Talk:Boy Scouts of the Philippines

Errors
Boy Scouts of the Philippines 181 N. A. Lopez Street Ermita, Manila Philippines Tel. No.: +63 2 5275109/5280555 Fax No.: +63 2 5280577 Email: phiscout@skyinet.net

Scouting was first introduced in the Philippines by the United States, around 1914, 4 years after the Boy Scouts of America was founded.

The first all Filipino Scout Troop was organized in Zamboanga by a young lieutenant by the name of Sherman l. Kiser through the sponsorship of Mrs. Caroline S. Spencer, an American who was in the Philippines doing Charity work. The troop was composed of 26 Muslim boys.

In 1923, the Philippine Council-BSA was formed through the efforts of the Rotary Club of Manila mainly to launch Scouting as a nationwide movement and to provide guidance to the troops which had been independently organized throughout the country. 1923 is the official founding of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines.

In October 1936, president Manuel L. Quezon issued an act which made the Boy Scout movement a public corporation, "…to promote through organization and cooperation with other agencies, the ability of boys to do things for themselves and others, to train themselves in Scout craft, and to teach them patriotism, courage, self-reliance and kindred virtues, using the methods which are in common use by Boy Scouts."


 * ERRORS IN THE ABOVE UNSIGNED SECTION:
 * The street sign for the BSP National Office address says: "Natividad Lopez." The number "181" has not been displayed for several decades.
 * Scouting was introduced in the Philippines by American individuals, not by the United States, the first in 1910, not four years after the BSA was founded.
 * The first troops were organised by Americans in the capital area of Manila and its environs, the center and base of social, political, economic, military, and religious activities, not far-off Mindanao.
 * The Zamboanga troop was organised by Sherman L. Kiser, not Sherman I. Kiser.
 * Caroline Spencer came to the Philippines to do missionary work among Muslims.
 * 1923 is the founding date of the Boy Scouts of America Philippine Islands Council. 1936 is the official founding date of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines ("official" because the BSP started functioning only in 1938).
 * President Quezon signed a legislative bill (not issued an act) that became a Commonwealth Act which legally created the Boy Scouts of the Philippines organization, not the Boy Scout movement. Like its parent, the Boy Scouts of America, the BSP was a chartered private organization, until 1991 when it was deemed a "government-controlled corporation" by the Supreme Court.

Oliver Puertogallera (talk) 23:02, 26 April 2016 (UTC)

Hilary Saint George Saunders, The Left Handshake, 1948
Chris 01:44, 24 July 2006 (UTC) If you can find a way to put this in:

(World War II)


 * News from the Philippines came in but slowly after the war. The Scouts there suffered great privations and many hardships. On the outbreak of war most Philippine Scouts bad undergone some form of training for emergency services. This they began to use to good effect. In Bataan, for example, they took on the duty of directing the traffic, and on the 27th December, Scout Joson, remaining at his post, was killed in an air raid. Another, Scout Montilla of the 3rd Y.M.C.A. Troop in Manila, had lost his life a fortnight before, thrusting women and children into a shelter during a raid on Cavite.


 * In general, the Scouts' most urgent duty and that performed most successfully was in helping a terrified population to avoid the extremes of panic and giving special succor to about fifty women and 120 children, the wives and dependents of Philippine soldiers summoned hurriedly to the Colors. Boy Scouts of Dansalan helped these unhappy women and children on their arduous road from their homes to the hills in the north. They moved only a few hours in advance of the Japanese, and eventually reached Liang after traversing malaria-ridden forests and streams teeming with reptiles, leeches and mosquitoes. Their refuge lay at the foot of a mountain surrounded on three sides by forests and on the fourth by a crocodile-infested river. The Scouts built shelters for the women and children and cleared the ground to grow crops. In a few weeks they had transformed this piece of Jungle into a village of nondescript huts, where these refugees lived for many months, succored and looked after by their young protectors. Gradually as life grew more normal even under the occupation, they found their way back to their own homes. But "in that now deserted village you will find spoons, saucers and cooking utensils made from coconut shells, slippers and bags of abaca twine, rows and rows of garden plots now overrun by weeds, and wells dug deep in the earth... all the results of skills learned by boys in Scouting." So writes a Filipino. He goes on to say that in unspectacular but important ways the Scouts throughout the Philippines helped the various Resistance Movements by feeding guerrillas, carrying messages and receiving and distributing supplies landed by American submarines. The most noted in this work was a young Rover, aged nineteen, Jorge Fajardo by name, of Troop 61 of Manila, an expert signaler who maintained communications in Morse with submarines and thus prevented many tons of essential supplies from falling into Japanese hands.


