Scouts’ Day Date in the current year: April 23, 2024

The Scout movement was founded by Robert Baden-Powell, a British Army officer who drew from his experience as a military scout to create an educational program for young people that would contribute to their physical, intellectual, emotional, spiritual, and social development, as well as help them achieve their full potential.

In 1907, Baden-Powell organized a camp on Brownsea Island in Dorset to test some ideas for his book about scouting. The book, entitled Scouting for Boys, was published in 1908 and became an instant success, laying the foundation of the Scout movement. Scout troops began to emerge throughout England, and the first Scout Rally was held in London in 1909.

The next year, Baden-Powell founded The Boy Scouts Association and The Girl Guides Association (now named simply The Scout Association and The Guide Association, respectively). By this time, the Scout movement had begun to spread across the world, first within the British Empire (to Australia, Canada, Gibraltar, Malaya, Malta, New Zealand, South Africa), and then to the rest of the world.

The 1st World Scout Jamboree was held in 1920 in London. It was at this event that Scout leaders from 33 countries agreed to create an international Scouting organization. The World Organization of the Scout Movement was officially established in 1922, at the International Scout Conference in Paris.

Today, the World Organization of the Scout Movement unites over 170 national Scout organizations and more than 54 million participants from all over the world. The most important holiday for all Scouts is Founders’ Day, celebrated on February 22 to commemorate the birthday of Robert Baden-Powell and his wife Olave, who was born on the same day as her husband, but 32 years later.

For many Scout organizations, Scouts’ Day is the second most important observance after Founders’ Day. Different member organizations of the Scouting movement celebrate it on different days. One of the most common dates is April 23 — the feast of Saint George, because, as we’ve already mentioned above, he is the patron saint of Scouting.

The countries that celebrate Scouts’ Day on Saint George’s Day include Brazil, Denmark, Mexico, Portugal, Spain, and the United Kingdom. In the Czech Republic, the celebration is held on the next day because April 23 is also the feast day of Adalbert of Prague, the patron saint of the Czech Republic.

Scouts’ Day events are usually held on the Sunday closest to Saint George’s Day. They include parades, church services, reaffirmation of the Scout Promise, award presentations, family-oriented activities, etc. In the UK, for example, a parade of Queen’s Scouts (recipients of the Queen’s Scout Award in the previous year) followed by a church service is held in Windsor Castle, which is one of British royal residences.