The world scout emblem, used worldwide by Scouts and many Scout organizations within the Scout Movement is the fleur-de-lis, commonly with a five-point star in each outer lobe. This emblem was adopted by Scouts from the inception of the Scout Movement and is used, in various forms, by many Scout organizations.
| Symbol of the Scout Movement | |||
|---|---|---|---|
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| Owner | public domain | ||
| Country | Worldwide | ||
| Created | 1907 | ||
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Origins of the emblem
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In 1897, Robert Baden-Powell trained soldiers in India in scouting. The British Army awarded trained army scouts a brass fleur-de-lis-shaped badge. In 1907, Baden-Powell issued copper fleur-de-lis badges to participants of his experimental camp on Brownsea Island in 1907[1] and he included a simple fleur-de-lis design Scout badge in his book, Scouting for Boys.[2] Soon after, a five-pointed star was added to each of the outer lobes of the fleur-de-lis. Boy Scouts and Girls Scouts adopted the fleur-de-lis as their symbol.[3]
Symbolism
editThe fleur-de-lis represents the north point on a map or compass and is intended to point Scouts on the path to service. The three lobes on the fleur-de-lis represent the three parts of the Scout Promise: duty to God, service to others and obedience to the Scout Law.[4] A "bond", tying the three lobes of the fleur-de-lis together, symbolizes the family of Scouting.[5] The two five-point stars stand for truth and knowledge, with the ten points representing the ten points of the Scout Law.
References
edit- ^ Walker, "Johnny" (2006). "The Fleur-de-lis and the Swastika". Scout Milestones. Archived from the original on 14 June 2011. Retrieved 21 February 2007.
- ^ Baden-Powell, Robert (1908). Scouting for Boys. Oxford University Press. p. 34.
- ^ Walton, Mike (1999). "The World Crest Badge...(and why do we *all* wear it?)". Retrieved 21 December 2006.
- ^ "The World Membership Badge" (PDF). The Scout Association. 16 May 2006. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 November 2020. Retrieved 2 November 2013.
- ^ "The Scouts Membership Award". The Scout Association. Retrieved 24 January 2024.