Salute to the Chief!

Lord Baden-Powell

 Today we celebrate the 154th birth anniversary of Lord Robert Stephenson Smyth Baden-Powell.

Known simply as BP, is the founder of the world acknowledged Boy Scout Movement. Without him, there will be no scouting which i am proudly part of. I am sure he is very happy now in heaven seeing the organization he founded is spreading through out the globe. For him, scouting is not only more on camping, hiking, swimming and  the like, scouting was formed for the holistic development of scouts through learning by doing. That's what my Scoutmaster, Sir Ernie Albea thought to us. I really love hearing Sir Albea talking about the history of Scouting especially on the story of BP which Sir Albea effectively conveyed to us. Sir Albea's efficient teachings about BP inspired one of my co-scouts, Romnick Nealiga to use "BP" as nickname of his youngest brother. That is how we value scouting in our lives, my sincerest gratitude to my Scoutmaster Sir Albea, who really touched our lives by inculcating to us the essence of scouting in  our own private lives. Special mention is also given to Mam Ezperanza Ramos-Starks who served as our equalizer during our senior scouting days, thanks Lady Starks.

Though i haven't finished yet his book "Scouting for Boys" (1908), his passion to train the youth in surviving and moral development are evident in his writings. I dream to go and to camp with my fellow scouts and with my scoutmaster in "Brownsea Island" where he had a camp with 22 young boys. If that will happen, i will ask Sir Albea to dress like him with... :) 

In his last message, BP wrote:

"I have had a most happy life and I want each one of you to have a happy life too. I believe that God put us in this jolly world to be happy and enjoy life. Happiness does not come from being rich, nor merely being successful in your career, nor by self-indulgence. One step towards happiness is to make yourself healthy and strong while you are a boy, so that you can be useful and so you can enjoy life when you are a man. Nature study will show you how full of beautiful and wonderful things God has made the world for you to enjoy. Be contented with what you have got and make the best of it. Look on the bright side of things instead of the gloomy one. But the real way to get happiness is by giving out happiness to other people. Try and leave this world a little better than you found it and when your turn comes to die, you can die happy in feeling that at any rate you have not wasted your time but have done your best. 'Be Prepared' in this way, to live happy and to die happy — stick to your Scout Promise always — even after you have ceased to be a boy — and God help you to do it."

That message really inspires me...  lesson that we can share to others... use this to touch other people so that they may realize that happiness cannot be enjoyed alone... If only scouting ideals are truly observed by our leaders, perhaps, our country will achieve the road of progress as envisioned by Rizal. 

BP while conducting an inspection to young scouts

In 1939, he and his wife moved to a cottage he had commissioned in Nyeri, Kenya, near Mount Kenya, where he had previously been to recuperate. The small one-room house, which he named Paxtu, was located on the grounds of the Outspan Hotel, owned by Eric Sherbrooke Walker, Baden-Powell's first private secretary and one of the first Scout inspectors. Walker also owned the Treetops Hotel, approx 17 km out in the Aberdare Mountains, often visited by Baden-Powell and people of the Happy Valley set. The Paxtu cottage is integrated into the Outspan Hotel buildings and serves as a small Scouting museum.

Baden-Powell died on 8 January 1941 and is buried in Nyeri, in St. Peter's Cemetery His gravestone bears a circle with a dot in the centre , which is the trail sign for "Going home", or "I have gone home". When his wife Olave died, her ashes were sent to Kenya and interred beside her husband. Kenya has declared Baden-Powell's grave a national monument.

So, to all Scouts! Let's honor our founder today by doing good deeds and thank our scoutmaster for the learnings and wisdom they imparted to us! Happy BP day!