Robert Baden-Powell

NAME: Robert Baden-Powell

WHAT FAMOUS FOR: Renowned British military leader, founder of the Boy Scouts and the Girl Guides movements.

BIRTH: Robert Baden-Powell was born on February 22, 1857, at 6 Stanhope Street (now 11 Stanhope Terrace), in Paddington, London, England.

FAMILY BACKGROUND: Baden-Powell came from a family with a strong military tradition. His father, Reverend Baden Powell, and his grandfather, Admiral Sir Robert Baden-Powell, both had distinguished careers in the British Armed Forces.

The Reverend Professor Baden Powell was a mathematician and Church of England priest. His mother was his father's his third wife, Henrietta Grace Smyth.

He was named after his godfather, Robert Stephenson, the railway and civil engineer, son of George Stephenson, the "Father of Railways".

After Robert's father died in 1860, his mother, to identify her children with her late husband's fame, and to set her own children apart from their half-siblings and cousins, styled the family name Baden-Powell.

CHILDHOOD: Baden-Powell grew up in a disciplined and structured environment, heavily influenced by his family's military background. He developed a love for outdoor activities and adventure from a young age.

EDUCATION: He attended Rose Hill School in Tunbridge Wells and later Charterhouse School, in Godmaling, Surrey, where he excelled in military-related subjects. 

At Charterhouse his early scouting experiences were more about dodging teachers and poaching rabbits in the forbidden woods than learning compass bearings.

He also attended the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst.

CAREER RECORD: Baden-Powell had a distinguished military career, serving in various conflicts and rising through the ranks of the British Army. He became famous for his leadership during the Siege of Mafeking in the Second Boer War. His resume reads:

1876 - Joined the British Army (13th Hussars)

1884-85 - Noted for using observation balloons in warfare (Bechuanaland and Sudan)

1899-1900 - Famous defense of Mafeking during the Second Boer War

1900-1903 - Recruited and trained the South African Constabulary

1903-1910 - Held various military positions (Inspector General of Cavalry, commanding general)

1908 - Founded the Scout Movement

1910 - Co-founded the Girl Guides/Girl Scouts (with Agnes Baden-Powell)

1910 - Retired from the military to focus on Scouting

APPEARANCE: Baden-Powell was known for his tall stature, military bearing, and distinctive mustache.

Baden-Powell in 1896

FASHION: As a military man, Baden-Powell's attire typically consisted of military uniforms or outdoor gear suited for his adventurous lifestyle. He become synonymous with khaki shorts

CHARACTER: Baden-Powell was known for his charisma, resourcefulness, and leadership qualities. He was also deeply committed to the principles of duty, honor, and service.

SENSE OF HUMOUR: He had a playful and mischievous sense of humor, often using humor to connect with others and diffuse tense situations. He enjoyed playing practical jokes.

SCOUTING In 1907, Robert Baden-Powell decided to give this whole "Scouting" thing a whirl. It all started  on a little island called Brownsea, where Baden-Powell, ever the resourceful chap, rounded up 20 boys for a camping expedition, which ran from August 1-8. Imagine it – a whole week of roughing it in the English sunshine (well, maybe some drizzle too). This wasn't your average school outing, mind you. Baden-Powell had them learning knots, tracking wildlife (probably more like chasing pigeons than stalking lions), and generally getting stuck into the great outdoors. It seems even back then, he had a hunch there was more to life than memorizing Latin conjugations.

Robert Baden-Powell with future Scouts on Brownsea Island

The experiment proved a roaring success, and a few months later, on January 24, 1908, Baden-Powell officially launched the Boy Scouts. Now, this wasn't just some weekend club for posh kids to play at explorers. Baden-Powell churned out a book called Scouting for Boys – a runaway bestseller that practically rivaled the Bible in terms of sales (well, almost). It was packed with all sorts of practical skills, from building fires to deciphering animal tracks. Apparently, the 20th century craved a bit more wilderness wisdom in their lives.

And Baden-Powell wasn't about leaving the girls out. He teamed up with his sister Agnes and in 1910, the Girl Guides (or Girl Scouts in America, for all you Yanks out there) were born. Now both boys and girls could hone their survival skills and learn the value of a good deed. Baden-Powell even started a program for younger nippers called the Wolf Cubs (Cub Scouts in the US), because let's face it, who can resist a pack of adorable little scouts running around in tiny uniforms?

RELATIONSHIPS: The man wasn't just a prolific writer and youth organization founder, though. Apparently, Baden-Powell fancied himself a bit of a human lie detector. He believed a person's character could be revealed simply by the way they walked. Now, I'm not sure how scientific that theory is, but hey, the man practically invented Scouting, so who are we to argue?  Legend has it, he even met his wife, Olave, after being captivated by her, ahem, "distinctive strides" on a ship. Talk about a meet-cute for the scouting set!

Robert Baden-Powell married Olave St Clair Soames on October 30, 1912, at St Peter's Church in Parkstone. He was 32 years older than her. They had three children (Arthur, Heather, and Peter)

Baden-Powell had a close relationship with his family and developed strong bonds with his fellow soldiers and colleagues throughout his military career.

