Exibir código-fonte para Headquarters Gazette (EN)

Launched as the HEADQUARTERS GAZETTE in July, 1909 - the year following the 'official' beginning of Scouting- its seventy years span the leadership of five Chief Scouts. The devastation of two World Wars, the hopes, the fears, the frustrations and the opportunities of people groping their way towards the uncertainties of the 20th Century are to be seen within its pages.

== Initial Years ==
Unlike ''The Scout'', ''Headquarters Gazette'' was not under control of Pearson’s publishing house, and so was an uncensored direct link between Baden-Powell at Scout Headquarters and his Scouters. B-P wrote a monthly editorial in virtually each and every issue, called his ''Outlook''. These gems contained anecdotes, and often sketches, from B-P's travels over his long life to make his points. These have been collected into a separate book, ''B-P's Outlook'', which was published by Pearson’s 1941.

The Editor, 'Uncle' Elwes, (see notes on his own book, below) also wrote a monthly article. His was a far more parochial in style, often based on his Scouting in Colchester. These avuncular missives contrasted with B-P’s contributions, but the two worked very well together. Naturally, every incident of note was recorded over the years and they now form one of the best references for Scout Historians available. The letter columns were also uncensored and were surprisingly vigorous. I am, frankly, doubtful that some of the more critical letters would be allowed to pass today, but they did generate ‘threads’ of correspondence that lasted for years!

=== 1909 ===
In the first issue of HEADQUARTERS GAZETTE readers were reminded that: 'Equipment is not the important question; the aim of Scoutmasters should be to instil into the boys the spirit of Scouting' but went on to confirm that 'uniform plays an imporant part.

'Ordinarily,' we were told, 'a boy can be fully equipped for about eight shillings' with 'a pair of old knickers or trousers cut down' and 'a coloured scarf for about 2 d'. The staff 'should be obtainable by all country boys for the trouble of cutting it down. Town boys can buy a broom handle or rake handle for about 2d.' Those who wished to buy every- thing might have to spend up to sixteen shillings and fivepence 'as an outside amount unless gold buttons and jewelled badges were indulged in'.

By the second issue in August, 1909, the HEADQUARTERS GAZETTE had 'supplied a want felt by Scoutmasters and officials... it now remains for those officials to justify the existence of the paper by using it as a means of communciation'.

Headquarters Notices appeared for the first time in August, 1909, with statements on Proficiency Badges, a Camp Conference, Lady West's Prizes (£2.2s. and £1.1s. were offered for the best essay on Scouting) and under the heading 'Girl Scouts' we were told that: 'Large numbers of these are registered at Headquarters and numerous questions have been asked as to the method of procedure to be adopted... It is advisable that District and Local Associations should refer all registration of Girl Scouts to Headquar- ters, as a scheme is being prepared for them, and it is better that the two schemes, Girl and Boy Scouts, should be kept entirely distinct'.

In October, 1909, the Founder wrote under the title The Chief Scout's Outlook on Many Matters of Interest and The Outlook was born.

The first Editor was Archibald Kyle, Secretary at Headquarters, and the publishers were Messrs. James Brown and Son of Glasgow. Commented Mr. Brown some years later: 'When I interviewed Mr. Kyle he was sitting with his coat and waistcoat off, smoking a large black cigar. When I think what appeared in the GAZETTE then, and what appears now, I am grateful for the change for the better'. Later a Mr. Shaw

became Editor and carried the magazine until January, 1911.

In a clear statement of intent, the October issue announced that the 'HEADQUARTERS GAZETTE is intended primarily for members of Councils and Committees, Secretaries and Scoutmasters and will in no way take the place of THE SCOUT... which continues every week to provide interesting and attractive matter such as will tend to wean boys from the pernicious literature which is so freely available to them.' Firmness, indeed, but in the same issue the problems of publishing reared with indecision about where to put the apostrophe around the 's' of the magazine's title - before, after or not at all (and in this Supplement we have opted for the latter!).

=== 1910 ===
Developments came apace with the Movement's growth. There were Nature Talks for Scoutmasters and an account of a camp in Hertfordshire by 'Scoutmaster'. The first let- ter appeared..