 * After the liberation the Scouts in the Philippines did what their brothers were doing elsewhere all over the world. They collected food, clothing and medicine for destitute civilians and were used by the Civilian Affairs Units of the United States Army for the orderly distribution of relief. They also collected magazines, books and newspapers for the troops, and took care, by the manufacture of abaca handbags and belts, which the Americans bought eagerly and sent home as souvenirs, to relieve them of as much money as they could, which they devoted to charitable purposes.


 * By far the most remarkable exploit performed by a Filipino Scout was that of Valerino Abello, a member of Troop 11 of Leyte. As a Scout he had learned signaling, and on the day of the attack on Leyte, this accomplishment was to stand him and the American invading forces in good stead. The Japanese had massed the most formidable of their defenses along the eastern coast of the island and they stretched from the Ambao Mountains to the San Juanico Strait, which divides Leyte from Samar. The defenses included tank traps, pillboxes, slit trenches, barbed wire and individual foxholes, and were manned by a full Japanese division. On the seashore and at certain points in the hills behind, batteries of guns and mortars had been installed.


 * Having served as a capataz, or foreman, over the Filipino laborers who had been forced to build these defenses, Abello possessed detailed knowledge of their general disposition, and the many strong points they contained. On the 20th October 1944, he was at Telegrafo, near Toloso, when looking out to sea he saw a long line of warships moving into position. A moment later heavy shells began to burst near him and he ran at once to the beach, where he was joined by two comrades, Anterio Junua and Vicente Cononigo. By now the bombardment was at its full height, and large and medium-caliber shells were falling along the defenses. It was obvious that this was the preliminary bombardment not of a raid but of a landing in force.


 * Abello began to signal, repeating over and over again, "Please let me direct the shelling." The waving flags were presently seen and a destroyer closer in shore than the great ships flashed back, "Come immediately. Waiting." The three men jumped on board a native outrigger canoe and paddled out towards the destroyer. They were closing her when shells from a Japanese battery burst into the water nearby and upset the canoe. They took to the sea, swam towards the destroyer and were dragged, exhausted and dripping, on to her decks. Abello was taken at once to the bridge where, giving the Scout's salute, he said, "I know where every main defensive position on shore is to be found, for I helped to build them." The destroyer signaled to the flagship, and soon Abello, from her bridge, was directing the bombardment. New targets were given to the gunners and, most important of all from the point of view of Abello, Tolosa and the other villages and towns within the defense area were spared the hail of fire which fell upon the beaches. One by one each strong point was shelled in turn, and two hours later the assaulting troops headed by the famous Marines, swept in in their landing craft and set foot on shore.


 * With the noise of battle roaring, echoing among the palm trees and drowning the voice of the surf on Leyte, let us leave this story of suffering and heroism imposed by war upon half the peoples of the world. For five long years and more their fate was hard, their ordeal grim, their lives a dull pain exchanged at moments for a sharp agony. Alleviation was small, consolation meager. For those in bondage the inevitable ills of life are made sharper and more difficult to bear because the corresponding joys are lacking. Yet their fate would have been harder, their lot more onerous, their lives more hopeless had Boy Scouts not come to their rescue. The tale, plain and unadorned, of what they did has in part been set down. More will presently be told as fresh evidence of what the Scouts accomplished in those stricken countries comes to light. Yet it will never be told in full. Too many, who suffered and received comfort, are now dead and their testimony lies with them in their graves. But enough remains and has been set down to make it possible to maintain with no fear of contradiction that, when the time of testing came, the Scouts and Scouters of Baden-Powell proved not the happy-go-lucky children or the figures of lath and plaster their enemies would have them to be, but boys of true and solid worth, young Paladins with souls of steel and hearts brimming with unselfish devotion.


