The Jungle Book and Scouting facts for kids
The Scouting program has used ideas from The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling for a long time. These ideas have been part of Scouting since 1916.
In 1914, Robert Baden-Powell, who started Scouting, wanted a special group for younger boys. In 1916, he shared his plans for this new group. He decided to call them "Wolf Cubs."
Baden-Powell might have chosen this name for a few reasons. One idea is that "Wolf" was the name of a big cannon used in a place called Mafeking. So, a young boy who wasn't old enough to be a full Scout could be like a baby wolf, a "Wolf Cub."
Baden-Powell was friends with Rudyard Kipling, the author of The Jungle Book. He asked Kipling if he could use the stories and characters from the book. These stories helped make Cub Scouting fun and exciting. Baden-Powell even wrote a new book called The Wolf Cub's Handbook for these younger members. By 1917, these junior members were officially known as Wolf Cubs.
Over time, starting in the 1960s, many Scouting groups changed how they used the jungle theme. Some groups changed their name to Cub Scout or something similar. However, they often kept parts of the Jungle Stories and Cub ceremonies as traditions. This included using names from The Jungle Book and doing the Grand Howl. The Grand Howl is a special cheer that starts and ends Cub Scout meetings. Other groups kept the "Wolf Cub" name but completely changed their themes.
Who is Akela in Cub Scouting?
In Cub Scout packs, Akela is a very important symbol. Akela represents wisdom, authority, and leadership. Akela is anyone who guides or leads a Scout.
This can be a Cubmaster, a Den Leader, a parent, or a teacher. It depends on where the guidance is happening. For example, during den meetings, the Den Leader is Akela. At pack meetings, the Cubmaster takes on this role. At home, parents are Akela.
Many Cub Scout packs use a special promise called the "Law of the Pack." This promise shows their loyalty and connection to Akela and their pack.
- The Cub Scout follows Akela.
- The Cub Scout helps the pack go.
- The pack helps the Cub Scout grow.
- The Cub Scout gives goodwill.
In the United Kingdom, most of the direct links to The Jungle Book have been removed from the Cub Scout program. However, the names of Jungle Book characters are still used for Cub Scout Leaders. "Akela" is usually the name for the main leader of a Cub Pack. But sometimes other character names are used, especially if leaders change.
Rudyard Kipling got the name "Akela" from the Hindi language. In Hindi, "Akela" means "alone."
