BPSA British Columbia

Association History

A very brief history of the Scouting Movement

The exact date of the beginning of Scouting is difficult to determine. To some it dates back to the days of B-P as a young Lieutenant in the 13th Hussars was teaching the NCOs of his regiment the art of observation and recognisance. To others the idea was born at the time of the siege of Mafeking during the Boer Wars when Colonel B-P relied on a hastily assembled troop of local boys to help in the defence of their town by running various errands and recognisance missions, thereby freeing soldiers to be available for the battles. To some others it was probably August 1907 when B-P gathered twenty boys to an experimental camp on Brownsea Island to try out in practice an idea of a training scheme he had been working on for a couple of years.

The fact is that not even Baden-Powell himself could put an exact date to it. The idea had grown over time, took several different directions and shapes until it suddenly sprung out and took the world by storm. By the time in the spring of 1908 when Baden-Powell started publishing Scouting For Boys, the movement was well on its way.

None was more surprised by its tremendous success than Baden-Powell himself. What was originally intended as a modest training booklet for the military under the title Aids to Scouting grew into a Movement of millions of boys worldwide subscribing to the principles of a new game called Scouting.

History of the Baden-Powell Scouts Associations

The BPSA was formed in 1970 as a reaction to the UK Scout Association's "Advance Party Report" (1966) by a gentleman from Yorkshire called Lawrie Dring. This study resulted in substantial changes to British Scouting which caused some British Scouts/Scouters to seek alternatives they felt were closer to Baden-Powell's original program.

The BPSA was established was to perpetuate the principles and practices of Scouting laid down by Robert Baden-Powell in 1907, which had been developed and refined in the Boy Scouts Association for over 60 years. These principles are so fundamentally sound and the practices so adaptable that traditional scouting goes on developing and can never be dated or unsuited to any community. Our aim is to promote good citizenship and wholesome physical, mental and spiritual development; and training in habits of observation, discipline, self-reliance, loyalty, and useful skills.

The spark that formed BPSA in the UK has ignited many other Scouters to re-evaluate and re-think the type of Scouting they are doing. Since 1970, and from Lawrie Dring's single Troop, the BPSA has grown into a worldwide organization with member associations in Australia, Japan, Malaysia, Argentina, Costa Rica, Denmark, Ireland, as well as Canada.

History of the BPSA in British Columbia

The history of the BPSA - BC began on a cold and wet camping trip to Jordan River in the fall of 1996, during a meeting between a group of Scouters, where the idea of a Traditional Scouting Association for BC was conceived. Shortly after that meeting, Lawrie Dring, the UK founder of the BPSA, travelled to Vancouver to meet with the group and authorized the project to proceed using the Baden-Powell Scout Association's name.

The Association was formed to promote and practise Traditional Scouting. From its inception, it vowed to ensure that Scouting would remain affordable to all, not just for those who are well off. That it would be run by volunteers for volunteers, and there would be no paid staff. BPSA - BC is about giving young people the opportunity to learn to be independent and self-reliant as well as to provide leadership and service in their communities. The philosophy is reflected in the organization of the Association.

BPSA - BC was formally established in Victoria on 22 February 1997 to perpetuate the principles and practices of Scouting laid down by Lord Robert Baden-Powell, which had been developed and refined for over 100 years by many Scout Associations world-wide. These principles are so fundamentally sound and the practices so adaptable that traditional scouting goes on developing and can never be dated or unsuited to any community. Our aim is to promote good citizenship and wholesome physical, mental development; and training in habits of observation, discipline, self-reliance, loyalty, and useful life skills in an outdoor setting. In March, 2000, the BPSA - BC became incorporated in British Columbia under the Societies Act.

Be Prepared !