Figure 1.--There were very different visisions for Britosh Scouting in the early years. The path eventually chosen was to enbrace internationalism rather than a strict nationalist movement. Baden Powell's struggle with the British Boy Scouts and Order of World Scouts played a major role in developin this international outreach. These English boys in 1910 were the first Scout group to visit the Netherlands.

Scouting appealed to more than just British boys and boys in British domininios around the world. Soon Scouting appeared in America and continental European countries. Europe in the early 20th century was a hot bed of nationalism which was to lead to two disastrous world wars. Baden Powell thus had to decide whether the Scouts should be a British national group or part of a wider world-wide movement. Also because Britain ruled many countries with non-British populations, Scouting appeared in countries like India as well as other Asian and African countries. This presented a fundamental challenge. There were in Britain, America, and much of Europe fundamental assumptions about white racial superority. These attitudes were especially strong in America, but as Britain led the spread of Scouting in the early years it is the British attitude that is most important. Britain did not have segregation laws, but foreigners especially non-white foreigners were looked down on. There were numerous private-restrictions. Blacks could not, for example, compete at Wimbeldon. Overseas in the Empire there were many more restrictions on indigenous people. As a result, Baden Powell and his new Boy Scout movement had to make fundamental decissions about internationalism. There was also a competing internatioanl Scout group.

Nationalism

Scouting appealed to more than just British boys and boys in British domininios around the world. Soon Scouting appeared in America and continental European countries. Europe in the early 20th century was a hot bed of nationalism which was to lead to two disastrous world wars. Baden Powell thus had to decide whether the Scouts should be a British national group or part of a wider world-wide movement. HBU at this time does not know to what extent this issue was disscussed by Baden-Powell and his associates. We do know, however, that he became an appostle of internationalism. The first international Jamboree had to be postponed, like the Olympics, because of Wrld War I, but was held soon after the War. Baden-Powell traveled widely to support the spread of the Scout movement around the world. This was at the time a very inovative decesion. The Boys' Brigade, for example, never expabded with a few exceptins beyond the British dominions. Some groups which followed the Scouts, like the Hitler Youth and Italian Balial, proclaimed the superiority of their country and had little interest in contacts with other countries.

Racism

Also because Britain ruled many countries with non-British populations, Scouting appeared in countries like India as well as other Asian and African countries. This presented a fundamental challenge. There were in Britain, America, and much of Europe fundamental assumptions about white racial superority. These attitudes were especially strong in America, but as Britain led the spread of Scouting in the early years it is the British attitude that is most important. Britain did not have segregation laws, but foreigners especially non-white foreigners were looked down on. There were numerous private-restrictions. Blacks could not, for example, compete at Wimbeldon. Overseas in the Empire there were many more restrictions on indigenous people. HBU has little infornmation on how Baden Powell and his Scouts confronted the issue of racism. We do know that the development of Scouting was promoted around the world regardless of the ethnicity of local populations.

The Order of World Scouts

There was also a competing internatioanl Scout group. In fact, the short-lived Order of World Scouts (OWO) founded in 1911 was the earlist international Scouting organization. While the OWO organization was short lived, they made have well played an important role in incouraging Baden Powell's British Scouts to expand their international outreach.

Foreign Scouts

Scouting proved to be such a populsr movement that Scout associations wre organized in most counties around the world. And many boys and girls no matter where they lived wanted to persue Scouting. This included children living in foreign countries. This included children living overseas premanently as well as those whose parents were living overseas on temporary or short-term assignments. Here there were different options. They might join the local Scouts. Others might form there on Scout troops. This would be the cade where large number of foreigners are living in overseas communities. This might be the case of European countries (British, Dutch, French, Italian, Portuguese, and others) with colonies. Some children lived in places with large, but diverse foreign communities. I am not entirely sure what they did. Tey may have formed a kind of international troup or joined with troops formed by the dominant foreign group. Perhaps readers will have more informatoon on this.