#Scouts

[metamatar]

When Lieutenant-General Robert Baden-Powell launched the Boy Scout movement in 1908, he needed a hero his boys would respect. [...]

Civilization sapped a man's strength: as Baden-Powell put it some years later, 'with its town life, buses, hot-and-cold water laid on, everything done for you,' it tended 'to make men soft and feckless ... God made men to be men. The middle class had to lead the way, and take a lesson from the Empire. The colonists risking their lives in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, or Africa had strength and initiative; in contrast to the bored or indifferent or pleasure-seeking islanders, they were real men. [...]

The frontier myth supported the frontiersman as a cult figure, it used 'primitive' races such as the 'Red' Indian and the Zulu as examples of martial virility, and, in Baden-Powell at Mafeking, it made the imperial scout a national hero. The outward symbols of the frontiersman - his cowboy hat, his flannel shirt and neckerchief, and perhaps most oddly, his short trousers (as used by Baden-Powell in India and on the South African veld) - dramatized through the Boy Scout movement the call to a revitalized manhood. [...]

The social ideas that informed and inspired the youth movements can be simplified, but they were by no means simple; Scouting cannot be understood without some summary of its historical background. Both it and the other youth movements reflected and were a response to several quite different influences: popular imperialism, social Darwinism, the crisis of masculinity and the search for 'national efficiency,' social concerns about poverty and slum conditions, new theories of education, and the value of fresh air. [...]

For Baden-Powell, the Matabele campaign [a region in what is now known as Zimbabwe] was a succession of hot days and cool nights on the high veld, scouting the Ndebele, tracking their spoor, spying on their positions, escaping their ambushes, killing them in their caves.

In the Matopos hills Baden-Powell learned the necessity of studying his enemy, using the landscape, and the importance of camouflage. Scouting was thus a science, no longer an inbred sense peculiar to the native. [...] Baden-Powell discovered that though the Ndebele were clever in many little ways, they rarely took the trouble to cover their own spoor, and they were useless in the dark. The civilized scout could answer intuition with logic, and meet nature with science.

[Sons of the Empire, The Frontier and the Boy Scout Movement, 1890-1918. Robert H. MacDonald]

While girls wanted to join the Scouts, Baden-Powell rejected this idea, fearing girls’ femininizing influence on boys and that girls would turn into tomboys. He instead advocated for the development of a separate organization, the Girl Guides, to provide girls with distinctive training that centered around their future roles as wives and mothers. [Elizabeth Dillenburg]

[Girl Scouts USA was founded by] Juliette Gordon Low in 1912, a year after she had met Robert Baden-Powell [...] Low was the granddaughter of Juliette Magill Kinzie and John Harris Kinzie, and her maternal grandparents were one of the earliest settlers of Chicago. Juliette Kinzie wrote about her experiences in the Northwest Territory (now the state of Wisconsin) in her book Wau-Bun: The Early Day. Low incorporated some of her grandmother's experiences on the frontier into the traditions of Girl Scouts. [Wikipedia]

Militarism, racist pedagogy, and colonialist violence, some of the strongest threads that wove together Baden-Powell’s two lives, were also at the heart of the genocidal education projects developed by settler states during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. In Canada, these included the federally funded and church-run Indian Residential Schools, where Scout and Guide groups were thought to provide Indigenous students with an important training in appropriate gender roles and physical discipline.[...] While in Toronto, Baden-Powell also gave an invited speech at the Imperial Education Conference, where he proudly claimed that the Guides and Scouts had been “found particularly useful in the schools for Red Indian children, just as [they] had also proved useful in a like manner on the West Coast of Africa and in Baghdad.” [..]

At the same time, Scouting and Guiding were – and in some contexts, remain – proponents of what historian Philip Deloria calls the modern practice of “playing Indian” – appropriating and mimicking so-called uncivilized and pre-historic Indigenous cultural practices with the aim of strengthening modern white bodies and spirits. [...]

Having non-Indigenous Scouts and Guides don “Indian dress,” participate in “pow wows,” and perform “Indian dances,” then, was an especially complicated proposition in settler states like Canada – places where imaginary Indians and assimilatory government policies collided with Indigenous nations whose members, contrary to contemporary expectations, were stubbornly refusing to die out. [Kristine Alexander and Mary Jane Logan McCallum]

[wh40kartwork]

Emperor's Champion

by Reclusiart

Unofficial 40k comics

[vintagecamping]

Scout camp alongside Hebdon Water.

Heptonstall, England

1990

[thena0315]

Levi sees the Scouts one last time and salutes goodbye

Jean and Connie sees Sasha one last time

Gabi and Falco & Reiner and his mom reunite

[odinsblog]

🗣️This is an illegitimate and deeply corrupt Supreme Court

By upending decades of precedent set by the Chevron doctrine, the U.S. Supreme Court has just usurped the authority of Congress by 1) elevating the court’s “expertise” over actual scientific experts in their given fields, and 2) by dictating that congress must write extremely specific laws that cover every exact issue that might ever arise—but of course the rulings of SCOTUS are not held to the same specificity. This is a pro-big-business, deregulation, Libertarian wet dream and make no mistake, it is absolutely a power grab.

