Gilwell Oak

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Gilwell Oak
Gilwell Oak (5948293396).jpg
Owner The Scout Association
Location Gilwell Park
CountryEngland
Coordinates 51°39′1″N0°0′8″E / 51.65028°N 0.00222°E / 51.65028; 0.00222
FoundedUnknown
WikiProject Scouting fleur-de-lis dark.svg  Scouting portal

The Gilwell Oak is an oak tree on the grounds of The Scout Association's headquarters at Gilwell Park, Essex. It is reputed to have been used as a hiding place by Dick Turpin and since the 20th century has become closely associated with the Scout movement. The tree is situated close to the training ground for the association's first Scout leaders and provided material for the earliest Wood Badges. The oak inspired Scout movement founder Robert Baden-Powell to create "the moral of the acorn and the oak" an analogy for the growth of the Scout movement and the personal growth of its members. The Gilwell Oak was voted England's Tree of the Year by the public in 2017 and was subsequently selected by a panel of experts as the UK Tree of the Year. [1]

Contents

Description

Baden-Powell's sketch of his acorn and oak analogy, inspired by the Gilwell Oak BP oak moral.png
Baden-Powell's sketch of his acorn and oak analogy, inspired by the Gilwell Oak

The Gilwell Oak is a Common or English Oak (Quercus robur) of approximately 450–550 years of age. [1] It is in Gilwell Park, a former country estate in Epping Forest that was purchased by The Scout Association in 1919 for use as their headquarters. [2] The tree is reputed to have been used by the 18th-century highwayman Dick Turpin to ambush passing stagecoaches. [2]

Scouting

A modern Wood Badge Scout woodbadge beads.jpg
A modern Wood Badge

The oak is sited at the edge of Gilwell Park's training ground where the first Scout leader training was carried out. [3] The Wood Badge, the bead insignia that mark completion of Scout leader training, is closely linked to the Gilwell Oak. Although the original beads came from Africa, reputedly having belonged to Dinizulu, [4] the fallen branches of the Gilwell Oak were carved into early wood badges awarded to leaders trained at Gilwell. [5] Modern wood badges are made from alternative materials but special commemorative beads carved from the Gilwell Oak are sold by The Scout Association to certified leaders. [6]

Scouting's founder Robert Baden-Powell was inspired by the oak to write "the moral of the acorn and the oak" in around 1929 that held that "big things were possible from modest beginnings". [7] [3] [8] Baden-Powell said that the growth of the oak from humble acorn to mighty tree was analogous to the growth of Scouting from the 1907 Brownsea Island Scout camp to a worldwide organisation and the similar personal growth of a young person passing through the movement. [3]

Chief Scout of the Scout Association Bear Grylls said that "The Gilwell Oak has been the backdrop to hundreds of courses in which thousands of volunteer leaders have been inspired and motivated to change young people's lives. It's the unbending symbol of Scouting's desire to change the world for the better". [2] The Gilwell Oak is a landmark at Gilwell Park and is visited by hundreds of Scouts each year, some of whom take a leaf or an acorn from the tree as a souvenir of their visit. [3]

Tree of the Year 2017

The Gilwell Oak was nominated for English Tree of the Year 2017 and beat the nine other contenders, having polled 26% of the 7,000 public votes. [2] [5] It was subsequently chosen as UK Tree of Year from the winners of the four Home Nations by a panel of experts. [2] [5] The tree represented the UK at the European Tree of the Year Awards and came in fifth place with 12,955 votes. [2] [8] [9] In commemoration of the tree's win the Scout Association was presented with a model of the tree. [8]

See also

Related Research Articles

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Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth social movement employing the Scout method, a program of informal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activities, including camping, woodcraft, aquatics, hiking, backpacking, and sports. Another widely recognized movement characteristic is the Scout uniform, by intent hiding all differences of social standing in a country and encouraging equality, with neckerchief and campaign hat or comparable headwear. Distinctive uniform insignia include the fleur-de-lis and the trefoil, as well as merit badges and other patches.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neckerchief</span> Type of neckwear

A neckerchief, sometimes called a necker, kerchief or scarf, is a type of neckwear associated with those working or living outdoors, including farm labourers, cowboys and sailors. It is most commonly still seen today in the Scouts, Girl Guides and other similar youth movements. A neckerchief consists of a triangular piece of cloth or a rectangular piece folded into a triangle. The long edge is rolled towards the point, leaving a portion unrolled. The neckerchief is then fastened around the neck with the ends either tied or clasped with a slide or woggle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wood Badge</span> Scouting award

