The Order of World Scouts is a fraternal order of the World Scouts, the oldest international Scout organisation which was founded on 1 May 1911. The World Scouts inaugurated its Order on 11 November 1911 to serve the World Scouts, the Scout Movement and international ideals and society. The order is aimed at older scouts, those who have progressed from scouts because of their age and scoutmasters committed to Scout ideals of the Scout Promise and Scout Law. As part of the World Scouts, it is headquartered in England and has an administration headquarters in Italy.
As of November 2008, the World Scouts includes member associations in 14 countries – the United Kingdom, Italy, Australia, Peru, Jamaica, as well as two associations each for Poland, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, the Dominican Republic, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile and three associations in Mexico, Ukraine and Nepal, Uganda, Honduras and the United States (United States Trailblazers). Members of these associations are eligible for admission to the Order.
History The World Scouts was formed by Sir Francis Fletcher-Vane, 5th Baronet upon the British Boy Scouts, which had spread across the British Empire, and the National Peace Scouts. The British Boy Scouts were formed in 1908 as the Battersea Boy Scouts. The Battersea Boy Scouts briefly registered with The Baden-Powell Boy Scouts in September 1908 but withdrew out of a concern that Baden-Powell's organisation was too bureaucratic and militaristic. The Battersea Boy Scouts (BBS) were reconstituted as the British Boy Scouts (BBS) and launched as a national organisation in March 1909.
Vane had been the Baden-Powell Boy Scouts London Commissioner. He felt that the Scout Movement should be non-military and pushed for the Baden-Powell Boy Scouts to be a more democratic organization. Through mediation, Vane reconciled various Scout organisations including the London Diocesan Boy Scouts and the British Boy Scouts with the Baden-Powell Boy Scout organisation, as affiliates. However, Baden-Powell appointed members of the National Service League, a pro-military group to his Boy Scouts Headquarters and Vane's position was eliminated. In a protest meeting, the London area Scoutmasters voted overwhelmingly in support of Vane. Baden-Powell promised to reinstate Vane but never did.
On 3 December 1909, Sir Francis Vane accepted the presidency of the British Boy Scouts, taking most London area Troops with him. The Quakers' Birmingham and Midland Troops also followed. Vane was instrumental in gaining Quakers to sponsor Scout Troops, with support given by George and Barrow Cadbury. Discussions with the pacifist Boy's Life Brigade led to the creation of the National Peace Scouts, launched on 1 April 1910. The World Scouts was an international extension of these efforts.
With Vane having an Italian summer home, he and his co-founder Remo Molinari were able to launch the Scout Movement in Italy with the Italian Boy Scouts (Ragazzi Esploratori Italiani) in 1910.
In 1911, in France, Vane assisted Augustin Dufresne, a ship owner, to organise a French Scout organisation.
With the spread of the British Boy Scouts program across the British Empire and to other English speaking countries and peoples via the CHUMS (paper) and Vane's connections in other countries, Vane aligned the various national Scout organisations as the "World Scouts", the first international organization, launched on 1 May 1911. This included the 'American Boy Scout'.singular ending as it was an incorporation but is often referred to as the 'American Boy Scouts' The relationship with the American Boy Scout was short lived due to its overt militarism. Representation covered fifteen countries (counting Ireland as being separate) being; the UK, Ireland, Italy, the United States (isolated troops), Canada, France, Belgium, India, South America, China, South Africa, Egypt, Australia and New Zealand.
The World Scouts inaugurated its Order of World Scouts on 11 November 1911. The Order was aimed at older scouts, those too old to remain scouts and scoutmasters. The theme of a chivalric knightly order was adopted and its launch date was St. Martin's Day and the anniversary of Baldwin being proclaimed King of Jerusalem in 1100. Vane became the Grand Scoutmaster of the Order. The Order presaged Rovers with its similar purpose and knightly chivalric theme and the Alpha Phi Omega college fraternity.