It is worth noting that Neil Gorsuch’s mother, Ann Gorsuch, was a Republican EPA administrator who was determined to deregulate and destroy the EPA from the inside. And Chief Justice John Roberts worked under Ronald Reagan, and for decades toiled to ensure that the Voting Rights Act was overturned and gutted.

For added perspective, the 1980 Libertarian Party platform was to abolish the following:

• Department Of Energy (DOE)

• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

• Food & Drug Administration (FDA)

• Occupational Health & Safety Administration (OHSA)

• Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

• Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

• National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)

• Federal Bureau Of Investigation (FBI)

• Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)

• Federal Reserve

• Social Security

• Welfare

• Public Schools

• Taxation

This is the deregulation spree of the Lochner Era on steroids.

And legalizing punishing the homeless for the simple act of being homeless? No matter how many occasional “good” decisions this court might accidentally stumble into making, this SCOTUS is anti-democratic and just plain old evil.

[mooniiify]

his imaginary girlfriend — jean kirstein x civilian! reader

contents: one shot, (almost) canon compliant, fluff; we’re gonna ignore that they’re like 14 here imagine they’re a little older idk

-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈

after two whole years of being away, jean finally gets to go back to trost.

granted, it was only because they were there to simulate an evacuation drill, so just for more practice. jean was nothing but lucky that it happened to be in his hometown.

he held the straps of his heavy military backpack as he walked down the familiar streets with connie, sasha and marco in tow. he was looking around, trying to take everything in — he couldn’t believe it’d been two years. everything looked the same; was he not at that parlor just the day before he left for the cadet corps?

“hey, jean.” sasha suddenly appeared on his shoulder, making him jump just a little. her eyes were wide, smile bright. “are you going to visit that y/n you’re always talking about?”

before jean could answer, connie scoffed from his other side. “if she exists, that is.”

jean rolled his eyes. this wasn’t the first time the topic had been brought up. jean has talked about her, of course he has, but connie never believed she existed, not even with the care packages and letters she’s sent.

marco frowned. “hey, jean seems pretty enamored with her. i’d say it looks pretty real.”

“yeah, right! i bet he’s writing all those letters by himself away from us so we won’t be able to see.” connie stood his ground. jean rolled his eyes at his friend, but didn’t say anything.

in truth, he was going to see her. he’d heard thomas wagner was visiting his family, so it must’ve been allowed. she didn’t know he was coming, never never mentioned it in the past few letters because he’d found out just recently. still, how hard could it be to find her? maybe he could start from her house, then if she’s not there, maybe at the flower shop she works at. if she’s not there, maybe—

“jean?”

he stopped in his tracks, as did his comrades. the four turned around, eyes falling on a lone girl stopped in the middle of the road. her clothing was simple, a long brown skirt, a white button up with a sleeves vest on top. a basket was hanging on her arm, part of it filled with vegetables, the other holding a few flowers.

jean couldn’t believe his eyes. you’d grown taller, he noted, though not by much. your hair was longer, but your eyes were just as bright, smile just as big. how has it been two years?

“y/n?”

she wasted no time. y/n rushed over, putting her basket on the ground before she threw her arms around jean’s neck, making him almost stumble due to the added weight of the backpack. he managed to keep his balance, though — he’s been training to be a soldier for a year, it would’ve been embarrassing if he fell over — and wrapped his arms around her as well, burying his face in the side of her head, his nose brushing by her hair.

he hadn’t realized how much he’d missed her until he felt her touch.

“my walls, you’ve grown so tall!” y/n said as she pulled back just enough to put her hands on each side of his face and look into his eyes. “and strong! can’t believe you didn’t fall over.”

jean’s ears burned at that comment. “y/n!”

“see, connie? told you she’s real! you owe me bread!”

still holding onto each other, y/n and jean looked back, eyes immediately falling on connie. he was staring at the two with his mouth gaped, jaw almost hitting the ground, eyes wide. sasha triumphantly stood next to him, a smile on her face. marco gave a soft smile and a small wave.

“oh? are those your friends, jean-bo?” y/n asked, not realizing jean’s ears had become even redder at the nickname. she pulled away and moved in front of his friends, putting a hand out to sasha. “hey there, i’m y/n! let me guess, you’re sasha? the girl with the appetite?”

sasha gasped dramatically as she looked at jean. “is this all you told her about me?” she scoffed and looked back at y/n, her smile returning. “that’s me! also one of the best soldiers in the corps! and a good cook! there’s more to me than food, jean-bo!” sasha looked over y/n’s shoulder at jean for the last part. “i can tell we’ll be great friends! oh, oh, we can be pen pals!”

connie could barely greet her, still shocked that she was real. marco introduced himself nicely, shaking her hand.

“why’re you here? you need help with anything?” jean had picked up her basket and made his way next to her, a hand on the small of her back.

