Scouting magazine is a bi-monthly publication of The Scout Association. The magazine includes information, resources and support for both young people and adults involved with The Scout Association and Scouting. It is supplied free of direct charge to adult leaders and office holders of the association. The magazine originated in July 1909 as the Headquarters Gazette, merged with other periodical publications and had several changes of title, content, format and distribution method.
Contents
The Scout (1908-1966)
The Scout, a weekly magazine for boys, was first published by Cyril Arthur Pearson on 14 April 1908, only weeks after Scouting for Boys, the book which Robert Baden-Powell and Pearson had used to promote the Scout Movement. The editor's office of The Scout initially provided a focus for both adults and boys seeking assistance with starting and running a Scout Troop. The advice given was sometimes at variance with Baden-Powell's wishes and he was horrified at Pearson's allocation of places at "the first official Scout camp" at Humshaugh, which effectively went to the Scouts who had bought the most copies of the magazine. In 1939, Newnes and Pearson decided that it was not profitable to continue its publication of The Scout, so publication was taken over by The Boy Scouts Association. Eventually, falling sales led The Boy Scouts Association's Committee of the Council to order the closure of the magazine and it ceased publication with the last issue on 3 September 1966. Some regular features from The Scout transferred to The Scouter.
The Wolf Cub (1916-?) and The Trail (1918-1923)
Other, less successful magazines were also introduced by The Boy Scout Association. The Wolf Cub, aimed at 8 to 11 year-old boys in the Cub section, was launched in 1916. The Trail, for over 18 year-old participants in the Rover Scout section, was started in 1918. The Trail was merged with the Headquarters Gazette in 1923 and The Wolf Cub magazine later merged with The Scout.
Titled Headquarters Gazette (1909-1923)
In July 1909 Baden-Powell established a monthly publication for adult Scouters titled Headquarters Gazette. The Gazette gave Baden-Powell a direct link to the adults in Scouting that was not controlled by Pearson and he wrote a column called Outlook in almost every issue. The Gazette was renamed The Scouter in 1923. It was edited from 1911 onwards by H. Geoffrey Elwes.
Titled The Scouter (1923-1971)
In January 1923, The Headquarters Gazette was renamed The Scouter. Following cessation of publication of The Scout magazine in 1966, The Scouter took on some of its features and some similar content. The magazine was renamed Scouting in January 1971.
Titled Scouting (1971 to the present)
Scouting was available by subscription or could be bought at a newsagent. In October 2004, Scouting was relaunched in A5 size and sent free to adult leaders and officers of The Scout Association. In 2013, the magazine had an average circulation of 116,700 copies.