Lord Baden-Powell Biography
Lord Baden-Powell (1857-1941) was a British general and founder of the modern Scouting movement.
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 Oxford University. 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 became a national hero during the Boer war of 1899-1900 when, with a small garrison, he commanded the defense of Mafeking.
During the Boer War, Baden-Powell wrote a Guide to Scouting. This was published in 1903 and was a best-seller. Initially meant for military purposes, after the war, he felt it could be used as a focus for young boys to give them more meaning in life. This led to the creation of the Scout Movements. During his lifetime it grew to be a respected international organization.