Vane put his wealth behind the World Scouts, its Order, the BBS and other national Scout organisations: providing a London headquarters and financing the organisations, even the manufacture of Scout uniforms not only for the BBS, but also for the Italian Scouts. This over-burdened his finances to the point of having to declare bankruptcy. Thus the World Scouts and BBS lost their headquarters, source of equipment and uniforms, and their leader, Sir Francis Vane.
The World Scouts was left with member troops in England (remaining to the present) and in Australia. The Australian BBS, proved more resilient than was initially thought. The 4th Alexandria (Australia) British Boy Scouts existed in the 1950s, and possibly beyond that date, Individual members in Australia corresponded with the British Chief Commissioner up until the late 1960s. Robert Campbell, an Australian Scout researcher, traced the BBS in Australia and credits the continuation of membership in Australia to the 1990s, when the Scouts of Australia became the successors to the BBS, which "Ceased activity in Australia c. 1950s but retains members".
In the mid-1980s, expansion began again with members joining in Hawaii (USA). In the early 1990s, contact was made by a Scout organisation in Australia, followed by Scout organisations in other countries.
After contact in 1991 with the Independent Scouts of Australia Incorporated, the World Scouts was more formally organised, with the appointments of a BBS Commissioner for Australia in 1991 and a Chief Commissioner of BBS & BGS in Canada in 1999.
World Scouts member organizations Country Group Years Argentina Unión Scout Tradicionales de Argentina AC. The Union of Traditional Scouts of America homepage 2008–present Australia British Boy Scouts (AU) 1911–1930s Order of World Scouts Constitution Australia Independent Australian Scouts formerly known as 'Scouts of Australia' (1992 to 2001) 1991– BelgiumTroop based in De Panne1911–1914 BoliviaBolivia: USTA2008–2016 BrazilBrasil: USTA2008–2016 BrazilBrasil: AEMR2017–present CanadaBritish Boy Scouts (Canada)1911–1919CanadaCanadian Independent Scout Association1999–2000 ChinaThe British Boy Scouts (Hong Kong)1911–1914 ChileFIDES Chile (Federación de escultismo Chilena) USTA2008–2016 ChileAgrupación de Escultismo Woodcraft de Chile USTA2003–2016 ChileUnión de Scouts de Chile USTA2008–2016 Dominican Republic Dominican Republic USTA2008–2016 EgyptThe British Boy Scouts (Egypt)1911–1914 El Salvador Association of Traditional Scouts of El Salvador (ASTES) 2016–present FranceFrench Scouts1911–1914 Hawaii (USA)Order of World Scouts Hawaii1985–2000 Honduras Association Of The Escultismo Traditional From Honduras (AETH) 2017–present IndiaThe British Boy Scouts (India)1911–1914 IrelandBritish Boy Scouts (Ireland)1911–1914 ItalyItalian Boy Scouts (Ragazzi Esploratori Italiani)1911–1914ItalyNational Scout Training School (Scuola Nazionale Formazione Scout)2002–presentJamaica Girl Scouts of Jamaica2008–present Mexico Union of Traditional Scouts of Mexico (USTmex) 2017–present MexicoScouts Mexicanos AC2008–2011 Nepal Nepal Peace Scouts2016–present New ZealandThe British Boy Scouts (New Zealand)1911–1914 PeruThe Peruvian Association of Scouts Around the World(Asociacion Peruana de los Scouts Del Mundo)2008–2016PeruPerù USTA2008–2016 PolandDrzewo Pokoju2002–present PolandHarcerska Gromada Wilkow 2010–present PolandStowarzyszenie Harcerskie Knieja2012–present South AmericaThe British Boy Scouts (Creillos, South America)1911–1914 South AfricaThe British Boy Scouts (South Africa)1911–1914 Uganda The Federation of Uganda Scouts 2017–present UkraineOrganization of Ukrainian Scouts United Kingdom British Boy Scouts 1911–present United Kingdom British Girl Scouts 1911–presentUnited KingdomBritish Girl's Nursing Corps1911–1912United KingdomThe Order of the Redeemer1914–present United Kingdom Scout History Association United StatesAmerican Boy Scouts 1911–1912 Uruguay Uruguay USTA2008–2016
