The Baden-Powells born on similar date: Coincidence or convenience?
What you need to know:
Secondly, Lord BP died and was buried at Nyeri in Kenya in 1941, where the couple was living since 1938. Lady B-P was so distressed that she could not continue living in Kenya, and returned to England. However, on her death in 1977 (36 years after her hubby’s death), her body was buried next to her husband’s at Nyeri. So, ‘doth death do us part’ Not? Again, I don’t know!
Talk of ‘undying love’ and, in My Book of Things, the Baden-Powells easily come to mind... Look at it this way... Married in 1912, the couple - Lord Robert Stephenson Smyth Baden-Powell (‘B-P’: 1857-1941), and his wife Lady Olave (nee Olave Harold Soames: 1889-1977), were born on the same date, February 22, but 32 years apart! Was that a marriage of convenience - or mere coincidence? I don’t know!
Secondly, Lord BP died and was buried at Nyeri in Kenya in 1941, where the couple was living since 1938. Lady B-P was so distressed that she could not continue living in Kenya, and returned to England. However, on her death in 1977 (36 years after her hubby’s death), her body was buried next to her husband’s at Nyeri. So, ‘doth death do us part’ Not? Again, I don’t know!
What I know’s that Lord B-P was the founder of the Boy Scouts Movement, becoming World Chief Scout in 1920. Lady B-P - lovingly known as ‘Mother of Millions’ for founding the worldwide Girl Guide Movement - served as the World Chief Guide, and championed the growth of Scouting worldwide for the youth.
According to the Reverend Ed Hird, Rector, St Simon’s Anglican Church, the couple’s philosophy was as simple as it was Christian: “happiness comes not from what we’ve, but from what we give and share...” This is reflected in the Guide’s First Promise, ‘Duty to God,’ involving worship and serving others. (Deep Cove Crier: February 1992). Lord B-P began service in the Army in the mid-1870s, serving in India, the Balkans, South Africa and Malta, before turning to the Scouting ‘business’ in earnest beginning in 1907. And, as they say, the rest is History for Lord B-P and his Scouts - and (perhaps) her story for Lady B-P and her Girl Guides?
B-P retired from the military at 53 years in 1910 to concentrate on scouting. He died at 83 on January 8, 1941, leaving the message for his followers that they should strive to ‘leave this world a little better than they found it.’ What a tall order - even for Scouts and Guides!
This tale is about two people who were born in England on the same date (not same day!), separated by a generation. They loved each other, married and died on different dates - again separated by a generation. They today rest in graves side by side in the sleepy little township of Nyeri in Kenya next-door, having founded a worldwide Youth Movement unrivalled in ways more that one...
What else of historical importance took place on today’s date, February 22? Not much, really... It was on this date in 1774 when the English House of Lords ruled that authors don’t have perpetual copyright...
For the life of me - whatever it’s worth - I cannot see much else of import on February 22! So, back to the Baden-Powells... February 22 is ‘B-P Day/Founders Day’ in honour of the World Organidation of the Scout Movement... And is also ‘World Thinking Day,’ to mull the state of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts... Cheers!