 * Nearly twenty-three centuries have passed since certain old men stood upon a stage in Athens cried out that love was unconquerable in battle. Scouts the whole world over provided, in six years of the greatest tribulation, the latest and the clearest proof that those words are true.

Don bosco catholic scouting movement
I don't think the entry for Don Bosco entry should even show on this article. We'll end up with all the Scouting groups placing descriptions about themselves. Mang Kiko 05:21, 12 April 2007 (UTC)

I have already removed the article. I am very sorry for that. The General 06:55, 24 May 2007 (UTC)

Tagalog translation of the scout oath and law
The tagalog translation of the scout oath and law should not be translated as it is or literally. The Boy Scouts of the Philippines do have their own set of oath and law; it may be a little bit the same compared to their English counterpart but its content is different. Thanks a lot and god bless BSP. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Topeyangad (talk • contribs) 12:38, 4 July 2008 (UTC)

Numbers
I have heard that the Philippines has the second largest number of scouts (after the USA) and the largest number per capita. Is this true? Can numbers be added to the article, cited of course? Northwestgnome (talk) 17:12, 14 March 2009 (UTC)

Citation not needed
Citation is not needed to prove that Pres. Marcos was the first Philippine head of state to take the title of Chief Scout. All the reader needs to do is to look at the list of BSP Chief Scouts.Oliver Puertogallera (talk) 01:40, 19 May 2016 (UTC)
 * Wrong. Everything in Wikipedia needs to be cited per WP:VERIFY.--Kintetsubuffalo (talk) 15:45, 25 September 2016 (UTC)
 * Not everything in Wikipedia needs to be cited. For example, citation is not needed to say that Barack Obama is the President of the United States or that Ouagadougou is the capital of Burkina Faso.Oliver Puertogallera (talk) 21:23, 26 September 2016 (UTC)
 * Specious argument-both articles are already cited by the first sentence. Identifying reliable sources--Kintetsubuffalo (talk) 03:01, 29 September 2016 (UTC)
 * Judgmental argument that misses the point.Oliver Puertogallera (talk) 11:49, 30 September 2016 (UTC)

Crapmagnet
Every time I weed out the non-Wikipedia-articled, unreferenced names, someone keeps putting them back. You people need to understand that just because they are notable within BSP does not automatically make them notable for Wikipedia. Please have a good read at WP:NOTABILITY.--Kintetsubuffalo (talk) 13:39, 16 August 2016 (UTC)

Vandalism
I haven't seen another Wikipedia article so vandalised as this one. The latest attack substitutes "Kelkel Pogi" for "Rodrigo Duterte" as the Chief Scout of the Philippines. "Pogi" is Filipino slang for "handsome." "Kelkel" is obviously some crazy, nonsensical nickname like "Bozo," concocted by someone playacting in buffoon mode.Oliver Puertogallera (talk) 15:22, 26 August 2016 (UTC)
 * You don't need to explain when you remove vandalism, removing vandalism is a good edit.--Kintetsubuffalo (talk) 15:43, 25 September 2016 (UTC)

The Merge
Now that the article on Chief Scout of the Philippines has been merged with this article, it could not be unfair to say that articles on Chief Scouts of the UK, Ireland, and Hong Kong be merged with their respective main articles.Oliver Puertogallera (talk) 22:44, 26 August 2016 (UTC)
 * First, please read Other stuff exists. Second, Hong Kong was merged. Third, look at how well and thoroughly the UK and Ireland articles are written, they're not a trivial list, they are detailed and well researched. Meanwhile, this article is bloated with vanity additions of dozens who are not notable on Wikipedia. This article really needs cleaned up, I keep trying to do so, and you keep filling it up again. Slow down and please read WP:NOTABILITY.--Kintetsubuffalo (talk) 15:35, 25 September 2016 (UTC)
 * You have a lot of energy and Scouting knowledge about your country. Why not write some of those missing biographies? Those are much more likely to stay as articles than these lists. Good luck!--Kintetsubuffalo (talk) 15:50, 25 September 2016 (UTC)

Revision as of 03:16, 14 September 2016 112.198.100.30 (→‎Rover advancement program)
Meanings of edits inserted by 112.198.100.30 on 14 September 2016:
 * "Poke" = vagina
 * "Titi" = penis
 * "Dodo" = breast
 * "Pwet" = buttocks or anus
 * "Jakol" = masturbate
 * The above five quoted words are all Tagalog words.