“oh, my mom sent me out to buy some things. i was going to head home, but i didn’t expect to run into you!” y/n slapped his chest with the back of her hand. “why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”

“i found out on a short notice, i would’ve otherwise,” jean told her, then looked at his friends. “i’ll walk y/n home and i’ll catch up to you guys later. can you tell shadis i went to visit family?”

the three agreed, bid y/n goodbye and left without protest. at least, sasha and marco did. connie was still in shock so they had to drag him along.

family, huh? y/n looked at jean — his jawline was so defined now, woah — and quirked an eyebrow. “i don’t need an escort home, you know?”

“i’m not your escort, i’m your company.” jean’s arm dropped from her back, though his hand caught hers in the process, starting to pull her towards her house. “as if you didn’t miss my ass.”

“eh, i mean, life’s been more peaceful the last two years than ever.” jean wasn’t amused at her words. y/n chuckled. “fine, it’s been boring as hell. sometimes i wish i’d joined the army.”

jean chuckled, shaking his head. “no, you don’t. it’s so much work and you’re lazy.”

“hey!”

it wasn’t long before they made it to her house. no one was home when they arrived. at least they can catch up properly without having to interact with others.

“are you hungry? i can make you this new recipe i learned, i—“

“hell yes, i’ll help you. i haven’t had a good meal in two years.”

jean dropped his heavy backpack on the ground near the front door, shedding his cropped jacket and letting it hang on one of the dining chairs. after helping y/n unload the basket, the two cooked a simple meal, though one that jean enjoyed way too much after living off of stale soup for so long.

they went to her room then, laid in her bed. her bed wasn’t very big so they were pretty close to each other, but neither minded. jean took in her features, every change and every part that stayed the same. she looked so pretty in his eyes — how did he get so lucky?

“so, how are you as a cadet?” y/n broke the comfortable silence. her hand was on his temple, her thumb drawing soft shapes. “sasha said she was one of the best around. how about you?”

“i’m ranked above her. sixth,” jean informed, his eyes never leaving hers. how was he supposed to live away from her for the next years? decades?

“sixth?” y/n’s eyes widened. “jean-bo, that’s incredible! you must be really, really good then!”

“‘course i am. i didn’t go there to slack off,” jean said as he pressed a kiss to her forehead. “but I really missed your dumb ass.”

y/n rolled her eyes. “yeah, i missed you, too, i guess.”

jean’s hand had moved to her face now, too. copying her moves. “two years passed, just one more and we can go to the interior.”

y/n sighed, her hand dropping from his face and moving to hold the one on hers. “jean, we talked about this. i can’t just go to the interior because you’re going. that’s not how it works.”

“i don’t see why it wouldn’t work,” jean disagreed.

“it won’t work because i’m middle class and a normal citizen, not a solider. i can’t just go to the interior.”

the corner of jean’s lips lifted up just a little. “but if you’re the wife of an mp, there wouldn’t be a problem, would there?”

y/n’s eyes widened, her eyebrows shot up. then she slapped his chest and looked away, avoiding his gaze at any cost. “shut up. don’t say things like that. for all you know, you’ll change your decision at the end.”

“i doubt i will.” he ran a hand through her hair. she still wouldn’t look at him. “but even if i did, i would still find a way for you to be okay and safe.”

y/n faced him again, a small smile on her face. “you know, i don’t really deserve you.”

jean scoffed. “look who’s talking, miss sunshine-and-rainbows.”

“why do you have to always ruin the moment?” y/n rolled her eyes at his childishness, but her smile only grew. “i really love you, you know?”

jean nodded, the side of his face rubbing against the pillow. “i love you, too.”

“and i’ll support you no matter what you choose to do,” y/n said, her hand that had been holding his tightening. “just, wherever you choose to go, promise me to stay alive.”

jean nodded. there was no need to think about the promise — there was no danger in the inner ring. “i promise.”

“can you stay the night?” y/n asked after a brief moment of silence.

jean sighed. “i wish i could. i have to be back by noon for roll call. i’m sorry.”

y/n gave him a smile and nuzzled into his chest. “it’s okay. let’s just make the most of these few hours.” jean nodded, pulling her closer and nuzzling his nose in her hair again.

jean didn’t know back then his heart would waver, that he would choose a different path than he’d promised her. despite that, despite the danger he had willingly put himself in, the one promise he was determined to keep was to stay alive and go back to her.

and he kept it.

-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈

ummm okay this was NOT supposed to be this long idk what happened but uh enjoy it’s not proofread and it’s 3:39 a.m. so i’m not doing that loll

[illustratus]

The Scouts (A patrol of the 10th Light Dragoons, Peninsular War)

by William Barnes Wollen

[another-ai-belly-blog]

[pansyprincey]

[mapsontheweb]

Logos of scouting organisations around the world

[stimboardboy]

dog merit badges

[tagedeszorns]

Just posting this for roleplay-reasons as quick reference!

[wh40kartwork]

Scout

by Cristian Alias

[vintagecamping]

Two Scouts hide from the heat in their tent.

Monongalia County, West Virginia

1960

[thena0315]

Final Goodbye