Baden-Powell Guild
A Little History
The Baden-Powell Guild of New Zealand and now The New Zealand Scout and Guide Fellowship is an adult organization dedicated to supporting the Scouting and Guiding movements while fostering lifelong fellowship among its members. The Guild provides a structured avenue for former Scouts, Guides, and other supportive adults to maintain their connection to the movement's core values.
Origins and Affiliations
The history of the Baden-Powell Guild in New Zealand is deeply tied to a post-war global effort to keep adult alumni engaged with Scouting. Named in honour of Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of the worldwide Scout movement, The B-P Guild of Old Scouts was inaugurated in Great Britain in 1948 & in 1955, changed its name to B-P Scout Guild. The 1st Guild in NZ was in Wanganui East Scout Group in 1950. Tut the Baden-Powell Guild was registered as a society in 1956.
Internationally this was formalized in 1953 with the establishment of the International Fellowship of Former Scouts and Guides in Switzerland (now known as the International Scout and Guide Fellowship, or ISGF).
In New Zealand, the effort to unite various adult support groups led to the formation of a national coordinating body in 1966, originally known as NZFOFSAG. In 1996, this organization was renamed the New Zealand Scout and Guide Fellowship (NZSGF) to align with international conventions. The Baden-Powell Guild of New Zealand operated as a primary constituent organization within the NZSGF umbrella, standing alongside the Trefoil Guild and Local Scout and Guide Fellowships until they merged with the Local Scout and Guide Fellowship as branches directly attached to the NZSGF in 2026. Trefoil has remained and affiliated organisation also under the wider ISGF umbrella/
Evolution and Core Functions
Over the decades, the B-P Guild evolved from a social alumni club into a highly active, decentralized support network. With branches historically spread across the country—such as the Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, and Napier's "Little John" branches—the Guild's activities are defined by three enduring pillars:
Support: Guild members have continually provided a vital, behind-the-scenes logistical backbone to active youth groups. For decades, members have maintained Scout and Guide halls, repaired national campgrounds, served on group committees, and provided large-scale catering for regional and national Jamborees.
Service: Beyond Scouting infrastructure, the Guild has a long history of community outreach. This includes fundraising drives, local conservation and restoration work, and assisting the elderly or those with special needs in their local communities.
Social: Fellowship remains the beating heart of the Guild. Members regularly organize local day trips, heritage railway excursions, lunches, and annual national gatherings (AGMs). This allows older generations, who may no longer have the capacity to run weekly youth troops, to remain actively integrated into the Scouting family.
Traditions and Legacy
A lasting hallmark of the B-P Guild of New Zealand is its national newsletter, Te Pukapuka. Published several times a year, the magazine keeps regional branches connected, sharing news of local service projects, "Gone Home" memorials for passed members, and historical scouting anecdotes. The name Te Pukapuka is highly symbolic—it translates from te reo Māori as "the written word" or "book," and is also the name of the native Rangiora shrub, whose broad leaves were historically used as makeshift paper by early settlers and bushmen. Today Te Pukapuka remains as the newsletter for The New Zealand Scout and Guide Fellowship.