Louis-Clément Picalausa
Louis-Clément Picalausa was one of Belgium's first Scouts and a Scout novelist, chief scout of the Boy-Scouts van België until 1940. The landscape of the Belgian Ardennes inspired him in the writing of his scout novels.
Background
His parents nicknamed him "the man of the woods." He was already camping by 1912, and was Scoutmaster of the 1st Seraing Scout Group in 1919, and became Deputy Camp Chief and Akela (national Cub Scout leader, National Commissioner in 1929, then Chief Scout of the Boy Scouts of Belgium until 1940. He received the Silver Wolf Award from Lord Baden-Powell in 1937.In 1923 he was Director of Publications of the Belgian Red Cross, where he had created the first aid courses for young people. Seriously wounded in World War II as a cavalry officer, he was at that time professionally Secretary General of the Belgian Red Cross. He founded the Red Cross Cadets in 1942. He later became Deputy Director General of the organization.