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During his lifetime Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the worldwide Scouting movement, wrote many books and articles directed to Scouters.
Each Sunday I’ll publish a selection from his writings in the hope that you’ll draw inspiration and understanding from his timeless ideas.
I RECOGNISE more fully than before the great value of Jamborees, provided that they are only indulged in at wide intervals of time. The average Scout life of a boy is a comparatively short one, and it is good for each generation of Scouts to see at least one big Rally, since it enables the boy to realise his membership of a really great brotherhood, and at the same time brings him into personal acquaintance with brother Scouts of other districts and other countries. He learns new Scouting ideas and camping gadgets, and comes out a better Scout for the experience.
Furthermore, such a Rally is of infinite value in developing teamwork and organising qualities on the part of the Scouters, and gives them the opportunity of meeting their fellows and exchanging experiences. Thereby the standard of Scouting is raised generally, and its right methods are more widely understood and adopted. To the public, the parents, pastors, teachers, employers and others these exhibitions of the results, as well as of the methods, of our training give an invaluable object-lesson such as brings almost invariably increased understanding and practical sympathy with our work.
But, above all, the international spirit of comradeship and goodwill that is bred in these camps is already becoming a force in the world, a thing which but ten years ago nobody could have foreseen. These various national jamborees are doing valuable work in that direction as well as in their more local development. I look forward, therefore, with all the greater confidence and hope to our world Jamboree in Hungary, in August next year, as marking another big step forward in the promotion of that new and much-needed spirit of broadminded goodwill in place of the old-time narrow prejudices and jealousies.
September, 1932.
