What happens if you are not prepared?

The Independent branded it as a disaster. That is the price for neglecting the Scout motto, “Be Prepared.”

CHO HYUN-SOOKThe author is a business news reporter of the JoongAng Ilbo. Brownsea is a small island in southern England, a beautiful place inhabited by wild animals such as red squirrels, peacocks and herons in a lush forest. British Army officer Lieutenant-General Robert Baden-Powell was on vacation on the island in 1907. It was an island of his childhood memories, as he and his brothers went on an adventure on a small boat.

Baden-Powell was a hero from the Boer War (1899-1902). He survived the terrible war. The crisis of the war he had experienced did not separate age, class or gender. As the signs of World War I began to appear, he put into practice what he had long envisioned. Brownsea Island was the perfect spot for the “experiment.”

Baden-Powell brought 20 boys to the island in August 1907, ranging from aristocrats to peasants. It was an innovative choice, as the education and living environment drastically varied by class in England at the time. That was what he intended. The training was not for the privileged but for everyone.

Baden-Powell started camping with the 20 boys. They learned how to make huts, find the way back from unfamiliar places, observe animals and plants, extinguish fires, swim for survival and rescue, and give first aid. Various survival trainings continued for nine days. Education for courage, service and citizenship were also included. Baden-Powell’s slogan was “Be prepared.”

Based on this experience, he wrote a book titled “Scouting for Boys” in 1908. It was an instant bestseller and was translated into five languages. Scouting started in England in 1909, and now there are more than 100 million members in 172 countries.

The 2023 World Scout Jamboree in Saemangeum, Korea was supposed to be a festival for 40,000 teenagers from 153 countries, but the event turned into a nightmare. Many suffered from scorching heat waves, bug bites, unsanitary environments, and extremely poor food. Scouts from Britain, the United States and Singapore decided to withdraw early. The situation on the field improved after the central government’s intervention.

But Reuters reported that the dream has turned into a nightmare, and the Guardian wrote that it was a terrible mess. The Independent branded it as a disaster. That is the price for neglecting the Scout motto, “Be Prepared.”