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Archive-name: scouting/worldwide/part1
Posting-Frequency: monthly
Last-Modified: 2000/11/9
The Frequently Ask Questions (FAQ) files for all Scouting groups
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http://www.faqs.org/faqs/scouting/
http://www.faqs.org/#FAQHTML
Please email me of any changes to this FAQ.
*** About this Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) file:
If you have been in a scouting organization that hasn't been described
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-- Bill Nelson nelsonb@aztec.asu.edu
Subject: Lists of associations, oaths, promises and statistics
Many more Oaths and Promises from around the world can be found at:
http://usscouts.org/profbvr/oath_promise/index.html
There are more than 25 million Scouts, young people and adults, male and female,
in 216 countries and territories. Scouting organizations are often associated
with one or more large associations or confederations of organizations.
Information on organizatinos and statistics about them are often
available at the association sites.
The World Oganization of the Scouting Movement is the largest
confederation of Scouting organizations in the world
Links to organizations affiliated with the (WOSM) can be found at:
http://www.scout.org
The World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts is the largest
confederation of Guides in the world.
Links to organizations affiliated with the WAGGGS can be obtained
at http://www.wagggsworld.org
Links to organizations affiliated with the Scouts of Europe:
http://www.sjoa.com/agse
Links to organizations affiliated with the European Confederation
of Scouting (Confédération Européenne de Scoutisme)
and the The European Scout Federation (FSE)
Links to organizations affiliated with F.S.E.
Fédération du Scoutisme Européen:
http://www.sxb.rte.fr/fsealsace/ces.htm
Links to organizations affiliated with the World Federation
of Independent Scouts:
http://heuss.techfak.uni-bielefeld.de/www/mtessmer/wfis/index.htm
http://www.bpscouts.ca/
http://www.unisourc.demon.co.uk/indfed/
Subject: Australia
For Scouting see:
Scouting Australia: http://www.scouts.asn.au/
Guides Austrailia, Inc.
http://www.guidesaus.org.au
Subject: Scouting in Canada
Scouts Canada http://www.scouts.ca/ , with which is affiliated
with the Association des Scouts du Canada http://www.asc.ca
Girl Guides of Canada http://www.girlguides.ca
Subject: Scouting in the Czech Republic
Let me introduce JUNK - the Association of the Boyscouts and Girl
Guides in the Czech Republic. Members of WOSM and WAGGGS
Skautské køiovatce.
Our organization was founded by A.B.Svojs=A1k in 1911. JUN`AK was banned
after the nazi occupation in 1940, after the communist coup in 1948 and
after the Soviet occupation of our country in 1970. Scouts were
persecuted, but all the time, scouting had been continued here, even
illegally. Since 1989 we have existed legally again.
At the moment we are members of IFOFSAG, WOSM and WAGGGS.
We are the merged organization (one organization, one administration,
but too different programs for boyscouts and girl guides, no
coeducation). At the moment our organization has got approximately
70 000 members (our country has got 10 000 000 citizens).
We are using these age ranks :
(info about spelling: because I can't send the Czech alphabet through
the Internet, instead of the "hacek", originally a small "v" above the
letter, I have to use " ~ " before it, instead of the "carka",
originally a small comma above the letters, I used " ' " before it and
instead of "krouzek", a small circle above the letter, I use " ` ")
6-11 years
vl~cata/wolf cubs and sv~etlu~sky/fire flies
(the name for our brownies was chosen by the book Brou~cci by Jan
Karafi'at)
12-15
skauti/boyscouts and skautky/girl guides
15-18(25...)
rove~ri/rovers and rangers
18-...
oldskauti/oldscouts
[The czech scout law and promises have been moved to the "law and promises"
article at the end of this FAQ]
As you can see, the Czech scouts promise is quite unusual. It's because
of the historical background. In 1911, when our movement was founded,
our state didn't exist yet. The area of the todays Czech Republic was
part of the Austrian-Hungarian Empeire. Czech people didn't like that
absolutistic state at all (government tried to oppress them not to use
the Czech language and to speak German, in the last years there was
a strong police state etc.). The main supports for regime were the army,
the police and the catholic church. These were the reasons, that in our
promise wasn't the loayality to the king or to the supreme being
expressed.
