Bradford Industrial Museum: New exhibition to look back at some of Yorkshire's most iconic Scouts

Scouting began in 1907 and quickly gained momentum. Now most towns and villages across the country have their own troops.

The Scout Movement of both Boy Scouts and Girl Guides – renamed as Girl Scouts in some countries – are now well established.

And Bradford District Museums and Galleries have worked with Keighley Scouts to open a new exhibition at Bradford Industrial Museum.

A spokesman for West Yorkshire Scouts said: “Scouts is the largest Youth Movement in Europe.

“The exhibition features the stories and photographs of some of the Scouts in the district and information about Scout’s famous ambassadors.

“Included is a family campfire corner to sit and read together and a programme of activities are being run from spring until September.”

To celebrate the opening of the exhibition, a grand opening was held at Bradford Industrial Museum.

It included soft archery and axe throwing, speeches and refreshments. Also running alongside the exhibition will be Scouting Badge Seekers Trail.

Visitors are invited to the Bradford Industrial Museum for the free Scouting Badge Seekers Trail. People can explore the Museum and find the Scout badges on display.

You can also find out more about being a Scout and how their badges link in with some of the amazing exhibits in the museum.

Toby Hammond, West Yorkshire Scouts Youth County Commissioner, said: “We are proud of Scouting in Bradford. It is brilliant to share just a few selections of the amazing stories from someone of amazing young people and fanatic volunteers.”

While Scouts developed and spread across the world, it still continued to evolve in the United Kingdom.

Following heroic work during the Second World War, when Scouts acted as coast guards, couriers and stretcher bearers, Scouts showed again and again that they were truly able to live their motto Be Prepared.

The first Bob-a-Job week was held in the United Kingdom in 1949 and was a huge success, going on to be a tradition that would last in various guises until the 1990s.

From rebranding to The Scout Association in 1967 to renaming sections and updating uniforms, the quest to be a truly modern movement is said to be ongoing.

Rover Scouts and Senior Scouts became Venture Scouts and the badge system was updated to reflect the wider range of activities a Scout would do. Perhaps the biggest step toward modernisation was the decision to allow girls to join the Venture Scout section which was introduced to other sections in the early 1990s.