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name Baden-Powell is known and respected throughout the world
as that of a man who, in his 83 years, devoted himself to
the service of his country and his fellow men in two separate
and complete lives, one as a soldier fighting for his country,
and the other as a worker for peace through the brotherhood
of the Scout Movement.
Robert Stephenson Smyth Baden-Powell was born at 6 Stanhope
Street (now 11 Stanhope Terrace), Paddington, London on February
22, 1857. He was the sixth son and the eighth of ten children
of the Reverend Baden-Powell, a Professor at Oxford University.
The names Robert Stephenson were those of his Godfather, the
son of George Stephenson, the railway pioneer.
His father died when B.-P. was only three years old and the
family were left none too well off. B.-P. was given his first
lessons by his mother and later attended Rose Hill School,
Tunbridge Wells, where he gained a scholarship for admittance
to Charterhouse School. Charterhouse School was in London
when B.-P. first attended but whilst he was there it moved
to Godalming, Surrey, a factor which had great influence in
his later life. He was always eager to learn new skills. He
played the piano and fiddle. He acted - and acted the clown
too at times. He practised bricklaying, and it was whilst
a scholar at Charter house that he began to exploit his interest
in the arts of Scouting and woodcraft.
Unofficially, in the woods around the school, B.-P. would
stalk his Masters as well as catch and cook rabbits, being
careful not to let the tell-tale smoke give his position away.
His holidays were not wasted either. With his brothers he
was always in search of adventure. One holiday they made a
yachting expedition around the south coast of England. On
another, they traced the Thames to its source by canoe. In
all this, Baden-Powell was learning the arts and crafts which
were to prove so useful to him professionally. B.-P. was certainly
not a 'swot' at school, as his end of term reports revealed.
One records: 'Mathematics - has to all intents given up the
study', and another: 'French - could do well but has become
very lazy, often sleeps in school'. Nevertheless, he gained
second place for cavalry in open examination for the Army
and was commissioned straight into the 13th Hussars, bypassing
the officer training establishments, and subsequently became
their Honorary Colonel for 30 years. His Army career was outstanding
from the start. With the 13th Hussars he served in India,
Afghanistan and South Africa and was mentioned in dispatches
for his work in Zululand. There followed three years service
in Malta as Assistant Military Secretary and then he went
to Ashanti, Africa, to lead the campaign against Prempeh.
Success led to his being promoted to command the 5th Dragoon
Guards in 1897, at the age of 40. It was to the 5th Dragoon
Guards that B.-P. gave his first training in Scouting and
awarded soldiers reaching certain standards a badge based
on the north point of the compass. Today's Scout Membership
badge is very similar.
In 1899 came Mafeking, the most notable episode in his outstanding
military career, by which he became a Major-General at the
age of only 43. B.-P. became famous and the hero of every
boy, although he always minimised his own part and the value
of his inspiring leadership. By using boys for responsible
jobs during the siege, he learned the good response youth
give to a challenge. During the 217 day siege, B.-P.'s book
Aids to Scouting was published and reached a far wider readership
than the military one for which it was intended. Following
Mafeking, B.-P. was given the task of organising the South
African Constabulary and it was not until 1903 that he returned
to England as Inspector General of Cavalry and found that
his book, Aids to Scouting'was being used by youth leaders
and teachers all over the country. He spoke at meetings and
rallies and whilst at a Boys' Brigade gathering he was asked
by its Founder, Sir William Smith, to work out a scheme for
giving greater variety in the training of boys in good citizenship.
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