World Scout Emblem
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In 1897, Robert Baden-Powell trained soldiers in India in scouting. The British Army awarded trained army scouts a brass fleur-de-lis-shaped badge. In 1907, Baden-Powell issued copper fleur-de-lis badges to participants of his experimental camp on Brownsea Island in 1907 and he included a simple fleur-de-lis design Scout badge in his book, Scouting for Boys. Soon after, a five-pointed star was added to each of the outer lobes of the fleur-de-lis. Boy Scouts and Girls Scouts adopted the fleur-de-lis as their symbol.
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Symbolism
The fleur-de-lis represents the north point on a map or compass and is intended to point Scouts on the path to service. The three lobes on the fleur-de-lis represent the three parts of the Scout Promise: duty to God, service to others and obedience to the Scout Law. A "bond", tying the three lobes of the fleur-de-lis together, symbolizes the family of Scouting. The two five-point stars stand for truth and knowledge, with the ten points representing the ten points of the Scout Law.