If you were ever a scout as a kid, running outdoors, learning about animals and plants, and camping in the wilderness was a huge and exciting part of your childhood. If you have your scouting gear hanging up in the closet gathering dust, then it is time to put it on because this is World Scout Scarf Day, a day where you can wear your scarf and remember your pride as a Boy/Girl scout!
Learn about World Scout Scarf Day
The idea behind Scout Scarf Day is that all former and active scouts are prompted to wear their scout scarfs out in public so that the spirit of scouting is there for all to see! After all, once a scout, always a scout, right? The scarf is just a symbol, but it is a very strong symbol regarding the scout promise and the scout’s mission to leave the world a better place than the place we had found it.
The scout’s scarf or neckerchief is part of the uniform. They are highly practical. For example, they can be used as a bandage or a sling by a Scout in need. Depending on the title, organization, and region, the neckerchiefs that are used can have different emblems and colors. A special knot is used to tie the scarf; these are known as the Friendship knots. The decorative knot comes from China and it has become highly popular among Scouts in recent times. It omits the use of a woggle.
History of World Scout Scarf Day
This scoutful holiday was created through a collaboration of Scout groups worldwide since 2007. It encourages current and former scouts to wear their scarves in pride as a symbol of the Scout’s promise and the spirit of Scouting. The Scout’s promise is about being in the spirit of upholding Scout law, which includes being loyal, trusted, helpful to others, and obeys orders. The date of the event commemorates the first scout group to be ever created, which was located on Brownsea Island in 1907.
This holiday is part of a collection of holidays inspired by the Scouting movement during the first half of the twentieth century, which all started when a lieutenant general of the British Army named Robert Baden-Powell wrote a book for boys about scouting, called Scouting for Boys.
Once this book was published in 1907, many scouting groups started appearing all throughout Great Britain and eventually the rest of the world. Specifically, since the scout scarf is a symbol of the Scout’s Promise, and for those who have pride in their Scout membership, this day is one of the perfect days for people all over the world to show off their scarfs and be proud of their Scout history.
On social media, there are competitions and videos from local scouting groups that show off these scarfs in the celebration to see who has the most pride.
Scouts around the world
Scouting started in the United Kingdom. However, there are now more than 38 million Guide and Scot members across the world, with the movement spanning 216 countries. International organizations differ across the world, with various activities, traditions, and uniforms. However, they all hold the same core values.
You will find the highest number of scouts in Indonesia. There are more than 17 million members of the scouting organization in Indonesia, which is called Gerakan Pramuka Indonesia. This makes it the biggest scouting organization in the world. Despite the fact that scouting originated in the United Kingdom, it only comes 9th on the list in terms of the number of Scouts. Of course, it is a smaller country!
You may also be surprised to learn that Boy Scouts of America only started by chance. This happened in 1909 when William Boyce, who was an American businessman, was lost in the fog of London. Thankfully, he was approached by a small boy who offered to take him to his hotel. Once he arrived at the hotel, he offered the boy some money to say thank you, however, the young boy refused it, stating that it was simply his good turn as a Boy Scout. This piqued Boyce’s intrigue, and so he learned more before he returned to America. Once he was back, he decided to set up Boy Scouts of America, and the rest is history as they say.
How to celebrate World Scout Scarf Day
The easiest way to participate is if you have been a scout, then wear your scarf throughout the day. If you aren’t a scout, then tell people you know about any stories of scouts you know, and possibly join your local scout group. You can also support those local scout groups by contacting youth officers, volunteer with local activities that they plan to do and see if your kids can join in on the fun (if you have kids, of course). Hashtag #WorldScoutScarfDay on social media and let everyone know that today is the day to celebrate Scout pride!
You can also spend the day doing activities that you would typically find in the boy scouts. There are plenty of different ideas regarding this online. Why don’t you go for a hike and try to spot as many different types of birds as possible? You could even go on a night-time hike as a group? Or, in ode to the scouts, you could have a go at creating your own scarf in order to pay tribute to the ultimate symbol of scouting?
