Our founder, Robert Stephenson Smyth Baden-Powell, more affectionately known as "BP", was born in London, England, on 22 February 1857.
BP grew up with his mother and his 7 brothers and sisters. As they were poor, BP and his brothers learned to be thrifty, making their own fun by building themselves a boat, grass huts and lookout towers.
At the age of 12, he received a scholarship from Charterhouse School, one of England's famous public schools. There were some "out-of-bounds" woods just outside the school. It was here that BP practised stalking wildlife. He is said to have snared rabbits and cooked them over a small fire so that smoke didn't give him away to the school masters. This was found to be valuable training for his career later.
BP graduated in 1876 and joined the Army as an officer.
At 19, BP graduated from Chaterhouse and immediately accepted a chance to go to India as an army officer.
Besides performing excellent military service, he won the most desired sports trophy in all India - "pig-sticking". "Pig-sticking" is actually wild boar hunting on horseback with a short lance as the only weapon. You will realise how dangerous that sport is when you know that the wild boar is often spoken as "the only animal that dares drink at the same water hole with a tiger".
In 1887, BP was in Africa, taking part in the campaigns against Zulus, the fierce tribes of Ashanti and the savage Matabele warriors. The natives feared him so much that they gave him the name "Impeesa", which means "wolf that never sleeps", because of his courage and amazing tracking abilities.
Trouble was brewing in South Africa. The relations between the British and the Transvaal Republic government had reached the breaking point. BP was directed to prepare 800 men and proceeded to Mafeking, a town in the heart of South Africa. Mafeking was important because of its location, and whoever controls the town, controls South Africa.
War came, and for 217 days, BP and his soldiers held Mafeking in a siege against 9000 enemy soldiers, until relief forces finally fought their way to his help.
At Mafeking, BP organized his "Messenger Cadets". Trained in efficiency, obedience and smartness, they performed many tasks, relieving soldiers for active defense of the town.
Great Britain had been holding its breath these long months. When the news that "Mafeking has been relieved" came, the country went mad with joy.
BP now raised to the rank of Major-General, found himself a hero in the eyes of his countrymen.
When BP returned to England from South Africa in 1901, he was surprised to find that his book, Aids to Scouting, written for army men had been used as a textbook in boys' schools. BP thought that if a book for men on scouting practices could appeal to boys and inspire them, how much more would a book written for the boys themselves!
He then set to work adapting his experiences in India and in Africa. Slowly and carefully, BP developed the Scouting idea. To make sure it works, BP took a group of 20 boys with him to Brownsea Island in 1907 for the first Boy Scout camp the world had ever seen. The camp was a great success!
In 1908, BP published in 6 fortnightly parts, illustrated by himself, his handbook for training. This book is called Scouting for Boys. Without dreaming that this book would set in motion a movement which was to affect the boyhood of the entire world.
Scouting for Boys was an instant hit in England and Scout troops sprang up all over land. Copies of this book were soon being read by boys around the world.
The Movement grew and grew and reached such proportions that King Edward VII influenced BP to retire from the army and focus on the Boy Scouts.
And so he did and embarked upon his "second life", as he called it - his life of service to the world through Scouting.
By 1909, a party of British Scouts toured Germany, the first foreign visit of Boy Scouts. In the same year, there were two scout rallies - one at Crystal Palace in London where 11000 boys marched past BP and shortly afterwards, 6000 boys were inspected by him in Glasgow. Within 2 years, the Scout Movement grew from 20 boys to 80000 boys!
In 1912, BP set out on a trip around the world to meet Scouts in many countries. This was the earliest beginning of Scouting as a World Brotherhood.
World War 1 came and interrupted the work for a while, but with the end of hostilities, it resumed. In 1920, Scouts from all parts of the world met in London for the first international Scout gathering - the first World Jamboree.
On the last night of this Jamboree, on 6 August, BP was prolaimed "Chief Scout of the World" by the cheering crowd of boys.
The Scout Movement continued its growth. The day it reached its twenty-first birthday, it has mounted to more than two million members in practically all civilised countries of the earth.
When finally, after reaching the age of 80, BP strength began to wane, he returned to his beloved Africa with his wife, Lady Baden-Powell, who had been his enthusiastic helper in all his efforts and who herself was the Chief of the World's Girl Guides - a Movement also started by Baden-Powell.
They settled in Kenya, in a peaceful spot, with a glorious view across miles of forests toward snow-covered mountain peaks. There BP died on 8 January 1941, a little more than a month before his 84th birthday.