Statue of Robert Baden-Powell, Poole

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]

Statue of Robert Baden-Powell
The statue in 2012
ArtistDavid Annand
Year2008 (2008)
MediumBronze sculpture
SubjectRobert Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell
LocationPoole, United Kingdom
Coordinates50.71195°N 1.98592°W / 50.71195; -1.98592

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 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 anti racism protesters.[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

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. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
  3. Cartlidge, Sarah. "Everything you need to know about the Baden-Powell statue". Bournemouth Echo. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
  4. "Robert Baden-Powell statue to be removed in Poole". BBC News. 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. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
  7. Morris, Steven (11 June 2020). "Locals prevent removal of Baden-Powell statue from Poole Quay". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
  8. "Statue of Scouts founder Baden-Powell to be taken down in Britain". NBC News. 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. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
  10. "Baden-Powell statue boarded up after appearing on target list". Evening Express. 12 June 2020.
  11. "Baden-Powell statue boarded up instead of removed". BBC News. 12 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. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  13. "Bear Grylls: 'Scouts must learn from Robert Baden-Powell's failings'". BBC News Services. 14 June 2020.
  14. Grylls, Bear (13 June 2020). "A statement from Chief Scout Bear Grylls". The Scout Association. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
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