BADEN POWELL'S FIGHTING POLICE - The SAC: The Boer War Unit That Inspired the Scouts

1-231170

Rejecting Army models of command, Baden-Powell creates the South African Constabulary (SAC) in August 1900 with a small number of officers, dividing it into Troops of 100 men, then sub-dividing again into sections and the key working unit - the squad of six men under a corporal. To get the caliber of recruit he wants, the SAC will be better paid than the Army and he expects the men to be motivated by a code of honor, to be self-reliant and 'handy men' able to tackle any kind of work. Most recruits come from the UK, but in Canada, however, the Governor General intervenes and botches selection. Analyzes creation, development, and effectiveness of the SAC and also highlights what Baden-Powell brought from the SAC and gave anew to the Scouts.