In 1907, retired British Major-General Robert Baden-Powell conducted a great experiment on tiny Brownsea Island, off the southern coast of England. He brought together a group of young boys representing a cross-section of British social classes to enjoy a camping experience based on his program of “scouting skills”. From that humble beginning, the Scouting program spread like wildfire around the world, creating the first genuine international brotherhood for youths. The Girl Guides and Girl Scouts were soon to join the movement as it grew in popularity.
Today Scouting is represented in over 100 nations; and many countries have two or more organizations operating as Scouting associations. In 1969 a group of English Scout leaders formed The Baden-Powell Scout Association for the purpose of advancing the more traditional Scouting values and skills originally created by Lord Baden-Powell. They believed that trends in England to “modernize” the Scouting program diluted the original intent of the Founder. This “new” old method of Scouting offered another alternative to the larger Scout Association. Today at least three Scouting organizations exist in England: The Scout Association, The Baden-Powell Scout Association, and the British Boy Scouts (BBS).
In 1997, the leaders of a well-established Scout troop in Fort Worth, Texas contacted the Baden-Powell Scout Association in the United Kingdom to inquire about a possible affiliation. The Chief Commissioner of the B-P Scouts in England issued a Branch Warrant to the Fort Worth group in 1998. The unit operated under a dual status from 1998 until January of 2002, at which time the troop divided, and the 1st Tarrant Group was officially established solely as a Baden-Powell Scout Association unit.
In 1998, Baden-Powell Scouting was introduced to Canada, where in several Canadian provinces, it offers an alternative to the national Scouts Canada organization. From 1998 through 2002 Baden-Powell Scout groups were formed in New York, Washington, Arizona, Tennessee, and Florida. In June 2002 the Baden-Powell Scout Association became a registered corporation and was issued its federal non-profit organization status. The task of the corporation’s board of directors is to work toward bringing existing Baden-Powell groups from across the US together under a unified program, and to offer new groups an attractive alternative to the only other existing American program. On September 14, 2002, The Baden-Powell Scout Association, a Texas corporation, was granted the USA National Charter by the National Committee of the parent organization in the United Kingdom. Presently Baden-Powell associations exist in England, Germany, Denmark, Canada, Australia, Argentina, Mexico, Japan, and Ireland. The 1st Tarrant Group, Baden-Powell Scouts, is proud to be the first official American representative of Traditional Scouting through the B-PSA.