– By RABIN DAHAL

Scouting is a system of non-formal education comprising activities designed, prepared and carried out on the basis of the capacity, needs and interest of young people in such a proportion that develops them morally and practically to become self-reliant. The various scouting activities help to effect psychological change as well as to develop a feeling of maturity within individuals.

Scouts were first in the army, whose major responsibility was to collect information on the enemy and report it to seniors. These army people used to be in small number, ranging from 5 to 10, who were called scouts.

Robert Stephenson Smyth Baden Powell, born on February 23, 1857, was an army officer in Britain. As an officer, he wrote a book for practice in the army, but became popular in British schools. The principles of the scout movement having been formulated by him, he became the chief scout, known reverentially as Lord B.P.

He developed a method of dividing men in small groups under a responsible leader so that young people were encouraged to explore the world under the guidance of adults. In 1905, at Glasgow, youths convinced him that they responded to the training based on sound ideas. Lord B.P. then wrote the book “Aids to Scouting” incorporating his ideas and experiences. B.P.’s keen interest was in making the youths participate in his ideas and explore nature. He held a camp at Brown Sea Island in 1907 to try out his ideas in practice, which then gave birth to the scout movement.

Scouting is the science of outing. It is a movement of self-education for young people. The scout movement everywhere in the world is united by a common, active commitment to its purpose, which helps young people to develop their full physical, intellectual, emotional, social and spiritual capacities as individuals and as members of society, and thus contribute to the development of a better world.

Wherever they may be, members are actively committed to its core values and principles. These values and principles are about a person’s active and constructive commitment to the spiritual values of life, to society and to oneself.

The scout method is a comprehensive educational framework, which is composed of elements and work together as a system to provide young people with rich and active learning environment. It is based on how young people naturally develop, taking into account their evolving characteristics, needs and interests at different stages of development.

Scouting’s purpose, principles and method form the essence of its educational system. They are the foundation on which scouting is based all over the world. Scouting’s educational system is particularly suited for the adolescent age range. Generally, the upper age limit corresponds to a general level of maturity at which a person no longer needs scouting structured educational approach in order to continue the process of self-education. Whereas lower limit corresponds to a minimum level of maturity required for scouting’s educational system to function and thus for young people to benefit from it.

These levels of maturity can only approximately be measured by age but would normally correspond to a few years either side of the second decade of life.

In the scout movement, young people are supported by adults, whose role is to facilitate and provide the necessary conditions for the development of youths. The young people participate in the decision-making processes in ways that are appropriate to their level of maturity, skills and experience, so as to ensure the relevance of what scouting offers to them because as a member of a movement of self-education and in a spirit of partnership with adults.

The scout movement is open to all who agree to adhere to its educational proposal. It does not discriminate against anyone because of his or her religion, ethnic origin, social background or gender. Moreover, scouting is voluntary. All the members, young people and supporting adults, join with their own free will. There is no compulsion to remain a member. It is not like school, at which attendance is compulsory between certain ages and time. Every member either young or adult, who does choose to join, is required to make a personal commitment to the movement. This commitment is to respect and act according to the code of ethics inherent in the fundamental principles of the movement.

Scouting is non-political in the sense that it is not involved in the struggle for power of party politics. At the same time, scouting’s educational system aims to help young people to be, and develop as responsible and constructive individuals and members of society. Young people cannot do so in a vacuum, divorced from the socio-political realities of the world in which they live.

Scouting’s educational approach, therefore, encourages young people to develop their own powers of judgment, and to take an active and constructive role in the society, which is in harmony with the values for which scouting stands. It seeks to be relevant to young people in the various socio-cultural environments in which they grow up.

As a movement, this is one of our greatest challenges: continuously adjusting so as to be even more relevant to young people’s aspirations and needs while remaining faithful to scouting’s purpose, principles and methods.

(Dahal is a Vice-President of District Welfare Council, Nepal Scouts, Kathmandu District and founder-director of Nobel Academy higher secondary school)
this article was publised on VOL. 22, NO. 38, APR 04- APR 10 2003.