Sunrise Scouting

Today is for me also a very special day. The 100th aniversity of the establishment of Scouting by Lord baden Powell. On August 1st 1907 B.P. held a camp for 20 boys to see if his idea of scouting for boys could work. Now, 100 years later, Scouting is still alive and played in at least 160 countries.
Today scouts of 160 countries joined together at Brownsea Island to commemorate this fact. To bad that I'm not able to be in London at the World Jamboree. Still I be there in spirit. After all these years I guess I'm still a scout. When the World Jamboree came to the Netherlands again in 1995, I was there. This event reminded me of the times I was a scout myself and made me rejoin scouting as a leader now. after 6 years i was forced to stop with scouting due to my job at that time. Jet, once a scout, always a scout.
Of course there are a lot of similarities with SGI. Both organisations are working for a better world by education, culture and peace. Of course the scouting movement is some 20 years older and I believe Makaguchi Sensei could have been influenced by Lord Baden Powell. Seeing what he tried to do with youth. Making them aware that they them selfs can change the world.
When I first encountered Nichiren Buddhism and the SGI, it struck me how much both organizations worked for peace and a better world for everyone. Although the backgrounds are different, Scouting originated from the British Army and SGI has it's roots in Buddhism, both work with the same goals in mind. Now a days both organizations are here to stay and it's not thinkable that they are not there. Often scouting is the only thing children can be active in. Especially in development countries. So is SGI. People are getting inspired by SGI or Scouting. Also the scouting pledge and the pledge of SGI are more or less similar. At least in my eyes.
Anyways, I'm in my heart both Scout and Buddhist and who knows, I might be coming back into scouting as a leader again in the near future. You never know.
HAPPY 100th BIRTHDAY SCOUTING!!!