Discovering Scouting
Roland was born in 1890 into an affluent
upper-class family. He was educated at
Winchester then attending the University of Oxford. Roland discovered Scouting in 1911 and threw
himself wholeheartedly into the Movement. By 1912 he took over the leadership
of East London Scouting, bringing his enthusiasm for Scouting to thousands of
disadvantaged young people. He even moved into the area to be closer to the
people he worked with.
Roland supported the development of
early Scouting by establishing standards of excellence and guidance for young
people. In East London he led an innovative series of events called the
“Hackney Scout Lecturesâ€, with each lecture attracting up to 700 enthusiastic
Scouts. He also wrote a series of books aimed at Scouts and their leaders with
advice on improving Scouting. He was a strong advocate for young people,
encouraging them to develop new skills and leadership techniques.