Who We Are
Baden Powell Scouts Malta, its aims and mission
The predominant aim of the Baden Powell Scouts Malta Association is not to rival to any Scout Association in Malta or abroad because it shares the same ideals of the Scout Movement as projected by the Founder, Chief Scout of the World, Lord Robert S. Baden-Powell of Gilwell.
The main difference between Baden-Powell Scouts Malta and other Scout Associations, is in the approach and application of how best to put into practice the philosophy of the Scout Movement through the Scout Method. The Baden Powell Scouts Malta is today a small association and intends not seek high numbers unless it grows naturally as happened with the Scout Movement in its beginnings over 100 years ago.
Baden-Powell Scouts Malta upholds Traditional Scouting which in its entirety remains attractive, applicable and effective in modern times. Traditional Scouting safeguards the original teachings based on the ‘Scouting for Boys’ the book of Scouting instruction written by the Founder.
Baden-Powell Scouts Malta follows Traditional Scouting which predominantly aims to educate young people and young adults with the assistance of Adults. B-P Scouts applies an informal approach to education through the learning by doing. Traditional scouting makes use of models of approaches to education pertaining to working in teams, living in communities, working and getting along with people of all ages, tohelp others at all times, give a voice to those who need through active and good citizenship, take responsibility to lead others and are always aware of the needs of others.
The Training Approach – The Scout Method Approach
In Maltese society with an upsurge in illiteracy notwithstanding the positive social and economic development that our Country has gone through, it is wrong to assume that unless a person knows how to read, write and operate a computer, they are not fit to become a scout or scout leader and good citizen who is ready to give a service to assist others.
The Founder surrounded himself with people from all walks of life, because it is the experience of life that makes the person and not only certificates of competence emanating from formal education. That is one of the reasons why the Scout Movement exploded in numbers around the world in the first century of scouting. The uniform, the common scouting philosophy and the scout method of education are the foresight of a genius – The Founder – Robert Baden-Powell. Baden-Powell Scouts Malta endeavours to follow the same steps of the Founder.
Training is an important issue in Scouting. It has become a tendency in other Scout Associations, in the recent years to move away from an informal and non-formal approach for the education of young people and adults to an approach which in several aspects is resembles more to formal set-ups of learning. The training of Adult Leaders in Scouting was designed by the Founder on informal and non-formal learning approaches. In this scenario, over the years, a number of Scout Associations adopted approaches to scouting instruction that are alien to the Scouting Method with the result that scouting skills, scouting craft and competencies have deteriorated considerably. This approach in practice promotes social exclusion and segregation in society. It may easily produce a mismatch in the service a scout association is expected to give to different levels of intellectual acumen possessed by young people and adults.
Quality Scouting for the 21st Century
Powell Scouts Malta aims at quality scouting, and is not interested in huge numbers. BPSM aims to achieve the objectives of Scouting by applying traditional approaches of scouting instruction and training which has proved for many years to be the base of the Scouting legacy. BPSM seeks to cooperate with all youth organisations including the Scout Association of Malta
When it is time to ‘Go Home’
B-P Scouts Malta believe in diversity, the right of free association and freedom of expression. Diversity and conflict are the source of creativity and renovation which are prevailing components in today’s management of people of all ages.
True to the founder’s words in his final farewell speech to the world Baden-Powell Scouts Malta endeavour to leave the world a better place by the time they are reday and ‘prepared’ to ‘Go Home’.