I know that although they were invented there, but when I think of The Boy Scouts I think America mom and apple pie. Are they still popular, or even active there at all.
As far as I am aware they are still quite popular and active. I saw what looked like boy scouts the other day.
I had a friend who was a member of something similar, boy’s brigade I think was it’s name. I tagged along to one or two meetings. They had a drill, but then were let loose on the various things in the building for recreation (pool table, excercise equipment, football etc…)
IIRC they were created by an Englishman, but not in England. Somewhere in Africa maybe.
Former (American) Boy Scout checking in. The Boy Scouts were created in England sometime around 1910. The first Boy Scout camp was on Brownsea Island, in Poole Harbor. The African connection comes from Lord Baden-Powell, the founder and a former hero of the Boer Wars in South Africa.
It’s now called The Scout Association and is still very active in the UK. Girls can join as well as boys and most groups are divided into four sections, Beavers (6-8), Cubs (9-11), Scouts (12-15) and Ventures (16 - 20) (actually, looking at the official site I see that Ventures became Explorers at some point in the last 5 years since I left).
One noticeable difference between English Scouts and American ones is that the uniform color is different. I think they’re blue rather than khaki. So they really stand out when they come over and visit American troops.
It changed last year, I left shortly after.
It now goes:
Beavers, Cubs, Explorers, Network.
The uniform and badge system has also changed. The diferent scout groups are still very popular in the UK, although not as popular as they used to be (as they’re seen as “uncool”, hence the name and uniform changes).
Robert Baden-Powell first set up the Scout movement (both as a way of keeping young boys out of trouble and as a way of preparing them for the army, IIRC) and held the first scout camp on an island near Poole, Dorest, England.
IIRC, he acually published a book which many young boys read, and then set up their own scout groups which is how the movement spread.
Of interest: Some young women did read the handbook as well, and showed up at the rally at the Crystal Palace in 1909 (to the surprise of Lord BP)
As the Guide Marching Song goes:
Though now the wording would be ninety (I wonder what they’ll do with the song when they get past the 100’s? Just sing ‘century’? It fits at least hums the song)
And there is also Pax Lodge in England. I wish I had followed up on the chance to live/work there for part of a year. It would’ve been an amazing experience.
Unfortunately the movement here I know isn’t as strong as it was before. Most girls drop out after Guides (the levels are Sparks 5-6 Brownies 7-9 Guides 10-12 Pathfinders 13-15 Rangers/Cadets/Junior Leaders 16-18 Leaders 18+). It’s not ‘cool’ to be in the movement though they’ve been trying to make it that way. The uniform is no longer so obviously a uniform, you can wear it casually as well and the new slogan (unless they changed it… please let them change it) is ‘You go, girl’.
Hopefully the group stays active. It’s a wonderful program IMHO, though as with anything there is good and bad.
The Boys’ Brigade also still exists.
In fact it’s the older of the two movements by about two decades, having been founded in 1883, and seems to have been a significant influence on Baden Powell when he came to create the Scouts.
Despite the obvious similarities, there have traditionally been several strong differences between the two movements. The BB were founded within the Church of Scotland and have always been strongly associated with presbyterianism as a result. It’s ethos and symbolism is explicitly Christian throughout. The emphasis is also more on drill training than the outdoor/camping stuff the Scouts go in for.
I’m quoting the joke from memory, but Clive James’ has a nice line in Unreliable Memoirs about the BB being “the paramilitary wing of the Church of Scotland”.
One of the biggest issues surrounding the Boy Scouts of America is their national policy against homosexual members.
I’m curious whether the British Scouts have similar policies and whether that affects the public perception of them.
The Boy Scouts are very popular in Briton, especially with priests.
Okay, I feel bad about that. But it’s not my fault. I blame the bottle of Australian wine I just had.
It would have been funnier if you had said “vicars”.
I was going to say, “Yes. Mostly among the Clergy.”
Hence the title of the book Scouting for Boys 
In Britain, the levels are Rainbows, Brownies, Guides, Rangers. You tend to be a Girl Guide longer - until about 15/16, before moving onto Rangers/Young Leaders etc.
The uniforms here are skits/trousers and jumpers/T-shirts. Can’t remember the Rainbows’ uniform, but IIRC, its always a black skirt, and then yellow tops for the Brownies, blue for the Guides and pale green for the Rangers.
The Girl Guides I know and work with sometimes really enjoy themselves, and don’t seem to see it as uncool or not worth doing, and they all actively enjoy it.
Anyone who mentions my involvement at a recent Girl Guide Party which involved me doing the Macarena, gets it. 
the name certainly continues, but when you can get badges for needlework and computing, the Scouts has become something quite different from that envisaged when the association was founded. Different times, different measures I suppose. But I can’t help but feel that the Hitler Youth rather than “copmuter badge holder” was somewhat closer to the ideal originally envsiaged.
Dan
The uniforms here are now t-shirts with a small logo, pants/capris/shorts and if applicable a badge scarf. Colours are Sparks - Pink, Brownies-Orange, Guides-Blue, Pathfinders-Green, Rangers- Red, Cadets - Yellow, Junior Leaders - ??
When I was in it the brownies wore brown (this real ugly shade too lol) in dresses or slacks and dress tops with orange neckties. Guides it was about the same only blue and white was the motif. I can understand wanting the girls to have something they can wear for fun and is comfortable but IMHO that’s what camp clothes are for! Pathfinders on up still have the same uniforms from the last changeover, at least since I last checked.
Aw c’mon… more tales of debauchery! Some of my best memories are of camping and just being insanely silly, either while the leaders were relaxing after herding us around or us relaxing after herding the girls around! (Young leaders are so much fun)
Baden-Powell changed the emphasis of the Scouting movement, away from the millitaristic, after being appalled by the carnage of WWI.
A new Chief Scout for the UK was announced today . He is an ex children’s TV presenter and it is hoped that it might modernise the image of the Scouting movement. In the same news article it said that there are 500,000 UK members in the various Scout branches.
It is also worth noting that apple pies and mothers are also not absent from England.