MONEY AND FAME: Baden-Powell achieved fame and recognition for his military exploits and the founding of the Boy Scouts and Girl Guides movements. He earned royalties from his Scouting books, but lived modestly.

FOOD AND DRINK: Details about his personal preferences in food and drink are not extensively recorded, but as an adventurer, he likely had a taste for hearty and practical meals.

MUSIC AND ARTS: Baden-Powell played the piano and enjoyed singing. He was an ambidextrous artist and made paintings and drawings almost every day of his life. Most have a humorous or informative character.

LITERATURE: He authored several books on military tactics, scouting, and outdoor skills, which became influential texts in their respective fields.

Scouting for Boys was published in six fortnightly instalments of approximately 70 pages each, from January to March 1908. These six publications were a success and, as planned, were issued in book form on May 1, 1908. an estimated over 100 million books have been printed, making it rank high in the list of best-selling books.

He spent most of the last two years of his life in Africa, and many of his later books had African themes. 

NATURE: Baden-Powell had a profound love for nature and the outdoors, which greatly influenced his approach to scouting and outdoor education.

HOBBIES AND SPORTS: His hobbies included hiking, camping, hunting, and various outdoor pursuits, which he often incorporated into his scouting activities. Also enjoyed drawing and writing.

SCIENCE AND MATHS: While not primarily known as a scientist or mathematician, Baden-Powell's scouting movement emphasized practical skills, including navigation and wilderness survival, which have scientific and mathematical components.

PHILOSOPHY & THEOLOGY: Baden-Powell's philosophy centered around the importance of self-reliance, teamwork, and service to others, principles that were reflected in the scouting movement.

SCANDAL: There are no major scandals associated with Baden-Powell's life.

MILITARY RECORD: Baden-Powell had a long and distinguished military career, serving in various campaigns and conflicts, including the Second Boer War and World War I.

Eighteen seventy-six rolled around, and Robert, with a restless spirit and a fondness for khaki (a foreshadowing, perhaps?), decided the military was the life for him. Off he went, bouncing around India, Afghanistan, and South Africa, a true citizen of the empire. There was a bit of a sticky situation in 1896 when he was accused of bumping off a surrendered prisoner of war. Nasty business, that. But hey, an inquiry cleared him, and Robert marched on, his reputation (according to him, at least) as spotless as a freshly ironed scout uniform.

Then came the Boer War, and Baden-Powell found himself leading the defense of Mafeking. Imagine it: stuck in a town for 217 days, under siege, hoping some friendly faces with big guns would show up eventually. They did, of course. It was finally broken on May 17, 1900, and Baden-Powell became a national hero, his name practically a synonym for pluck and perseverance.

But our intrepid scout wasn't done yet. He stuck around in Africa, helping to form the South African Constabulary, a fancy way of saying he was basically setting up the country's police force. It seems even after all that military kerfuffle, Baden-Powell still had a hankering for a bit of order and keeping the peace.

During World War I Baden-Powell served in the British Intelligence Department.

A World War I propaganda poster drawn by Baden-Powell

HEALTH AND PHYSICAL FITNESS: Baden-Powell maintained a high level of physical fitness throughout his life, which was essential for his outdoor adventures and military service.

HOMES: Robert Baden-Powell's life was marked by constant movement due to his military career. He lived in various locations throughout the British Empire, including:

England (Paddington, London, various military postings)

India (served in several locations)

South Africa (during the Boer War and after)

Malta (military posting)

After retiring from the military in 1910, he settled in Matlaske Camp on the Isle of Purbeck in Dorset, England.

In 1934, he moved to Paxtu in Nyeri, Kenya, where he spent his remaining years.

TRAVEL: Extensive travel was an inherent part of Baden-Powell's life. His military service took him to:

India (served in various campaigns)

Malta

South Africa (Boer War and post-war)

Other parts of Africa (reconnaissance missions)

His Scouting activities also involved travel, attending rallies and conferences around the world.

DEATH: Robert Baden-Powell died on January 8, 1941, in Nyeri, Kenya, at the age of 83.. He is buried there, in St. Peter's Cemetery. His gravestone bears a circle with a dot in the centre "☉", which is the trail sign for "Going home", or "I have gone home."

APPEARANCES IN MEDIA: Baden-Powell has been portrayed in numerous films, television shows, and books, often depicted as a heroic figure and the founder of the scouting movement.

ACHIEVEMENTS: Founding the Scout Movement (1908): This global youth organization has impacted millions of young people worldwide, promoting values of self-reliance, citizenship, and outdoor skills.

Co-founding the Girl Guides/Girl Scouts (1910) with his sister Agnes: This provided a similar program for girls, fostering leadership, teamwork, and community service.

Inspiring generations of young people: Through Scouting principles like character development, service to others, and connection to nature, Baden-Powell's legacy continues to influence youth development.

National Hero Status: His successful defense of Mafeking during the Boer War solidified his image as a courageous and resourceful leader.