Robert Baden-Powell would have turned 166 on 22 February this year and Rose Hill School pupils celebrate his birthday every year.

Baden-Powell attended the school in the 1860’s. He credits his time at Rose Hill, under Headmaster Thomas Allfree, exploring the nearby common and woods with the creation of the Scouts many years later. His book ‘Scouting for Boys’ was the fourth bestselling book of the twentieth century and sold 150 million copies. He kept in touch with the school until his death in Kenya in 1941.

In his final letter to the Scouts, Baden-Powell wished the Scouts a happy life. “One step towards happiness is to make yourself healthy and strong while you are a boy, so that you can be useful and so you can enjoy life when you are a man. Try and leave this world a little better than you found it and when your turn comes to die, you can die happy in feeling that at any rate you have not wasted your time but have done your best. “Be prepared” in this way, to live happy and to die happy – stick to your Scout Promise always – even after you have ceased to be a boy – and God help you to do it”.

Rose Hill School is very proud of its links with the founder of the Scouts and Girl Guides. Last year the school launched its own Scout troop to join the already thriving Cub, Brownie and Rainbow clubs at the school.

Philippa Lang, Scout Leader and Deputy Head said “the Scouting Movement is as important today as it was when it was founded in 1910. Our pupils face very different challenges but the ambitions of the movement are still the same which in essence is to be a good citizen. Our pupils spend time working as a team as well as spending time outdoors, using their resilience to overcome challenges”.