But the emphasis, inevitably, was on 'organisation' with the Founder urging the formation of Local Associations and the appointment of Commissioners 'who really take a keen and active interest in the Move- ment' and the Earl of Meath writing from

Australia to urge that the Founder should look 'at the discipline of the Boy Scouts'.

'Headquarters,' the July issue informed a waiting readership 'will close for their Sum- mer Vacation from Friday, July 29th, to Monday, August 15th' and Secretaries were asked to send their 'orders not later than two days before the time of closing... to prevent disappointment'.

=== 1911 ===
H. Geoffrey Elwes ('so well known for his work among boys and young men') became Editor in January and his influence con- tinued until the mid-thirties. I determined,' he wrote later, 'to do my best to make the GAZETTE, as we then solemnly called it, or as we now more cheerily dub it THE GREEN 'UN, a success. I persuaded the Headquar- ters Committee to allow me to publish a coloured frontispiece of the Scout Badges, which proved to be very expensive but popu- lar. Before then no-one had realised how many badges we had...'

Widening the editorial brought in features on Our Scouts' Teeth and The Teaching of Purity, with the first book reviews in Febru- ary by 'our literary critic'. And 'Scoutmas- ters' difficulties' covering 'every mortal Scouting subject' were dealt with- often (I would add from the safety of nearly seventy years) by the Editor answering back firmly and decisively with few quarters given or expected! But (as today) the Editor did not wish his editorial to be 'tied down to narrow limits' as he hoped that his magazine would interest 'parents, schoolmasters and officers of other organisations for boys'.

Royal interest in the Movement is chroni- cled from the start, with reference to the King giving '£50 as a mark of his appreciation' and the Duke of Connaught presenting £25 - both providing the funds for an annual 'King's Prize, and a 'Duke of Connaught's Prize'.

A strong letters section was developing with the 'lower age limit for Scouts' setting things alight and, perhaps, foreseeing the formation of the Wolf Cubs. From the begin- ning the Dear Editor columns have often been ahead in the Movement's thinking and planning for development, while restraining the avant-garde from their excesses.

Until I started to research through the bound volumes I had honestly thought that the title of my editorial - Here and There - was my own, thought up just prior to my appointment in 1968 as I approached Pic- cadilly Circus in the passenger seat of a car but... In March, 1911, a feature appeared under the title Notes from Here, There and Everywhere, with news from Datchet and East Sussex... 'and there is no new thing under the sun...

In 1911 the first insert advertisement leaf- let appeared for English Concentrated Pro- duce for dried vegetables... (and some of us thought it was all fresh foods, cold baths and exercises in those early days, didn't we!).

Here, too, the publication of the 'Official Register of New Troops' and 'Warrants Issued' started a practice that continued into the thirties. Pages of names - for read- ers did, understandably, like to see their names and those of their friends in print. But it took space and the cost!

Lord Robert Baden-Powell of Gilwell, Chief Scout from 1908 to 1941.

As early as 1911 the Editor refers to the responsibility of writing for our magazine, for editorial was being reprinted from the HEADQUARTERS GAZETTE by Scout magazines around the world... 'even in one case a verse (which by a printer's error and my negligence) was misquoted in our GAZETTE, copied, mistake and all, in one of these papers!'

=== 1912 ===
Advertising first appeared in October, 1909, with the Equipment Department (the fore- runner of today's Scout Shops Ltd.), J. and J. Cash (the Badge manufacturers) and James Brown and Son of Glasgow (now Brown, Son and Ferguson Ltd.) taking a page bet- ween them. The expansion of advertising space had to come if the journal was to be self-supporting and by January, 1912, read- ers were offered a 'transport wagon for Scouts' at £3.17 - a trek cart that could be 'unlimbered in seven seconds'. There was a 'Scoutmasters' Telescope' and a 'B.-P. Teliscout' and readers were advised that when 'you are stiff after a long day's Scouting' they should take a mustard bath - 'a hot bath to which is added a couple of tables- poonfuls or so of Colman's Mustard'.

Features included Representative Troops (with the 16th Bournemouth being the first), Scouts Are Proud Of and Chief Leaders of the Boy Scout Movement. Inspiration was there in full measure but little of the practical material we find in today's magazine. Scout- ers relied on the Founder's books and the weekly SCOUT for activities on Troop Night. But the dilemma of Scouting in wartime was foreseen with a feature on Peace or War Scouts.

