Why were Boy Scouts and Girls Scouts founded?

Answer 1

Robert Baden-Powell started the Scouting Movement (Boy Scouts) in 1908 because of his experiences in the British Army. He felt that boys could benefit from the Scout method, a program of informal education and practical activities such as camping, hiking, sports, backpacking, aquatics, and woodcraft.

Girl Scouts and Girl Guides were founded because girls also wanted to be Scouts. Many groups of girls began forming their own troops and one group of girls attended a Boy Scout rally in 1909 calling themselves "Scouts". Robert Baden-Powell felt that girls should have their own organization so he chose the name "Girl Guides" and asked his sister, Agnes Baden-Powell, to help found the Girl Guide organization in 1910. Some organizations have chosen to use "Girl Scouts" instead of "Girl Guides".

Baden Powell specifically wrote his books because he found his new military recruits were clueless about how to function in the outdoors (hence the name "scouts" - it refers to military scouts).

Several scouting movements were actually established in the late 1800's to early 1900's. The unifying themes are that they looked to stimulate an interest and comfort in outdoors activities, promote good moral values, and give children wholesome activities with which to occupy themselves.

Answer 2

Lord Baden-Powell is generally credited with starting scouting as we know it today. He was a British war hero who discovered on his return from the Boer wars that children were reading his military training manuals and pretending to be "scouts". In 1907 he began experimenting with forming groups of boys and teaching outdoor skills. He adapted his military manuals to serve teen boys and started the Scouting Movement which he served for the rest of his life.

A Boy Scout rally was held in 1909 in the United Kingdom. Several girls attended proclaiming themselves to be Scouts. Robert Baden-Powell chose the name "Girl Guides" and decided that an organization for girls should be run by women so he asked his sister, Agnes, to help and, in 1910, the Girl Guide movement was formally founded.