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- BIENVENUE A TOUS-
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SCOUTING
Introduction:
Today, the world scout movement gathers over 25 million people in 216 countries and territories. Not only is it composed of young boys and girl; there are also grown-ups who help them along the path to adulthood.
And about 300 million people in the world, some of whom are well known personalities (such as JJ Goldman, John Wayne, JFK, Richard Gere, Neil Amstrong, Steven Spielberg, Antoine de Caunes, Paul Mc Cartney, Bill Gates, Harrison Ford, Antoine de Caunes, and Gerard Jugnot, ...) have been scouts.
These numbers may sound pretty amazing when one knows that the scout movement was born a century ago (1907) from an experimental camp in August 1907 on Brownsea Island (England).
I - BIRTH OF THE SCOUT MOVEMENT
Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of the scouting movement, was born on the 22 February 1857.
In 1876 he went to India as an army officer and specialised in Scouting (exploration, map-making and reporting. His success soon led to his training other soldiers for the work. B-P's methods were not orthodox for those days; small units or patrols working together under one leader, with special recognition for those who did well. For proficiency, B-P awarded his trainees badges resembling the traditional design of the north compass point. Today's universal Scout badge is very similar.
Later on, he was sent to Africa to help defend Mafeking during its 217-day siege at the start of the South African war. It provided crucial tests for B-P's Scouting skills. The courage and resourcefulness shown by the boys in the corps of messengers at Mafeking made a lasting impression on him. In turn, his deeds made a lasting impression in England.
Returning home he found that the small handbook (Aids to scouting) he had written for soldiers was being used to teach observation and woodcraft to members of Boys' Clubs and Boys' Brigade. B-P decided to rewrite the book especially for boys. The 1907 camp on Brownsea Island was to test his ideas in practise.
In 1907 BP decided to try out his ideas of Scouting with a group of boys. Some friends owned Brownsea Island in Dorset, which provided an ideal location. At the end of July, 1907, B.-P. and some other helpers took 21 boys to camp for a week on the island.
The coming of the war in 1914 could have brought about the collapse of the Movement, but the training provided through the patrol system proved its worth. Patrol leaders took over when adult leaders volunteered for active service. Scouts contributed to the war effort in many ways; most notable perhaps were the Sea Scouts who took the place of regular coast-guardsmen, thus freeing them for service afloat.
The first World jamboree took place in 1920 with 8,000 participants, and proved that young people of many nations could come together to share common interests and ideals. Since that first World Jamboree at Olympia in London, there have been 17 others at different locations.
On the same year, Pierre Sévin (un chanoine) founded the Federation of French Scouts.
1923 : création des Guides de France, association de scoutisme catholique au service de l'éducation des filles.
1947 : le Jamboree de la Paix réunit à Moisson 25 000 scouts de 70 nationalités différentes.
1982 : French scouts integrate girls
2004: Scouts and guides of France are united.
II – UNITS AND ACTIVITIES
The Girl Guides and Scouts of France belong to the Movement of the French Scouting, composed of six Associations and a number of smaller associations. Scouting is an educational movement for the young people, founded on voluntarism; it is a movement in non-political matter, opened with all, in accordance with the goals, principles and methods such as they were conceived by the founder; Lord Baden Powell. Like the Public School, they accomodate children and adults without reference of race, belief or origin. The associations are structured in Local Groups.
A) Units
Units: The units (or branches) are divisions within the group. In France, groups are basically divided into 5 units:
-the Beavers (from 6 to 8 yrs old).
-the Cubs (8-12). The cubs correspond to what is known as “Louveteaux” in French. A groupe of louveteaux is called a pack (meute)
-the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts (11-15). A group of Scouts is called a patrol (une patrouille)
-the Explorers (14-18). A group of explorers is called “un poste”
-the Companions (17-21). A group of companions is called “un relais”
B) Activities
1. During the year
Some of the activities most associated with French Scouting, like Scouting around the world, are of course outdoor pursuits such as hiking, camping, cooking, and fireside singing and story telling. Scouting of course involves much more.
The uniforms thus have to be designed for a wide range of activities. Activities are planned through the year at patrol and troop meetings.
Activities can be quite varied, including outdoor games, sport activities (sprint, baseball, soccer, and sioule [sort of rugby without rules probably the favourite French scout game], evenings around a fire, canoeing, and hiking.
Technical workshops are also planned, including wood working, topography, first-aid, short-wave radio (less important now because of the internet), wood lore, skits and theatrical presentations and much more.
2. During the camp
Scouts work all year long about the summer holiday camp. The intervention of the scouts varies according to their ages.
As far as Cubs are concerned, the children only choose the activities they would like to do but the leaders are the one looking for camping spaces, planning meals and activities...
Scouts are more involved in the camp planning: they may look for transports, prepare the meal table, plan activities and find ways to get some money.
Explorers represent one of the final steps of emancipation as they may plan the whole camp programme: meals, activities, transportation, place...
Finally, the companions are completely free of control. They prepare their camps and look for subventions for the humanitarian camp they have in 2nd year.
The camp is an important moment for a scout. It enables him to better know his friends, to take part into various activities and also into the camp life that is: help prepare meals, organise games, do the washing up, go for water, wood...
Scouts build themselves the tables, stools, and fireplace necessary for the camp. The camping place is usually divided into several areas according to their use: sleeping place, fireplace, information place, showers, fire table, tables...
III – VALUES AND SYMBOLS
A) Values
- The choice of a simple life: the scouting movement incites youngsters to create, invent and do a many things as possible by themselves. Personal implication and effort are much valued.
- Respect of life and of the environment: scouts are often in the contact of nature. We often go outside: to the forest (for week end camps) or to the mountain (camps). The environment is very important to us so we do our best not to deface it.
- Open-minded: Anyone who wants to may join the Scouting movement. Diversity is an asset. Within the scout movement, boys and girls learn to know and respect themselves. It is very important to forget one's prejudices (préjugés) and to discover new ideas and lifestyles.
- The oath: a few months after they have joined the movement, new comers know what being a scout consists in and so, they can freely make the choice of living as a scout. The ceremony during which a scout agrees to the principles of the movement is called the promise. It is a kind of oath-taking through which young scouts learn about the importance of making choices and assuming them.
B) Symbols
- Uniforms and Colours: colours play a great part in the symbolism of scouting as they show the division between the different units. 4 colours are used: yellow (cubs), blue (scouts), red (explorer) and green (companions). Those four colours represent life for being a scout means to live (to be useful, happy and creative).
- The scarf: the scarf enables to identify a person as being a scout. Every scout in the world has a scarf. It may also be used as a game accessory for such games as colin-maillard or le beret. And it is a utilitarian item for if someone is hurt, you may use it as a compress. Colours are also very important as far as scarves are concerned for they enable to identify the group which scouts come from.
- Badges, in France, enable to identify a scout according to his country, region, town, and unit. They may also show the regions he has been to, and the competences he has acquired (sport, relationships...)
Conclusion
What started as a small camp on Brownsea Island is today a growing Movement with members in nearly every country in the world. What started as an outdoor camp to teach skills is today a programme that is used successfully in such diverse settings as developing countries and metropolitan inner-cities.
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