Downtown Huntsville Library
Boy Scouting's African Roots
Tuesday, February 4, 2025 6 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Join us for a talk about the emergence of Scouting. Beginning in the late 1800s, Robert Badan-Powell drafted his books "Aids to Scouting for N.-C.Os and Men" and "Scouting for Boys" as reconnaissance and training during his years with the British Army, during Britain's colonial movements in South Africa against the Zulu people and the Boers. These books became popular among boys (and later girls, thanks to his sister Agnes, who founded the Girls Scouting movement) in Great Britain and later spread across the world.
Thomas Ross, a Knoxville native, has worked with scout troops since age 11 in 1961. He, his siblings, and his parents were all Scouts. Mr. Ross is a Wood Badge, the most advanced leadership training course in Scouting. He is one of the founders of the Boy Scout Cultural Day at Alabama A&M University (affiliated primarily with the American Cultures Merit Badge). He is a retired Lt. Col. from the Army Reserve.