Scouting in Bhutan

SCOUTING IN BHUTAN

BHUTAN SCOUT ASSOCIATION

Bhutan is a small, isolated kingdom in the Himalayas, formerly a British protectorate and now aligned with India.

Scouting was first introduced in Bhutan in 1970.

Scouts from Bhutan participated in the 1998 World Jamboree in Chile.

In July 1999, the Bhutan Scout Association was accepted as a full member of WOSM. Presently, the membership totals is 2538.

Scout Motto :

Be Prepared

Scout Oath:

On my honour I promise that I will do my best, to do my duty to God and my country, to help other people at all times and to obey the Scout Law.

Scout Law:

A Scout's honour is to be trusted

A Scout is loyal

A Scout's duty is to be useful and to help others

A Scout is a friend to all and a brother to every other Scout

A Scout is courteous

A Scout is a friend to animals

A Scout obeys orders of his parents, patrol leaders or Scoutmaster without question

A Scout smiles and whistles under all difficulties

A Scout is thrifty

A Scout is clean in thought, word and deed

The Wood Badge Story

What is the Wood Badge?

The Wood Badge is a training program evolved under the direction of Lord Baden-Powell of Gilwell. The training offered at GilwellPark has been adapted by each national Scouting organization for use in their country so that the words "Wood Badge" and "Gilwell" are use internationally to mean adult training in Scouting. Training recognition items are also common throughout the world as follows:

The woggle or leather turk's head, beads and scarf

Each piece of the Wood Badge insignia, the Beads, Bootlace,
Scarf and Woggle has it's own story to tell.

The Beads

In 1887 Baden-Powell was posted to Cape Town and seconded as Aide-de-Camp to his uncle. General H A Smythe. General Officer Commanding South Africa Shortly after his arrival at the Cape. trouble broke out with the Zulu warriors. led by their chief Dinzulu On state occasions, Dinzulu wore a necklace some 10 to 12 feet in length consisting of over a thousand beads, ranging in size from tiny bead emblems to others, four inches in length It was considered sacred by the warriors, and there was a belief that if ever captured all resistance by the natives would cease The necklace was kept in a cave. high on a mountain and guarded day and night

Baden-Powell heard of this and hoped that he would acquire the necklace This did happen and his wish was fulfilled Baden-Powell took the necklace home to England where it was kept with his other military souvenirs

It was over 30 years before he made full use of it

The Leather Lace

The next part of the Wood Badge Story takes us to Mafeking where
in the book "The Wolf that never Sleeps" Baden-Powell relates the incident where, after many months of siege, one day he was felling very despondent when an old Zulu man of high caste gave him a leather thong. This thong as was the custom had been placed round the old mans neck at birth to ward off evil spirits and so bring the wearer good luck.

The story further relates that Mafeking was soon relieved and the leather thong joined the other souvenirs.

In 1919 the first training course for leaders was held at GilwellPark.
At the end of the course Baden-Powell wondered what to give them to signify
passing the course. He went home and while rummaging through his bags he came across Dinzulu's necklace and the leather thong. A few days later he invited the leaders to dinner and presented each of them with two beads and instructed them to buy a bootlace and tie a bead to each end and hang it around the hat

The Scarf

The Scarf is officially coloured dove grey (the colour of humility) on the outside and warm red on the inside to signify warmth of felling.

On the apex of the Gilwell scarf is a small piece of Maclaren tartan to remind us of the fine gesture by Mr. deBois Maclaren in providing the original land for Gilwell Park

The material is a registered cloth, which means it cannot be used for any other purpose, nor mar may it be modified or any additions made to it

The Woggle

In the 1920 the scarf, which had always been tired with a knot, was held with a scarf slide. So far as it is known, the name "woggle" was invented by Gidney, the first chief of Gilwell

Baden Powell suggested to the Gilwell staff that they experiment and produce a
special scarf slide to go with the Gilwell Scarf

In the early days of leader training, fire lighting by friction was very much a novelty and for many years was demonstrated on Wood Badge courses. A main piece of equipment was a length of leather thong.

Using one of the fire lighting thongs, Bill Shankley, who was at the time serving at Gilwell, produced a two strand Turk's head slide that was adopted as the official "woggle"