The Wood Badge is an award for Scout leader training, first awarded by The Boy Scouts Association in the United Kingdom in 1919 and subsequently adopted, with variations, by some other Scout organizations. Wood Badge courses teach Scout leadership skills and instil an ideological bond and commitment to the organizations. Courses generally have theory and practical phases followed by a practice project. Scouters who complete the course are awarded a pair of wood beads on each end of a leather thong, from a necklace of beads Robert Baden-Powell claimed to have taken from the African chief Dinizulu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gilwell Park</span> The Scout Association camp site and activity centre

Gilwell Park is The Scout Association's principal camp site and activity centre in the United Kingdom. It is a 109-acre (44 ha) site, located in East London in the Sewardstonebury area of Waltham Abbey within Epping Forest near the border with Chingford. It is used by Scout and Guide groups. Adult Scout leader training undertaken at Gilwell Park since 1919 is known as Wood Badge training. Scout leaders from many countries have trained at Gilwell Park and Wood Badge training was followed by some other Scout organisations, and, therefore, Gilwell Park has taken on importance to other Scout organisations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Scout Association</span> Scouting organisation in the United Kingdom

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woggle</span> Device to fasten a neckerchief

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baden-Powell House</span> Conference centre in South Kensington, London

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">3rd World Scout Jamboree</span>

The 3rd World Scout Jamboree was held in 1929 at Arrowe Park in Upton, near Birkenhead, Wirral, United Kingdom. As it was commemorating the 21st birthday of Scouting for Boys and the Scouting movement, it is also known as the Coming of Age Jamboree. With about 30,000 Scouts and over 300,000 visitors attending, this jamboree was the largest jamboree so far.

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Francis "Skipper" Gidney (1890–1928) was an early leader of the Scouting movement in the United Kingdom. He was appointed the first Camp Chief of Gilwell Park in May 1919, and organized the first Wood Badge adult leader training course there in September 1919. He served in the Scouting organization until 1923, and was honoured by having the Gidney Cabin at Gilwell, a training centre, named for him.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Betty Clay</span> British Scouting leader (1917–2004)

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wood Badge (Boy Scouts of America)</span> Highest level of Scouting training for adults in the US

Wood Badge in the United States is an advanced level leadership training available to adult Scout leaders. The first Wood Badge course was presented in England by the founder of Scouting, Baden-Powell, and he introduced the program into the United States during a visit in 1936. The first course was held at the Mortimer L. Schiff Scout Reservation, but Americans did not fully adopt Wood Badge until 1948. The National BSA Council staff provided direct leadership to the program through 1958, when the increased demand encouraged them to permit local councils to deliver the training.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">B-P's footprint</span> Casting of the right foot of Lord Baden-Powell

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Statue of Robert Baden-Powell, London</span> Granite carving of Robert Baden-Powell at Baden-Powell House in London, England

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References

  1. 1 2 "The Gilwell Oak". European Tree of the Year. Archived from the original on 1 March 2018. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Epping's Gilwell Oak wins Tree of the Year 2017". BBC News. 7 December 2017. Archived from the original on 1 March 2018. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Pantling, Caroline. "The Gilwell Oak : Scouting rediscovers its roots". Share Museums East. Heritage Service Manager at The Scout Association. Archived from the original on 1 March 2018. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
  4. ↑ "The Origins Of The Wood Badge" (PDF). scouts.org.uk. Archives Department, The Scout Association. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 October 2013. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  5. 1 2 3 "The UK's tree of the year has been revealed". Metro. 7 December 2017. Archived from the original on 1 March 2018. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
  6. ↑ "Gilwell Park Scouting Oak Wood Badge 2 Beads in Box". Scout Shops. The Scout Association. Archived from the original on 1 March 2018. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
  7. ↑ "The Gillwell Oak, Baden-Powell's favourite, is crowned tree of the year". The Times. 7 December 2017. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
  8. 1 2 3 "Vote for the Gilwell Oak in the European Tree of the Year competition". Land Love Magazine. Archived from the original on 5 February 2018. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
  9. ↑ "European Tree of the Year 2018". Archived from the original on 30 October 2018. Retrieved 29 October 2018.

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