The History of the FNE
Origins
Baden PowellBaden Powell was the man whose idea it was first to create an outdoor-oriented regiment for youth, providing discipline and leadership training in a manner both accessible to young boys and useful to them in adulthood. His original vision serves as the basis of the FNE program, as well as our own Niagara River Explorers group.
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F. Jacques SevinFather Jacques Sevin, S.J. first witnessed Baden Powell's program in 1913, when he was sent to a scout rally in England by his Jesuit superior. After meeting with Powell himself, he adapted his method for French Catholics. The success of his movement earned the approval of Pope XI in 1926.
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Scouting was born in England during the first years of the twentieth century. Very quickly, the scout movement crossed the borders of the British Empire, for which it had been conceived initially, and spread out in the whole world. It reached countries of old Catholic tradition where, beside scout initiatives of non confessional or multi-confessional type, official Catholic scout initiatives appeared. This was the case in Belgium, Italy and France in particular.
We may rightly consider that Father Jacques Sevin (French), Professor Jean Corbisier (Belgian), the Earl Mario di Carpegna (Italian) are the founders of Catholic scouting. They respectively promoted the Catholic associations ofof “Scouts de France”, “Baden Powell Belgian Boy Scouts”, “Associazione Scautistica Cattolica Italiana” (A.S.C.I.). From their commitment, the “International Office of Catholic Scouts” was also born. Its aim was to constitute a point of reference for all Catholic scouts.
Sevin, Corbisier and Carpegna managed to adapt to the Latin and Catholic context of their countries, without modifying it, an educational method born in an Anglo-Saxon and Protestant context. Baden Powell said: “Our programme has four aims: the education of character, manual ability, physical health and the service of others”. The founders of Catholic scouting emphasized a fifth aim: “Christian formation”.
Nevertheless their attempts to reach a closer understanding and brotherhood between all Catholic scouts hurt against the events of those years and against the apparition of authoritarian regimes and dictatorships which forbade scouting or greatly limited its freedom of action.
We may rightly consider that Father Jacques Sevin (French), Professor Jean Corbisier (Belgian), the Earl Mario di Carpegna (Italian) are the founders of Catholic scouting. They respectively promoted the Catholic associations ofof “Scouts de France”, “Baden Powell Belgian Boy Scouts”, “Associazione Scautistica Cattolica Italiana” (A.S.C.I.). From their commitment, the “International Office of Catholic Scouts” was also born. Its aim was to constitute a point of reference for all Catholic scouts.
Sevin, Corbisier and Carpegna managed to adapt to the Latin and Catholic context of their countries, without modifying it, an educational method born in an Anglo-Saxon and Protestant context. Baden Powell said: “Our programme has four aims: the education of character, manual ability, physical health and the service of others”. The founders of Catholic scouting emphasized a fifth aim: “Christian formation”.
Nevertheless their attempts to reach a closer understanding and brotherhood between all Catholic scouts hurt against the events of those years and against the apparition of authoritarian regimes and dictatorships which forbade scouting or greatly limited its freedom of action.