Akela (Scouting)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
Please help improve this article or section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. This article has been tagged since April 2007. |
In Cub Scout packs, Akela is a symbol of wisdom, authority, and leadership. Akela is generally accepted to be the leader of the Pack and the title Akela is generally understood to be reserved for use by the adult who is the leader in charge of the Pack. Baden-Powell chose Kipling's Jungle Book as a source of symbolism and allegorical framework for the youngest members of the Scouting movement. Many references are made to this story in the Cub Scout section, including the "Council Rock" for discussions and planning, and the "Grand Howl" to express a sense of belonging and team spirit.
In the United Kingdom, where nearly all of the links with the Jungle Book have been taken out of the Cub Scout programme, the names of Jungle Book characters are still used for Cub Scout Leaders. Akela is still reserved for the leader of the Cub Pack, but is not universally in use (i.e., other character names can be held by the leader, usually to avoid confusion when there is a change of leadership).