Wood Badge is a training course for Scouters which finally results in their receiving a certificate, a small neckerchief, a leather slide, and two small wooden beads on a leather thong. Lord Baden-Powell, the founder of Scouting, directed the first course in 1919 and gave each of the participants one of the beads which he had captured from the African chieftain Dinizulu. Thus did the course name develop, for its symbol was literally a badge of wood.
Wood Badge is, further, Scouting's premier training course. Baden-Powell designed it so that Scouters could learn, in as practical a way possible, the skills and methods of Scouting. It is first and foremost, learning by doing. The members of the course are formed into patrols and these into a troop. The entire troop lives in the out-of-doors for a week, camping, cooking their own meals, and practicing Scout skills.
The uniqueness of Scouting is the patrol method. The use of the natural gang of six or eight boys who elect their own leader and plan and carry out many of their own activities is a democracy in microcosm. Here young men learn the give and take of working with people as they must surely do all their lives. Here, too, they are given leadership and learning opportunities which prepare them for their future roles as citizens. It is for this reason that it is so crucial that all adults understand thoroughly the patrol method.
Thus it was that Baden-Powell developed a practical course built around the operation of a troop and it's patrols. Yet this is only the most well-known of three parts in the entire Wood Badge experience. The practical course--the week in the out-of-doors--was originally scheduled to follow a "theoretical" part 1, which consisted of answering a series of questions about the aims and methods of the Scouting program. Part 3 then followed the practical course and required a 6-month application period while the Scouter practiced in his home Scouting situation what he had learned in parts 1 and 2. In actual practice, once Wood Badge became available in the United States, the theoretical questions and the application were carried out simultaneously after the practical course was taken.
But Wood Badge is more than just mechanical course work. Wood Badge is the embodiment of Scouting spirit. Like many intense training experiences, it has always relied on a busy schedule forcing the participants to work together, to organize and to develop an enthusiasm and team spirit to accomplish the tasks and challenges placed before them. Carried out in context of Scouting ideals and service to young people, the course brings out a deep dedication and spirit of brotherhood and fellowship in most participants. Certainly were it not for the common goal of the movement and its program for young people, it would be hard to get grown men and women to endure the 16-hour days required by a program that runs from early morning to late at night.
The course is designed to be a highlight --"a mountaintop experience" -- for the course participants. Careful planning and strict attention to detail provides a physical/logistic support and program second to none. Add to this a thoroughly prepared and enthusiastic staff and it is little wonder that most Scouters return from Wood Badge inspired and prepared to do an even better job of providing Scouting to boys. In addition to a fine course, all the traditions and heritage of Scouting are stressed and used to inspire those attending. Wood Badge in one form or another is used throughout the Scouting world. Tens of thousands of Scouters proudly wear the Gilwell neckerchief, woggle, and beads of Wood Badge-trained leaders. Because it was begun by Baden-Powell in England in 1919, it is clearly backed by the finest thought and tradition of the founder and thus carries with it great prestige. Wood Badge is then, a great force for world brotherhood, for though it uses the local traditions in each country, it emphasizes the international aspects of the movement and the heritage of Baden-Powell and Gilwell Park.

BP'S LAST MESSAGE TO SCOUTS

Dear Scouts,

If you have ever seen the play "Peter Pan" you will remember how the pirate chief was always making his dying speech because he was afraid that possibly when the time came for him to die he might not have time to get it off his chest It is much the same with me, and so, although I am not at this moment dying I shall be doing so one of these days, and 1 want to send you a parting word of goodbye

Remember, it is the last you will ever hear from me, so think it over

I have had a most happy life and I want each of you to have as happy a life, too

I believe that God put us in this jolly world to be happy and enjoy life. Happiness doesn't come from being rich, nor merely from being successful in your career, nor by self-indulgence One step towards happiness is to make yourself healthy and strong while you are a boy, so that you can be useful and so can enjoy life when you are a man

Nature study will show you how full of beautiful and wonderful things God has made the world for you to enjoy Be contented with what you have got and make the best of it Look on the bright side of things instead of the gloomy one

But the real way to get happiness is by giving out happiness to other people. Try and leave this world a little better than you found it and when your turn comes to die, you can die happy in feeling that at any rate you have not wasted your time but have done your best "Be prepared" in this way, to live happy and to die happy-stick to your Scout Promise always-even after you have ceased to be a boy-and God help you to do it

Your friend,

Baden-Powell of Gilwell

BADEN POWELL - HIS STORY

Baden-Powell or B-P was born Robert Stephenson Smyth Baden-Powell was on the 22 February 1857, the son of Professor Baden-Powell, of OxfordUniversity. His father died when he was 3 years old and his mother devoted herself to bringing up a rather large family of 10. Baden Powell and his brothers were encouraged by their mother to make their own fun. They learned about the outdoors, built boats and sailed them and went on long journeys learning to look after themselves.
Baden-Powell attended Charterhouse School during which time he took part in a number of activities including acting, singing and cadet corps and art. In the woods near the school known as "The Copse" he studied, stalked and tracked animals, birds and his friends and teachers.
Baden-Powell was encouraged to sit Army Exams, he surprised everyone by gaining 2nd place out of 700 candidates, as a result was commissioned as a sub-lieutenant in the 13th Hussars. He sailed to join his regiment in Lucknow, India, where he took courses in surveying and reconnaissance.
He was quickly promoted and moved up through the ranks and trained his men using competitions and games and taught them how to track and live in wild country. He also wrote a book called "Aids to Scouting" about his methods of Army Training. This book was later to become the bases of Scouting
In 1887 he was sent to South Africa where he took part in a campaign against an African chief called Dinizulu
In 1899 Colonel Baden-Powell returned to South Africa. because there was the possibility of war between the Dutch settlers (Boers) and the British Settlers. War was declared and Baden-Powell and 1000 men were left to defend the town of Mafeking, which was the supply center for the British, He thought up all sorts of schemes to make it look like the town was heavily guarded. When reinforcements arrived the siege had lasted for 7 months.
Baden-Powell took part in a number of other conflicts and in 1903 was appointed Inspector-General of Cavalry.
In July 1907 B-P ran a camp for a group of boys on BrownseaIsland in PooleHarbour.
In 1909 B-P was knighted by King Edward VII for his outstanding military career and especially for founding Scouting
Baden-Powell died in Kenya in 1941 when he was almost 84 On his gravestone under the badges of the Scouts and Guides is carved. "Robert Baden-Powell, Chief Scout of the World"
The Following article about B-P's Grave appeared in the October 2001 issue of © Scouting Magazine - The Magazine of the UK Scout Association, which in my opinion is good news for the Scout Movement across the world