. All countries have their own flags and uniforms which have to be in accordance to the rules set down by the headquarters in England. For example, all troops should have a scarf, the colours of which can be selected by the troop.

All scouts also learn the promise and the one law, usually divided into nine parts, which unites all scouts, the most famous one being the first which dictates that a scout has to be trustworthy, above all else. This has led to the well-known Scout8217;s Honour8217; used by people who promise to keep their word. Even the scout motto, Be prepared8217; has been popularised by movies and newspapers.

The Good Turn8217; story:
But, the most popular thing people relate with scouting today would have to be the Good Turn. The helping-an-old-lady-across-the-street routine has been used so much, that now there are jokes about it.

But one good turn stands apart. This was when William Boyce, an American tourist, was lost in a London fog. He stopped under a street light when a boy approached him and asked him if he needed help.

When the boy lead the grateful man to his destination, the man offered to pay him a tip. 8220;No thank you, sir. I8217;m a scout,8221; said the boy, 8220;I won8217;t take anything for helping.8221; Later on the boy took the stranger to BP who impressed him so much with his ideas that he took scouting to America.

Scouting and you:
Most schools have scouts and cubs and guides as an optional or sometimes compulsory activity. However, there are also many private groups which take in members. If you are already 15, it just might be too late to enroll.