The World Scout Movement started in England with an experimental camp on Brownsea Island, Dorset, in 1907, where Robert Baden-Powell and a small party of boys put into practice his ideas for training young people for responsible citizenship. In August of the following year, the first proper Scout Camp was held at Humshaugh, near Hexham, Northumberland.

Today, there are well over 25 million members in over 210 countries and the Movement is still growing! Two-thirds of the International Membership are in developing countries. Scouting in the UK is firmly committed to co-education so that boys and girls have increased opportunity to do their growing together and meet the aims of Scouting through one program. In 1991, girls were admitted to the Beaver Scout, Cub Scout and Scout Sections. This complements the admission of young women to the Venture Scout Section in 1976, and builds on the work of women Leaders and Helpers since the early years of the Movement.

The Aim
The Aim of Scouting is to promote the development of young people in achieving their full physical, intellectual, social and spiritual potentials, as individuals, as responsible citizens and as members of their local, national and international communities.

The Method of achieving the Aim is by providing an enjoyable and attractive scheme of progressive training based on The Scout Promise and Law guided by adult leadership.

Scouting 90's style
Scouting today, with its 631,000 strong mixed Membership, is a far cry from the image of boys in short trousers and wide-brimmed hats whose sole purpose seemed to be helping old ladies across streets. Community service remains a cornerstone of Scout training but, as in other aspects of modern Scouting, it has moved with the times.

• In 1967, The Scout Association abandoned short trousers and big hats and introduced a whole range of new methods designed for boys, girls, young men and women in a technological age.
• In 1991 girls under the age of 15 were allowed to join the Beaver Scout, Cub Scout and Scout sections, twenty years after girls were admitted into Venture Scouting,
• In 1996, the Scout Association’s policy was finally confirmed as being fully committed to co-education.
• In 1997, the Scout Association published its Equal opportunities Policy for adults and young people.

Today's Scouts take part in a wide range of adventurous and challenging activities, with opportunities for parachuting, caving, mountaineering, sailing and canoeing, as well as their long-standing camping activities. Small wonder the Movement has so great a Membership and, in many area, waiting lists of boys and girls wishing to join.

United Kingdom Membership
In the United Kingdom, the total membership is 554,440....(1999 census).
This comprises:-