Abstract
This chapter examines the long-standing, identity-defining relationships between Scouting and Guiding and the natural world. It begins by making the point that throughout their histories, Scouting and Guiding have interpreted the ‘great outdoors’ to children as a place to play and to learn. In doing so, it considers the significant influence of the early Woodcraft movements on Scouting, and later, Guiding, demonstrating Scouting’s relationship to other uniformed organisations including the Woodcraft Folk, an eventual off-shoot of the Scout movement. Furthermore, it considers how interaction with the natural world has been regarded as an agent of transformation into, and identifier of, a movement member.
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Notes
- 1.
Information about this naming ceremony was received by communication with a member of the volunteer archive team based at the Woodcraft Folk Heritage Archive, with grateful thanks.
- 2.
While Frazer’s work became recognised as problematic as anthropology took an empirical turn, Verrips says that it was widely read by a popular audience, influenced works of literature, and remains in print (2001, 336–337).
- 3.
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Bannister, C. (2022). Burning the Birch Bark: Creating Identity Through Nature. In: Scouting and Guiding in Britain. Studies in Childhood and Youth. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-10359-9_7
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