| Frequency | Bi-monthly |
|---|---|
| Publisher | The Scout Association |
| Total circulation (2013) | 116,700 |
| Founded |
|
Scouting magazine was a bi-monthly publication ofThe Scout Association. The magazine included information, resources and support for both young people and adults involved with The Scout Association andScouting. From 2004, it was supplied free of direct charge to adult leaders and office holders of the association. The magazine originated in July 1909 as theHeadquarters Gazette, merged with other periodical publications and had several changes of title, content, format and distribution method. The last issue was published in the autumn of 2020.
The Scout, a weekly magazine for boys, was first published byCyril Arthur Pearson on 14 April 1908, only weeks afterScouting for Boys, the book whichRobert Baden-Powell and Pearson had used to promote the Scout Movement. The editor's office ofThe 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" atHumshaugh, which effectively went to the Scouts who had bought the most copies of the magazine.[1] In August 1933, falling sales prompted a change of title toEvery Boy's Weekly with a reduction of content relating directly to Scouting, in an effort to broaden its appeal. In 1939,Newnes andPearson decided that it was not profitable to continue publication, so it was taken over by The Boy Scouts Association and reverted to its original title.Haydn Dimmock, who had been editor ofThe Scout at Pearson's since 1919, was taken onto the Headquarters staff and encouraged to develop the Scouting content.[2] Dimmock resigned as editor in June 1954 shortly before his death and was replaced byRex Hazlewood.[3] 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 fromThe Scout transferred toThe Scouter.[4]
Other, less successful magazines were also introduced by The Boy Scout Association.The Wolf Cub, aimed at 8 to 11 year-old boys in theWolf Cubs, was launched in 1916.The Trail, for over 18 year-old participants in theRovers, was started in 1918.The Trail was merged with theHeadquarters Gazette in 1923 andThe Wolf Cub magazine later merged withThe Scout.[5] In 1934, another national magazine for Rover Scouts was launched asThe Rover World, based on a successful publication for Rovers in theCounty of London calledLondon Rover.[2] It ran until October 1937, but special supplements under the same title appeared inThe Scouter during 1938.[6]
In July 1909 Baden-Powell established a monthly publication for adultScouters titledHeadquarters Gazette.[7] TheGazette gave Baden-Powell a direct link to the adults in Scouting that was not controlled by Pearson and he wrote a column calledOutlook in almost every issue. TheGazette was renamedThe Scouter in 1923.[8] It was edited from 1911 onwards byH. Geoffrey Elwes.[9]
In January 1923, TheHeadquarters Gazette was renamedThe Scouter.[10] It had an initial circulation of 14,000[11] and a cover price of3d, which was eventually raised to6d in 1947.[12] Rex Hazlewood was appointed editor in 1944, a position he would hold until his retirement in 1968.[13] Following cessation of publication ofThe Scout magazine in 1966,The Scouter took on some of its features and some similar content. The magazine was renamedScouting in January 1971.[14]
Scouting was available by subscription or could be bought at anewsagent.[15] In October 2004,Scouting was relaunched inA5 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.[16] Although plans were being developed to replaceScouting with other means of support online, this change was accelerated by theCOVID-19 pandemic and the last issue was published digitally and distributed byemail in autumn 2020.[17] There is now a "Scout and Scouting" magazine but it is an independent publication originating from the United Kingdom.[18]
