World Scout Indaba

The World Scout Indabas were gatherings of Scout Leaders from around the world, held in 1952, 1957 and 1960.

World Scout Indaba
3rd World Scout Indaba
Country	various (list below)
Date	1952–1960
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History

The idea was proposed in 1949 at the 12th World Scout Conference in Elvesæter, Norway where The Boy Scouts Association of the United Kingdom submitted that of the large number of Scouters, only a very small percentage were able to take part in a major international Scout gathering. Indaba is Zulu for "tribal conference". The name was suggested by Lord Rowallan.^{[citation needed]}

The reason a Zulu word was used to describe the event was not explicitly stated. However, Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the Scouting movement, recognized the first Scouters to complete advanced leadership training, a course he called Wood Badge, with a leather thong to which wooden beads were affixed. Baden-Powell, who retired as a lietentant-general in the British Army, claimed he took these beads while on a military campaign in Zululand.^[1][2] Such necklaces of beads, known as iziqu in Zulu, were presented to warriors as a symbol of bravery and distinction in battle.^[3]

Only three Indabas were held:

Year[4]	Event	Location	Host Country	Dates	Notes
1952	1st World Scout Indaba	Gilwell Park	United Kingdom	15–24 July 1952
1957	2nd World Scout Indaba	Sutton Coldfield	United Kingdom	June[clarification needed] 1957	combined with the 9th World Scout Jamboree and 6th World Rover Moot, to celebrate 50 years of Scouting
1960	3rd World Scout Indaba	Ommen	Netherlands	August 1960

1st World Scout Indaba

The 1st World Scout Indaba was held 15–24 July 1952 at Gilwell Park.^[5][6] It was organised on behalf of the Boy Scouts Association by its chief executive commissioner, Fred Hurll, and its headquarters commissioner for relationships, John Frederick Colquhoun. The association's Chief Scout, Lord Rowallan, opened the Indaba. Attendance was expected to be about 4,000,^[7][8] but only about 600 Scouters^[9] from 49 countries participated.^[10][11] The Australian contingent numbered 50 Scouters.^[12] Twelve Canadians^[13][14] and four Americans^[15] attended the event. Separate discussions were held on Wolf Cubs, Boy Scouts, handicapped Scouts, "the older Scout" and Rovers and commissioner service. Reports were presented at a plenary session. The Boy Scouts Association's president, Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester closed the Indaba^[16] with the words: "Let it be the determination of all who have been here at Gilwell to spread the Scout spirit wherever they go, that spirit of peace and friendliness which is so sorely needed in the world today." The International Committee recommended continuing Indabas every four years, limited to 1,000 participants.^[17]

2nd World Scout Indaba

The 2nd World Scout Indaba was held from 1st to 12th August 1957, at Sutton Coldfield, to mark the 50th jubilee year of Scouting and the centenary of the birth of Robert Baden-Powell^[18] and held concurrently with and adjacent to the 9th World Scout Jamboree and 6th World Rover Moot, as well as the third Girl Guide World Camp. It was organised for The Boy Scouts Association by its deputy chief scout, Sir Rob Lockhart as camp chief, its chief executive commissioner, Fred Hurll as deputy camp chief and its Gilwell Park camp chief's deputy Kenneth H. Stevens as the executive commissioner. The Jamboree-Indaba-Moot was opened by The Boy Scouts Association's president, Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester on 1 August and closed with a talk by Olave, Lady Baden-Powell.^[19]

3rd World Scout Indaba

The 3rd World Scout Indaba was held in August 1960, at Gilwell Ada's Hoeve, Ommen, Netherlands but had a low attendance and poor international representation.