A commemorative postage stamp on the Indian Cub Scouts, scouting for young children :

Issued by India

Issued on Mar 30, 2017

Issued for : Department of Posts is pleased to release a Commemorative Postage Stamp on Cub Scouts.

Credits :
Stamp / FDC / Brochure / Cancellation Cachet : Smt. Alka Sharma

Type : Stamp, Mint Condition

Colour : Multi Colour

Denomination : 500 Paise

Stamps Printed : 301590

Printing Process : Wet Offset

Printer : Security Printing Press, Hyderabad

About : 

• Scouting was started by Lord Baden Powell as a result of his experimental camp at Brown sea Islands in 1907. Scouting aims to support young people in their physical, mental and spiritual development, so that constructive role can be played by them in the society. Scouting movement are generally divided into Sections by age or school grade. Originally, Scouting was developed for youth between the ages of 11 & 17. Boys of this age group were found actively involving themselves in the activities outlined by the Founder in ‘Scouting For Boys’. They were found engaging themselves in these activities in public parks, open spaces and wherever they found a suitable place. This attracted children below 11 years of age also to Scouting. But these activities outlined in the Scout programme were not meant for the children of age group below 10 years.
• This posed a serious problem for the Founder. It is believed that the minds of the younger kids immersed in the world of ‘make believe’. Therefore to cater to the needs of creative and imaginative minds it was important to think of involving them in Scouting with imaginative background.
• The Founder’s great friend Rudyard Kipling provided the imaginative background in the story of “Mowgli”, which he had written based on the life of a Man-cub with a pack of wolves in the jungle. The story had its origin in the Seoni Hill of Madhya Pradesh, where the Pack of Akela, the Wolf leader, lived and a man child was taken away by them. A man child having been taken away by wolves in the jungle was no unreality. So, the Founder adopted this story to provide the imaginative background for the life of the Pack and built a programme of activities suitable to the children of age group 8 to 11 years. He called it the Wolf-Cub programme. This imaginative background was loved by the children and an unwritten code for the boy’s life in the jungle was established. It received universal approval and the Cub Scheme came into being. The Founder published his book ‘World Cub’s Handbook’ in 1916. This provided a programme for adults who were interested in working with children of age group 8 to 11 years. Even though on experimental basis, Cub activities had started in 1914, publication of this book gave it the proper beginning in 1916. The year 2016 was celebrated as centenary year of Cub Scouts in India and abroad.
• It was originally a programme of games and activities for children of age group 8 to 11 years. The emphasis is to have fun and learn at the same time. A Cub Scout gets satisfaction from meeting challenges, and overcoming them along with learning new things, discovering and mastering new skills. In the process the child gains self-confidence and learn to develop strong bond with others. It is basically a programme based on imagination and so adults with imaginative back ground make better cubmasters.
• The family spirit is the spirit of Cubbing. The Cubmaster occupies the place of parents in the Pack of family, and the Sixers occupy the place of elder brothers. It must have a family atmosphere and background to be successful. Its purpose is to make the boy experience the life which he will have to live as he grows old.
• Cubbing also involves games, stories, play acting, handicrafts and also work through the Star Tests and Badges. The activities are undertaken in the jungle background. With the background story of “Mowgli”, the child easily understands what is expected of him in the pack. Cultivating love and appreciation of the outdoors is identified as one of the key elements.
• Cub Scouts who join the Pack are arranged to assign to dens with 6-8 numbers, usually based on age. The pack is led by a Cub master. Cubbing lays stress on the individual development of the boy.
• Cubbing is a preparation for Scouting where the scout involve himself in activities which will prepare him for life and train him to be a better human being, and later on, a better citizen. The mission of Scouting is to contribute to the education of young people, through a value system based on the Scout Promise and Law to help build a better world where people are self-fulfilled as individuals and play a constructive role in society.
• Text : Based on the material received from proponent.

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