During his lifetime Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the worldwide Scouting movement, wrote many books and articles directed to Scouters.
Each Sunday I’ll publish a selection from his writings in the hope that you’ll draw inspiration and understanding from his timeless ideas.
THERE is one point to which I specially want to draw the attention of Scoutmasters and Commissioners. It is this:
I find that unless one occasionally looks up one’s book of instructions, whether it be the Gospel, or the King’s Regulations, or the rules for one’s guidance in any time of life, one is apt to get into a groove of one’s own original reading of them, and to act rather on the memory than on the actual spirit of them. One needs an occasional “refresher” course of reading.
I notice that it is very often the case among Scoutmasters as regards Scouting or Boys; they carry out their training on lines of their own, which were originally founded on the book, and are in many cases an improvement on what they found there; but sometimes essentials have gradually dropped out, and it is this that we want to avoid. May I ask Scoutmasters to re-read their book occasionally? Say once a year?
I suggest that St. George’s Day is an easy one to remember, since he is held to be the patron saint of Scouts. I believe it would be helpful to Scoutmasters and helpful to the cause if on this occasion annually they would read through our handbook, especially the Scout Law and its application, so as to ensure the right spirit being impressed upon the boys.
April, 1913.
From B.P.’s Outlook