The word "scout" has several meanings, but it was originally the name of a soldier in British reconnaissance light infantry regiments. And then a youth movement was born, which covered literally all countries of the world, and traditionally the members of such organizations began to be called scouts.
The origins of the scouts, England
In 1899, the commandant of the English fortress Mafeking Baden-Powell fought off the enemy during the Boer War in South Africa, and he was sorely lacking in people and information. Then he organized the teenagers into a special reconnaissance detachment, the boys from which managed to literally crawl under the enemy's nose and get valuable information. Thanks to his little scouts, the colonel was able to hold off the enemy for 207 days, waiting for help.
After that, Baden-Powell took up the development of the scout system, realizing that such an organization would be able to instill in the children of the colonists, who are constantly involved in various wars, the principles of chivalry, patriotism, the importance of strict discipline and physical development, and later wrote a book where he outlined the foundations of his system.
Scouts in Tsarist Russia
In 1908, the colonel's book on the basics of raising children within the Scouting for Boys scout organization was distributed around the world, including falling into the hands of Nicholas II. And in 1909, in Tsarskoye Selo, Colonel Pantyukhov founded the "Legion of Young Scouts" and on April 30 held the first scout training camp. Following in 1915, the first detachment of girls appeared in Kiev under the leadership of Professor Antokhin.
During the First World War, Orthodox scout squads became indispensable helpers for their homeland, helping in hospitals, sending things the soldiers needed to the front, and raising funds for families disadvantaged by the war.
Scouts in the USSR and in modern Russia
In 1917, the revolution broke out, and the children's military organization was recognized as a backward, monarchical phenomenon. But the successful scheme for the education of discipline and patriotism could not sink into oblivion. Krupskaya borrowed the basic principles of scouts to create a new ideological system for educating young people.
So on May 19, 1922, the Pioneer Organization arose without religious attitudes, but with a deepened ideology of socialism. This organization became state-owned, and every child who has reached the age of 9-10 must join it. The goal of the pioneers was to educate citizens who are loyal to the Party with all their hearts.
With the collapse of the USSR, the pioneers also disappeared, but in 1990 the scout movement began to revive. There are many similar organizations in Russia today. Some of them are created at churches, with an emphasis on helping people, love for the Motherland and care for the spiritual education of young people (for example, the Brotherhood of Orthodox Pathfinders).
Some purely secular organizations that organize hikes for children, a variety of cognitive courses in which scouts learn survival and first aid skills. The guys act as volunteers, go in for sports, creativity and pay special attention to good deeds (RADS, ORYUR, RCC).
Scouts in other countries
Almost every country has similar systems that organize and educate children in the spirit of patriotism and military training. Hong Kong, China, Europe - everywhere there are organizations based on the book of Colonel Baden-Powell, who lived a century ago.
By the way, even in Nazi Germany there was a youth movement (Hitler Youth - for boys, the "Union of German girls" - for girls), educating soldiers devoted to the ideology of their state.
American scouts are an indispensable attribute of many films, comics and shows. The rules, traditions, form and basic provisions of the scout movement have remained practically unchanged in the United States since the time of Baden-Powell. Practical training, military discipline and subordination, high patriotism and an indispensable touch of religiosity. Being a scout in America is an honor.
Other meanings of the word "scout"
* In sports, a "scout" is a club employee looking for possible candidates for a team.
* There are also scouts in the fashion world who are looking for interesting characters for permanent work in a modeling agency or for a specific advertising company.
* “SCOUT” is an abbreviation in the financial sphere, meaning “general currency trading option”.
* "Scouts" refers to equipment - a type of cruiser of the early 20th century, a family of American launch vehicles, some cars.