History of the Boy Scouts
The Boy Scout program was founded in 1908 by Lord Baden-Powell, a British was hero, with the purpose of
promoting, through organization, the ability of boys to do things for themselves and others. Training them in outdoor
skills, and to teach them patriotism, courage, self-reliance, and kindred virtues. Methods still in use by Boy Scouts today.
Through the program, boys learn necessary survival skills but also essential leadership, teamwork, and critical thinking
skills that will remain with every boy for the rest of his life.
Each troop is "led" by the boys themselves, with elected officers and clear chain of command; the boys decide and plan
for themselves what they want to do and learn and then they carry it out. The role of the adult leaders is to teach the
boys the skills and procedures needed to lead themselves, as well as various other core skills of the program: First Aid,
wilderness survival, camping, cooking, swimming, orienteering, etc...
After a few boys have mastered these skills, they begin to instruct the younger boys and the adult leaders become
supervisors and advisors, only instructing on the finer, more specialized points of the program: merit badges.