Main Page - Scoutopaedia© by Tom Vella-Zarb

Welcome to my SCOUTOPAEDIA© where you will find a good assortment of ideas for use with Scouts and other young people. Thoughts, Quotes, Prayers, Campfire Openings and Closings, Crafts, Stories, Camping Notes, Cooking Notes, etc. Please book mark this page and browse through and enjoy your visit. If you have any comments and suggestions, please e-mail them to me. Come visit again often, d'ya hear.


You are hearing BACK TO GILWELL - known by Scouters all over the world. For the usual words click here


I'm glad you came to visit my Scoutopaedia ©

Scouting was founded by Lord Robert Baden-Powell of Gilwell



Click picture for a puzzle

B-P died on the 8th day of January, 1941
That was

For an informative page [one of several available] about B-P and Scouting please click here.

Origin of the World Scouting Symbol
"Fleur-de-Lis"

In Scouting's early years, critics accused Baden-Powell of trying to turn boys into soldiers, holding up as evidence the Scout symbol, which they called "a spear-head, the emblem of battle and bloodshed". The Founder quickly replied, The crest is the "Fleur-de-Lis", a lily, the emblem of peace and purity.


WORLD SCOUTING

In truth, he had chosen as Scouting's emblem the sign for the North Point, universally shown on maps, charts and compass cards, because "it points in the right direction (and upwards), turning neither to the right nor left, since these lead backward again..." Lady Baden-Powell added later, "It shows the true way to go."


CANADA

Baden-Powell explained the origins of this sign. In the Middle Ages, mariner Flavio Gioja designed it to make the seaman's compass more reliable. In Italian, North was "Tramontana". Gioja used a capital "T" to mark it, and in deference to King Charles of Naples, whose crest was the Fleur-de-Lis, combined the letter with that emblem.

To explain the meaning of the Scout emblem, Baden-Powell said, "The two stars on the two side arms stand for the two eyes of the Wolf Cub having been opened before he became a Scout... The three points of the Fleur-de-Lis remind the Scout of the three points of the Scout's Promise..."


QUEBEC

In the World Scout emblem, the Fleur-de-Lis is surrounded by a circle of rope tied with a reef knot to symbolize the strength and unity of the world brotherhood of Scouting: "Even as one cannot undo a reef knot, no matter how hard one pulls on it, so as it expands, the movement remains united."


MALTA

The three tips of the Fleur-de-Lis represent the three main parts of the Scout promise: duty to God, obedience to the Scout Law, and service to others. The two five-point stars stand for truth and knowledge, and the 10 points on the stars remind us of the 10 points of the Scout law. The ring holding the emblem together represents the bond of brotherhood.

The symbol is white on a royal purple background, colors Baden-Powell chose because, in heraldry, white stands for purity and purple for leadership and helping others.


UNITED KINGDOM

Since Scouting began, over 200 million Scouts have worn the Scout symbol, making it one of the more highly recognized emblems in the world. Today, over 150 World Scouting countries and territories, more than 16 million members continue to wear it with pride.



UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

For a good view of Scout logos from around the world, I invite you to click here.

Scoutopaedia© This resouce page is the work of Tom Vella-Zarb from Prairie Siding, Ontario, Canada E-Mail me at thomasa@vella-zarb.com Scoutopaedia© is chock full of Stories, Quotes, Thoughts, Prayers, Skits, Games, etc Scouters' Five and other ideas and thoughts for Scout and other Youth leaders and links to various Scouting sites. You will find Bookmark this link and visit me again at Scoutopaedia© Thank you for visiting Come again Soon! The site to visit Scoutopaedia© Please Read and Sign my Dream Book! Web Site design© 2004 Toveza

Morbid Anatomy of The Boy Scout - by Ronald Searle

If you came to this page from my personal home page, you may have noted in my biographical sketch that I had been involved with Scouting in Malta, and in Canada. I was a Scouter for over thirty five years, and held various positions from Second Patrol Leader to District Rover Leader, and most of the ranks in between.
I have taken several training courses from a Patrol Leader's Training Course to Wood Badge - I hold the Gilwell Scarf and Wood Badge Beads in five sections - Pack [Cubs], Troop [Scouts], Company [Venturers], Crew [Rovers], and Trainers [Service Team]. Unfortunately I never had the privilege of working with the youngest section of the movement - Beavers.


I believe that I am one of a very few Volunteer Scouters who hold five sets of beads and parchments. The only one I do not have is the Beaver section one. Of course by the time Beavers had started in Canada, I was starting to retire. I actually attended seven courses. The first one in Malta I was considered too young, just 17, and was asked to take it again. Then I emigrated to Canada and took it again at Ernwigle in 1964. The first Pack course I took was disastrous. Many of those attending did not make it!!! [1958]

During these years, I kept a special notebook with important notes. This section contains a selection from that notebook that I wish to share with Scouters all over the world. They may be "old hat" to some of you, but I trust that some of you may enjoy perusing them, and, hopefully making use of them with your "Scouts" of the appropriate section.
I have jotted down ideas and songs, crafts and prayers, this and that, from various Scout gatherings that I have participated in over the years. If by chance, you stumble across any item that is attributable to any particular author, please let me know so that I may give the proper credit. Thank you.

The name, SCOUTOPAEDIA ©, and the contents are Copyright by the author unless otherwise noted. Please feel free to place a link to this page on your home page. If you copy parts of this page on to your page, please insert a credit and a link back to this page.
Recently the Scout Association of Malta, after tracking me down with all my changes of address, awarded me a medal
I was on Staff at the First Ontario Jamboree in Milton, Ontario, in the summer of 1969, and on National Staff at the Canadian Jamboree held in Prince Edward Island, in 1971. When the contingent from Chatham participated in the Jamboree in 1997, I designed their crest for them .