Baden-Powell Scouts' Association

The Baden-Powell Scouts' Association (B-PSA) is a United Kingdom-based nonprofit youth organisation that promotes traditional scouting values and methods as originally established by Lieutenant General Robert Baden-Powell in the early 20th century. It is registered as a charity under the number 278525.

History

The association was founded in 1970 by the Reverend William Dowling out of concern that The Scout Association—the primary scouting organisation in the UK—was moving away from the original principles and practices laid down by Baden-Powell in Scouting for Boys (1908). These changes were highlighted by the 1967 publication of the Advance Party Report, which significantly altered the uniform, sections, and programme of The Scout Association. The B-PSA sought to preserve the outdoor skills, values, and traditions of the original scouting movement centered around activities inspired by explorers, backwoodsmen, and frontiersmen[1][4][5].

Organisation and Programme

The Baden-Powell Scouts' Association operates as a voluntary, non-formal educational charity, welcoming young people into an independent, non-political, and non-military scouting environment. Its programme follows closely the original scouting framework, focusing on outdoor activities and traditional scouting skills. The association values inclusivity and aims to make its programme accessible to all[1].

International Relations

B-PSA is a member of the World Federation of Independent Scouts (WFIS), an international organisation established in 1996 to recognise and support independent scouting associations worldwide that adhere to traditional Baden-Powell scouting values. Lawrie Dring, a former president of B-PSA, was instrumental in founding the WFIS in Laubach, Germany. The WFIS promotes the development of young people to become efficient, service-oriented citizens through traditional scouting methods[1].

The Baden-Powell Scouts' Association thus serves as a custodian of the original scouting ethos, providing an alternative to modern scouting organisations by maintaining the foundational principles and outdoor skills envisaged by the founder of scouting in the United Kingdom.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baden-Powell_Scouts'_Association [2] https://www.scouts.org.uk/about-us/our-history/ [3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Scout_Association [4] https://www.traditionalscouting.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=182&Itemid=91 [5] https://en.scoutwiki.org/Baden-Powell_Scouts'_Association