Grand Scoutmasters and other officers Grand Scoutmasters Sir Francis Vane (1911–1912) Albert Jones Knighton (1913–1926) Rt Hon Lord Alington (1926–1932) Samuel Nalty Manning (1932–1967) Percy Herbert Pooley in-charge (1967–1971) Charles A Brown in-charge (1971–1983) Charles A Brown (1983–1992) Edward E Scott (1993–2000) Rev'd Michael John Foster (2000–2016) David Cooksely (2016–)
President Colonel Frederick Charles Keyser 1909 Sir Francis Vane bt 1909–1913
Vice President Prince Di Cassano of Italy
Honorary President Mrs G White Brebble 1932 Viscount Milton 1939 The Rt Hon The Earl of Fitzwilliam 1948 The Reverend Bill Dowling 1997
Assistant Grand Scoutmaster, Britain Captain Masterman 1911–1912 L C Hobbs 1914–1926
Assistant Grand Scoutmaster, South Australia Joseph Regis-Coory 1911–1912
Assistant Grand Scoutmaster, South Africa H C Edwards-Carter 1911–1914
Assistant Grand Scoutmaster, France Monsieur Augustin Dufresne 1911–1914
Assistant Grand Scoutmaster, Italy Ivano Venerandi 2007–
Assistant Grand Scoutmaster, Poland Jerzy Gach 2009–
Assistant Grand Scoutmaster, Latinoamericana Francisco Arias 2017–
Chief Commissioner for Britain W G Whitby 1909–1911 Percy Herbert Pooley 1926–1971 Charles A Brown 1971–1983 Rev'd Michael John Foster 1983–2000 David Cooksely 2000–2017 Paul Stevens 2017–
Chief Commissioner for Australia Robert Campbell 1991–2001
Chief Commissioner for Canada Bill Nangle 1999 Resigned
Chief Commissioner for Italy Ivano Venerandi 2006–2007
Chief Commissioner for Poland Jerzy Gach 2002–2008
Chief Commissioner for Argentina Osvaldo Fonseca 2008–2016 Gabriel Palma 2017–2023 Aldo Galeano 2023-
Chief Commissioner for Bolivia Rolando Farfan 2008–2016
Chief Commissioner for Brazil Salvio Avenor 2008–2016
Chief Commissioner for Chile Marcelo Vergara 2008–2016
Chief Commissioner for Republica Dominicana Roberto Torres 2008–2016
Chief Commissioner for Jamaica Lavinia McClure 2009–
Chief Commissioner for El Salvador Francisco Arias 2016
Chief Commissioner for Mexico Juventino Sandoval 2009–2011 Miguel Chi 2017–
Chief Commissioner for Peru Josè Luis Duffoò Cornejo 2008–2016
Chief Commissioner for Ukraine Aleksander Matsiyevskyy 2009–
Chief Commissioner for Uruguay Jorge Villaran 2008–2016
Chief Commissioner for Ecuador Eduardo José Mera Alay 2010–2014
Chief Commissioner for Nepal Sudhan Maraseni 2016–present
Italian Boy Scouts
Italian Boy Scouts (IBS) was the first Scout organization in Italy founded by Francis Vane and Remo Molinari lasting from 1910 to 1914. While short lasting, its existence influenced others to start other Scout organizations in Italy.
History
Francis Vane's winter home was in Bagni di Lucca, Italy in the Apennine Mountains. Vane started a troop at a local school which spread the ideals of the Scout Movement and the backing of the Catholic Church. On July 12, 1910, an official launch of the Italian Boy Scouts at the Lawn Tennis Club in Bagni, followed with a royal inspection on November 6, 1910, at by King Victor Emmanuel with the co-founders of a troop of 30 boys. The royal inspection led to the patronage of the Italy King for the organization with the King becoming president of the Italian movement. For Rome organizer, Prince Di Cassano was appointed to the position. Initially, the REI had a long 10-point Scout Oath, but was replaced in 1911 with a shorter 9-point oath.
With World War I and other absence of Vane, the IBS ended in 1914 with many of the troops joining the National Explorers Youth Corps.
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