The Crystal Palace Rally was a gathering of Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts at the Crystal Palace in London on Saturday, 4 September 1909.[1] The rally demonstrated the rapid popularisation of Scouting with an estimated 11,000 boys attending with the prominent presence of Girl Scouts also being significant for the start of Girl Scouts and Girl Guides.[2] The rally was held a year and a half after the publication of Scouting for Boys and The Scout magazine, and two years after Robert Baden-Powell's demonstration Brownsea Island Scout Camp.
The Rally was a precursor to the later Scout Jamborees and World Scout Jamborees.[clarification needed][citation needed]
Some controversy occurred with attempts to exclude Scouts from the British Boy Scouts, Church Scout Patrols and other scouts not registered with Baden-Powell's Boy Scouts organisation leading to challenges regarding the 4th Scout Law that "A Scout is ... a brother to every other scout".
The concept of the Scouts' Own, a simple, non-denominational religious ceremony, was introduced at the rally by H. Geoffrey Elwes at this rally.[3]
Members of the local Scout Troop, 2nd Croydon (1st Crystal Palace Patrol), formed part of the flag party for Princess Christian, a member of the royal family in attendance. The Group still meet near Crystal Palace Park and regularly use Crystal Palace Park for Scouting activities.[4]
- ^ Mills, Sarah (2011). "Scouting for girls? Gender and the Scout Movement in Britain". Gender, Place & Culture. 18 (4): 537–556. doi:10.1080/0966369X.2011.583342.
- ^ Penguin Pocket On This Day. Penguin Reference Library. 2006. ISBN 978-0-14-102715-9.
- ^ "Guides Own". Retrieved 24 June 2008.
- ^ "Our History « 1st Purley Scout Group". Archived from the original on 17 July 2014. Retrieved 15 July 2014.