The Oshawa Museum’s latest exhibit, Be Prepared, is now open. This exhibit features the history of Scouting and Guiding in the Oshawa area.
Scouting and Guiding began in the United Kingdom in the early 1900s. In response to the changes brought by the Industrial Revolution, the movement aimed to reconnect urban children with the outdoors and to teach the values of good citizenship. As part of the British Empire, Canada quickly adopted the movement, but Oshawa in particular was especially quick. The Canadian General Council of the Boy Scouts Association (now known as Scouts Canada) was established in 1914, shortly before the start of the First World War. Oshawa, meanwhile, had its own Scout groups since 1910. Girl Guides of Canada was established in 1917, while Oshawa’s first Guide groups formed in 1911.