Oliver Puertogallera (talk) 10:27, 25 September 2016 (UTC)

merge Chief Executive Officers of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines and Presidents of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines
The main article is suffering from vanity bloat and now content-forking, and could use an experienced Wiki editor to weed it as I have tried vainly to do. Meanwhile, Chief Executive Officers of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines and Presidents of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines need to be merged back here.--Kintetsubuffalo (talk) 15:24, 25 September 2016 (UTC)

This article needs protection
Vandalism of article Boy Scouts of the Philippines:

Oliver Puertogallera (talk) 07:08, 17 October 2016 (UTC)


 * This level of vandalism in no way justifies protection, which is used for a short while to stop a flood of vandalism. I am sure there are a number of editors who can handle the level you have documented. -- Bduke   (Discussion)  03:28, 18 October 2016 (UTC)

Philippine Jamborees
There should be a section on these. --Kintetsubuffalo (talk) 11:52, 31 October 2016 (UTC)

Wrong information
The Boy Scouts of America organization was founded in 1910, when William Boyce and two others filed papers of its incorporation. Oliver Puertogallera (talk) 05:12, 16 December 2017 (UTC)

Forgotten history
In 1975, I started investigating the history of the Scout Movement, local and global. I have not been able to pass on to anyone the fruits of 45 years of study. I attempted to do just this through Wikipedia. However, although a few have survived, most of my articles were muddled or removed by Kintetsubuffalo, an American who believes that everything written about Scouting in Wikipedia must get his approval first.

The Scout Movement in the Philippines was started in Manila in 1910 by Elwood Stanley Brown. Except for the late Sir Rogelio Vicencio, nobody agrees with me on this. Virtually everyone is fixated on Zamboanga, 1914, Sherman Leo Kiser.

Many Americans exerted effort and made personal sacrifices to bring Scouting to the youth of the Philippines. Except for Sherman Kiser and Josephus Stevenot, none of them have been acknowledged or even remembered. It was my hope that credit be given to whom it is due. But no one is interested in the forgotten history of Scouting in the Philippines.

In 2015, I started pushing for acknowledging Cesar Javier with a Lifetime Achievement Award, he being the last living member of the Boy Scouts of America Philippine Islands Council and still active in Scouting. In 2018, he was conferred the award. I was satisfied. (I would have been very happy to be there to see him receive it, but I was not invited.)

Many other outstanding personalities in history have been forgotten:
 * Elwood Stanley Brown, Mark Thompson, and George H. Mummert – the first Scoutmasters in the Philippines. (Brown was acknowledged by no less than Lord Baden-Powell himself.)
 * Antonio Torres, Domingo Ponce, and Francisco Varona – the first Filipino leaders.
 * Paul Doltz – started Scouting at Silliman University in 1921.
 * Philip Durkee Carman who so generously took time off his business to serve as Founding President of the BSA Philippine Islands Council. He was killed by Japanese bombardment at the University of Santo Tomas and is buried at the American Cemetery.
 * Irving S. Hart – founder of the leper Boy Scouts and Camp Fire Girls at San Lazaro Hospital.
 * So many others whose stories will die with me.

In 1911, Theodore Roosevelt made an example of “boy scouts of the Philippines” to the entire Boy Scouts of America in the BSA Boy Scout Handbook, first edition. I discovered this in 1975. In 2001, this was made known to the Boy Scouts of the Philippines, through collaboration with Sir Nixon Canlapan, who allowed the publication of Roosevelt’s letter in the book On My Honor which I compiled, wrote, and edited by Sir Nixon’s direction. But the implications of Roosevelt’s letter for our history seems not to have registered with anyone.

I’m 60 now. At this point in time, it appears that my discoveries and knowledge of the forgotten history of Philippine Scouting will die with me.

Samuel Salter Oliver Puertogallera (talk) 02:10, 4 July 2020 (UTC)


 * Wikipedia works on sources. If you have proper sources for what you have discovered, you can add the material to articles. We would welcome it. But it needs sources that we can read. --Bduke (talk) 03:10, 4 July 2020 (UTC)