Statue of Robert Baden-Powell, Poole

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Statue of Robert Baden-Powell
Baden-Powell sculpture on Poole Quay (8778).jpg
The statue in 2012
Statue of Robert Baden-Powell, Poole
Artist David Annand
Year2008 (2008)
Medium Bronze sculpture
Subject Robert Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell
Location Poole, United Kingdom
Coordinates 50°42′43″N1°59′09″W / 50.71195°N 1.98592°W / 50.71195; -1.98592

A statue of Robert Baden-Powell, founder of Scouting, is installed on the Quay in Poole harbour, Dorset on the south coast of England. The statue, erected in 2008, is a life-size bronze [1] of Robert Baden-Powell by sculptor David Annand. It portrays Baden-Powell in his scout uniform, seated on a log as if for a campfire, with a pair of log seats either side which "allow easy access for photo opportunities". [2]

Contents

History

The memorial was unveiled on 13 August 2008, [3] facing Brownsea Island. [4] The island was the site of Baden-Powell's first camp in 1907 which is seen as the start of the Scout and Guide movement. [5]

Robert Baden-Powell has been criticised over alleged events during his army career and his comments of support concerning Adolf Hitler and his autobiography, Mein Kampf . His biographer, Tim Jeal, said that any admiration was limited to his and Hitler's shared ideas for boys' education and liking Mein Kampf's references to character training. [6] In June 2020, the memorial appeared on a list of targets by protesters during the George Floyd protests in Britain. [7] Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council planned to move it into storage pending discussion about its future, [8] but council workers failed to remove the statue on 11 June 2020 as planned because the foundations were deeper than they had realised. A group of local people then surrounded the statue to prevent its removal and protect it from both council workers and activists. [7] The council announced that it would arrange 24 hour security for the statue until either the statue had been removed or the threat had passed. [9] On 12 June the statue was boarded up by the council for its protection. [10] [11]

In response to the controversy, Bear Grylls, current Chief Scout, and successor to Baden-Powell, said, "As Scouts, we most certainly do not celebrate Baden-Powell for his failings. We see them and we acknowledge them. ... But we also recognise that Baden-Powell is part of our history, and history is nothing if we do not learn from it. ... it's right that we take time to listen, to educate ourselves, and reflect on our movement’s history. We need the humility to recognise there are times when the views and actions from our Scouting’s past do not always match the values we live by today. We must learn, adapt, and improve. ... Baden-Powell may have taken the first step in creating Scouting, but the journey continues today without him. We know where we came from but we are not going back." [12] [13] Grylls also said that he hoped Scouting statues remain in place "to remind us all of one thing - the huge positive influence that Scouting continues to bring to so many young people worldwide." [14]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Mein Kampf</i> 1925 autobiographical manifesto by Adolf Hitler

Mein Kampf is a 1925 autobiographical manifesto by Nazi Party leader Adolf Hitler. The work describes the process by which Hitler became antisemitic and outlines his political ideology and future plans for Germany. Volume 1 of Mein Kampf was published in 1925 and Volume 2 in 1926. The book was edited first by Emil Maurice, then by Hitler's deputy Rudolf Hess.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scouting</span> Worldwide youth movement

Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth social movement employing the Scout method, a program of informal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activities, including camping, woodcraft, aquatics, hiking, backpacking, and sports. Another widely recognized movement characteristic is the Scout uniform, by intent hiding all differences of social standing in a country and encouraging equality, with neckerchief and campaign hat or comparable headwear. Distinctive uniform insignia include the fleur-de-lis and the trefoil, as well as merit badges and other patches.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell</span> British Army officer and Scout Movement founder (1857–1941)

Lieutenant-General Robert Stephenson Smyth Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell, was a British Army officer, writer, founder and first Chief Scout of the world-wide Scout Movement, and founder, with his sister Agnes, of the world-wide Girl Guide/Girl Scout Movement. Baden-Powell authored the first editions of the seminal work Scouting for Boys, which was an inspiration for the Scout Movement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Poole</span> Town in England

Poole is a coastal town and seaport on the south coast of England in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole unitary authority area in Dorset, England. The town is 21 miles (34 km) east of Dorchester and adjoins Bournemouth to the east. Since 1 April 2019, the local authority is Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council. The town had an estimated population of 151,500 making it the second-largest town in the ceremonial county of Dorset. Together with Bournemouth and Christchurch, the conurbation has a total population of nearly 400,000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brownsea Island</span> Island in Poole Harbour, Dorset, England

Brownsea Island is the largest of the islands in Poole Harbour in the county of Dorset, England. The island is owned by the National Trust with the northern half managed by the Dorset Wildlife Trust. Much of the island is open to the public and includes areas of woodland and heath with a wide variety of wildlife, together with cliff top views across Poole Harbour and the Isle of Purbeck.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bear Grylls</span> British adventurer, writer and television presenter (born 1974)

Edward Michael "Bear" Grylls is a British past SAS trooper, survival expert, adventurer, and television presenter. He first drew attention after embarking on a number of adventures, including several world records in hostile environments, and then became widely known for his television series Man vs. Wild (2006–2011). He is also involved in a number of wilderness survival television series in the UK and US, such as Running Wild with Bear Grylls and The Island with Bear Grylls. In July 2009, Grylls was appointed as The Scout Association’s youngest-ever Chief Scout of the United Kingdom and Overseas Territories at age 35, a post he has held for a second term since 2015.

