Early Years

Military Career

Scouting Career

Personal Life

HOME

Awards

[1] [2] [1] [2] [3]

By starting the Boy Scout movement, Robert Baden Powell saved countless young boys, throughout the world, by providing them with the opportunity to learn essential outdoor and life skills.

Constructed by

Early Years

Military Career

Scouting Career

Personal Life

HOME

Awards

[1] [2] [1] [2] [3]

Robert Baden Powell was born on February 22, 1857 in London England, as Robert Stephenson Smyth Powell but was known Stephe Powell. His parents were Professor H.G. Baden Powell, his father, and Henrietta Smyth, his mother. 

During his early years a tragic accident happened. His father died while Powell was at the age of three, leaving their mother to teach and take care of 3 young children and 4 teenage children, Robert being the second youngest.

His mother would take them on long walks through the woods teaching him everything he needed to know about nature. She would also let him read books from his father’s library of natural

history.

Early Years

Military Career

Scouting Career

Personal Life

HOME

Awards

[1] [2] [1] [2] [3]

His first formal school was Dame's School in Kensington Square. He then attended Rose Hill School in Tunbridge Wells where his father had been schooled.

While at this school he received a scholarship to the Charterhouse in England where there were plenty of woods. This is where Robert did a lot of foresting on his own.

While at school though he did not really excel in athletics or in academics, he only wanted to be outside or he wanted to do theater.

Early Years

Military Career

Scouting Career

Personal Life

HOME

Awards

[1] [2] [1] [2] [3]

The first of Powell’s career started in 1876 when he took an open examination for army commission. Surprisingly he finished 2nd in cavalry and 4th in infantry. He first was a sub-lieutenant in the 13 Hussars and then on December 6th of the same year,

he joined his regiment in Bombay, India.

His next step was at age of 26 he was promoted to captain. Then in 1884 his regiment went back to England for two years. During this time Robert published a book called Reconnaissance and Scouting. He also traveled to Germany, Austria, and Russia as a

spy to see their latest advances technologically.

In 1887 his uncle General Henry Smyth was appointed governor of South Africa. He went there and was part of his staff, participating in several non-combative missions and because of that was promoted to brevet-

major.

Early Years

Military Career

Scouting Career

Personal Life

HOME

Awards

[1] [2] [1] [2] [3]

Then in 1893 he joined the 13 Hussars in Ireland. He then was sent to Ashanti. Here he hoped he would finally get some military action but he was disappointed. But this is when he earned the rank of brevet-lieutenant-colonel for his missions. Then he moved to the Matabele Rebellion where he did much scouting of his own, he says that this was a most crucial time for him developing his ideas on

scouting.

After the rebellion was taken care of, he was offered the command of the 5th Dragoon Guards in India where he spent most of his time training troops. This is when he wrote Aids to Scouting for military purpose but many young boys started reading it too. From this he later wrote Scouting for Boys specifically for young boys.

Early Years

Military Career

Scouting Career

Personal Life

HOME

Awards

[1] [2] [1] [2] [3]

In 1899 he was sent to South Africa again but this time to fight against the Boers. By just using limited forces he kept off 7,000 Boers for 217 days! It was during this time period that Powell started thinking more on his idea. Since the men were always busy fighting or doing other important jobs, he organized the Mafeking Cadet Corps who took care of smaller tasks around town.

When the war was completed he was promoted to Major-General, was appointed head of the South African Constabulary, and was named the inspector general of cavalry from 1900-1907. He permanently resigned from the military in 1910 after repeated advice from King Edward VII who thought it better for him to promote scouting.

Early Years

Military Career

Scouting Career

Personal Life

HOME

Awards

[1] [2] [1] [2] [3]

When Robert Baden Powell first took 20 young boys to the camp on Brownsea Island in 1907 it marked the beginning of the Scouting Movement. He was greatly influenced by Ernest Thompson Seton who was the founder of the Woodcraft Indians.

After his book Scouting for Boys was published in 1908 scout troops were popping up all around the country and soon in other countries too. By 1910, there were over 8,000 girls registered for scouts, so he convinced his sister Agnes to start a Girl Scout movement that was know as Girl Guides.

The first World Scout Jamboree took place in 1920 in Olympia. There Robert Baden Powell was acclaimed the Chief Scout of the World. At the 3rd World Scout Jamboree he received two new cars from the scouts, a 20 horse power Rolls-Royce car and an Eccles Caravan.

While Powell was the Chief Scout, scouting numbers increases dramatically. In 1922 there were over 1 million in 32 countries and in 1939 there were more than 3.3 million. At the 5th World Scout Jamboree, Robert Baden Powell retired from public scouting life.

Early Years

Military Career

Scouting Career

Personal Life

HOME

Awards

[1] [2] [1] [2] [3]

Robert Baden Powell first met Olave St Clair Soames in January 1912 on an ocean liner to New York. They were engaged in September of that same year. They married in secret on October 30th, 1912 so as to not have press intrusion.

All the scouts donated a single penny to buy them a car as a wedding gift. This wasn’t the car he got from the Scout Jamborees though. They lived in Pax Hill in Bentley, Hampshire from 1912 to 1939. The house was a gift from

Olave’s father.

They had 3 children, one son and two daughters. The son later became the 2nd Baron of Baden Powell, with his father

being the 1st.

Then in 1939 they moved to a cottage called Paxtu that he had commissioned in Nyeri, Kenya. Then sadly in 1941 Robert Baden Powell passed away on January 8th, 1941. He was buried in Nyeri, Kenya with a circle with a dot in the middle which means “I’m Coming Home”. Kenya declared his grave as a national monument.

Early Years

Military Career

Scouting Career

Personal Life

HOME

Awards

[1] [2] [1] [2] [3]

In 1895, Powell earned the Ashanti Star. Then in 1896 he earned the British South Africa Company Medal. He earned the Queen’s South Africa medal in 1899 and the King’s South Africa Medal in 1902. In 1937 he earned the Wateler Peace Prize.

He earned the Boy Scouts Silver Wolf and also the Boy Scouts Silver Buffalo Award in 1926. He was awarded the World Scout Committee Bronze Wolf in

1935.

He was appointed to the Order of Merit in 1937. He was also appointed to the Order of St. Michael and St. George, the Royal Victorian Order, and the Order of the Bath.