=== 1913 ===
Writing in The Outlook in January, the Chief 'said many kind and complimentary things about the progress of the GAZETTE' emphasising that it was the 'only means of personally imparting his ideas to all, as Geoffrey Elwes recalled when writing later. Affectionately known as 'Uncle Elwes', he wrote regularly under the title From the Editor's Chair - later making the point by underlining the work 'the' when the Central Office of Information.

=== '''1914''' ===
With the shadows of the war looming, Geoffrey Elwes recalls that in the January issue he wrote '<nowiki/>''with my usual verbosity''' (A habit that today's Editor always felt must have been inherited-but not from his immediate predecessor!).

The debate on ''Wolf Cubs or Young Scouts'' entered the pages in the same month (but Hazel Addis has covered the saga of when they ''really'' started more recently in SCOUTING). Age limits for the Scouts were clearly a live issue again and the magazine stated (somewhat ambiguously) that ''<nowiki/>'there is no reason whatever why a Scout should not remain in his Troop up to any age, though he cannot be enrolled'' as a ''Scout after he has passed his eighteenth birthday'.'' 

Scoutmasters were encouraged to think of Scouting as a means of training for a career ahead. ''<nowiki/>'At the age of twenty-one, when he arrives at man's estate, he should be able to secure a position at any figure between £''100 ''and £300... by the development of a hobby, a Scout has the opportunity of laying the foundation for a successful and happy career.''' 

Perhaps the first reference to fund raising on a national scale came in May when Scouts were encouraged to raise money from ''<nowiki/>'a day of work'<nowiki/>''. C. Arthur Pearson, a personal friend of the Founder, who had contributed so much to get Scouting started through publication of ''Scouting for Boys,'' wanted to raise money to ''<nowiki/>'start a scheme of publishing literature for blind people''' - and nearly £2,000 was raised. Shades of Bob-A- Job and Scout Job Week? 

=== 1915 ===
B.-P. wrote in January's ''Outlook: 'Since so large a number of our officers and old Scouts are at present serving the country under arms'', ''the GAZETTE cannot, in following their fortunes, well avoid becoming some- what military in tone. If'' a ''large number show a desire to avail themselves of our offer to supply them, gratis, with the monthly issue, we shall hope to cater widely for them''... 

More personally, the Founder wrote: / ''must apologise for the dose with which readers were drenched last month on the subject of myself and my home. But, as I am not the Editor'', ''and as the GAZETTE enjoys the unique newspaper position, today, of having no censor'', I ''cannot be held responsible''...' 

In April the Chief mentioned the problems of impersonation, stressing that ''<nowiki/>'a good many well-known people support Troops in ignorance of the fact that they are not bona fide Baden-Powell Troops''... ''they use the name of Scouts and closely imitate our uniforms even adroitly introducing my name into their circulars''...' There were minor breakaways even then! 

Uncle Elwes became quite excited (as he was wont to do!) about the correct addressing of letters to the magazine, asking readers to '<nowiki/>''take the trouble'<nowiki/>'' to refer to ''<nowiki/>'standing notices''' on the matter for some letters

== THE SCOUTER ==
In 1923 the HEADQUARTERS GAZETTE gave way to a new title- THE SCOUTER- with the mix much as before until 1930, when content and design moved forward. But it was in the 50s and 60s, with restrictions of wartime publishing behind it, that THE SCOUTER launched out into new dimensions reflecting the publishing trends of the times. Fine photographs, warm and generous writing, and a healthy and vigorous element of humour established THE SCOUTER as the leader in its field.

== SCOUTING MAGAZINE ==
In 1971 as the Movement entered another era of expansion - THE SCOUTER gave way to SCOUTING, but it must fall to another editor at another anniversary to comment on the last nine years. Whilst this ''Supplement'' would be incomplete without reference to SCOUTING, its main task must be to reflect on the achievements of its predecessors. We do so with pride in the glorious past of a magazine that has supported the Movement it serves ''and'' in a firm faith and growing hope for a future which will continue to provide training and fun for millions of boys and young men, based on the Scout Promise and Law.