The Scout Association's Chief Scout is the head of its youth programmes. The role is now merely a nominal and titular ceremonial figurehead. The association's present Chief Scout is the British adventurer and TV presenter Bear Grylls.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scout Spirit</span>

Scout spirit is an attitude that Scouts around the world are supposed to show, based on adherence to the ideals of Scouting. Scouting's founder, Baden Powell, once said, "The spirit is there in every boy; it has to be discovered and brought to light."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baden-Powell House</span> Conference centre in South Kensington, London

Queen's Gate House, still commonly known by its previous name of Baden-Powell House, is a conference centre in South Kensington, London. It was built as a tribute to Lord Baden-Powell, the founder of Scouting, and has served as the headquarters for The Scout Association, as a hostel providing modern and affordable lodging for Scouts, Guides, their families and the general public staying in London and as a conference and event venue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scouting 2007 Centenary</span>

The Scouting 2007 Centenary comprised celebrations around the world in which Scouts celebrated 100 years of the world Scout movement. The original celebrations were focused on the United Kingdom, such as the camp on Brownsea Island, the birthplace of Scouting, and the 21st World Scout Jamboree in Chelmsford, Essex.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brownsea Island Scout camp</span> 1907 location of first Scout camp

The Brownsea Island Scout camp was the site of a boys' camping event on Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour, southern England, organised by Lieutenant-General Baden-Powell to test his ideas for the book Scouting for Boys. Boys from different social backgrounds participated from 1 to 8 August 1907 in activities around camping, observation, woodcraft, chivalry, lifesaving and patriotism. The event is regarded as the origin of the worldwide Scout movement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scouting museums</span>

Throughout the world there are many museums related to Scouting dedicated to preserving, communicating, and exhibiting the heritage of the Scouting movement for purposes of study, education, and enjoyment of society. A downloadable world directory of Scouting museums is available from the US Scouting Service Project.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baden-Powell grave</span> Grave in Nyeri, Nyeri County, Kenya

The graves of Lieutenant-General The 1st Baron Baden-Powell and his wife, Olave, Baroness Baden-Powell, G.B.E., are in Nyeri, Nyeri County, Kenya, near Mount Kenya. Lord Baden-Powell died on 8 January 1941, and is buried in St. Peter's Cemetery in the Wajee Nature Park. When his wife Olave, Lady Baden-Powell, died, her ashes were sent to Kenya and interred beside her husband. Kenya has declared Baden-Powell's grave a national monument. Scouts consider the grave, "one of the most revered shrines and pilgrimage sites in the world."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">B-P's footprint</span> Casting of the right foot of Lord Baden-Powell

B-P's footprint is a casting, usually in bronze or brass, of the right foot of Lord Baden-Powell, the founder of the Scout and Guide Movements, who is known as "B-P." The idea is that people may put their foot into this casting, so that they can say that they have "walked in the footsteps of B-P."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Statue of Robert Milligan</span> Sculpture by Richard Westmacott

A statue of Robert Milligan was installed at the West India Docks in London, in 1813. Milligan was a merchant, and was largely responsible for the construction of the West India Docks. After being put in storage in 1943, it was re-erected by the London Docklands Development Corporation in 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Actions against memorials in Great Britain during the George Floyd protests</span> Protest-related actions

A number of statues and memorials have been the subject of protests and petitions during the George Floyd protests in the United Kingdom in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Statue of Robert Baden-Powell, London</span>

The Statue of Robert Baden-Powell is a granite carving of Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of Scouting, at Baden-Powell House in Queen's Gate, South Kensington, London, England. The statue was created by the English sculptor Don Potter in 1960 and was installed and unveiled in 1961. It now stands in Gilwell Park, the home of Scouting, following the sale of Baden-Powell House in 2021.

References

  1. "Baden-Powell Returns To Poole Quay". Borough of Poole. 2008. Archived from the original on 16 February 2011.
  2. "Baden Powell Centenary Sculpture Project". Baden-Powell Centenary Sculpture. Archived from the original on 3 August 2020. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
  3. Cartlidge, Sarah. "Everything you need to know about the Baden-Powell statue". Bournemouth Echo. Archived from the original on 11 June 2020. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
  4. "Robert Baden-Powell statue to be removed in Poole". BBC News . 11 June 2020. Archived from the original on 11 June 2020. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
  5. "The birthplace of Scouting and Guiding". National Trust. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
  6. "Was Robert Baden-Powell a supporter of Hitler?". BBC News . 11 June 2020. Archived from the original on 12 June 2020. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
  7. 1 2 Morris, Steven (11 June 2020). "Locals prevent removal of Baden-Powell statue from Poole Quay". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 11 June 2020. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
  8. "Statue of Scouts founder Baden-Powell to be taken down in Britain". NBC News. 11 June 2020. Archived from the original on 11 June 2020. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
  9. Davies, Gareth (11 June 2020). "Black Lives Matter protest: Security to guard statue of Scouts founder Lord Baden-Powell overnight". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 12 June 2020. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
  10. "Baden-Powell statue boarded up after appearing on target list". Evening Express. 12 June 2020. Archived from the original on 12 June 2020. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
  11. "Baden-Powell statue boarded up instead of removed". BBC News. 12 June 2020. Archived from the original on 13 June 2020. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
  12. Blackall, Molly (14 June 2020). "Chief scout Bear Grylls speaks out on Baden-Powell statue furore". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 12 October 2020. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  13. "Bear Grylls: 'Scouts must learn from Robert Baden-Powell's failings'". BBC News Services. 14 June 2020. Archived from the original on 28 August 2020. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  14. Grylls, Bear (13 June 2020). "A statement from Chief Scout Bear Grylls". The Scout Association. Archived from the original on 28 February 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2020.