From: nkj@internetgruppen.dk (Niels Kristian Jensen)
Subject: Scouting in Denmark
Date: 11 Sept 2000
From: nkj@internetgruppen.dk (Niels Kristian Jensen)
The full text of the "Scouting in Denmark FAQ" can be found here:
http://www.dina.kvl.dk/~nikrjel3/dk-scouting/
In Denmark we have several Scout associations; The Danish Guide and Scout
Association (Det Danske Spejderkorps DDS) http://www.dds.dk ,
YMCA Scouts (KFUM-spejderne) http://www.kfumscout.dk/ ,
YWCA Scouts (KFUK-spejderne), The Baptist Scouts of Denmark (Danske
Baptisters Spejderkorps DBS) http://www.dbs.dk/ ,
The Guide and Scout Association of Greenland
(Det Groenlandske Spejderkorps DGS) and The Scout Council of the Faroe
Islands. There is one additional uniformed organization called FDF
http://www.FDF.dk
, but they
insist on NOT being scouts (they originate from the British Boy's Brigade).
Subject: Scouting in Finland
GUIDING AND SCOUTING IN FINLAND
Guiding and Scouting were established simultaneously in Finland
in 1910. The two separate Unions were merged to form a single
National Organization in 1972. The assosiation is called The Guides
and Scouts of Finland (Suomen Partiolaiset - Finlands Scouter ry)
and consists of 18 Member Districts, one of which is swedish-
speaking (Finlands Svenska Scouter rf - The Swedish-speaking
Guides and Scouts in Finland). The organization is affiliated to
the World Organisation of the Scout Movement (WOSM) as well as to
the World Assosiation of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS).
http://www.partio.fi/
Subject: Scouting in France
In France, there are about 80 scouting organizations. Here are the
descriptions of the main French organizations.
1) Scouting organizations to the Federation du Scoutisme Français
(french scouting federation) which is the only belonging to WOSM :
1-1 Scouts de France : Catholic, co-educated (since 1982), 100'000
people (+ 15'000 adults) in 1300 scout groups, belonging to CICS
(Conference Internationale Catholique du Scoutisme)
* 5 ages :
6-8 years old : Sarabandes (beavers), they wear brown jumpers
8-12 years old : Louveteaux & Louvettes, they wear yellow shirts
11-15 years old : Scouts & Scoutes, they wear blue shirts
14-18 years old : Pionnier & Pionnieres, they wear red shirts
17-21 years old : Compagnons, they wear green shirts
* Structure :
France is divided into 21 Regions. A Region consists of 4-5
Departemental Collectivities called CoDeps. And finally CoDeps are
divided into Groups with 1 or 2 of Meutes (Cub Packs), Troupes (Scout
Troops), Postes (Venture Scout Units) or Relais (Rover Units).
* History :
Scouts of France organization was created on 25 July 1920 by Jacques
Sevin and Father Cornette.
* Website : http://www.scouts-france.fr
1-2 Guides de France : Catholic, girls only, 25'000 people, belonging to
WAGGGS and CICG (Conférence Internationale Catholique du Guidisme)
* Age range :
6-8 years old : Farandole
8-12 years old : Jeannettes (Brownies), they wear light blue shirts
12-14 years old : Guides, they wear dark blue shirts
14-17 years old : Caravelles, they wear red shirts
17-20 years old : Jeunes en Marche (JEM), mixed, wear green shirts.
* Structure :
It is the same as Scouts of France.
* History :
Guides of France organization was created on 1923.
* Website : http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/GuidesDeFrance
1-3 Eclaireurs et Eclaireuses de France (EEDF) : 10'000 people, laics,
mixed.
* Ages : as in Scouts of France
* History : created in 1911
* Website : http://www.eedf.asso.fr
1-4 Eclaireurs et Eclareuses Unionistes de France (EEUF) : 10'000
people, protestant origin but open to everybody, mixed
* Ages : 8-12, 12-16, 16-18
* History : created in 1911
1-5 Eclaireurs et Eclaireuses Israelites de France (EEIF) : 5'000
people, Jewish.
* History : created in 1923
* Website : http://persoweb.francenet.fr/~eeif
1-6 Scouts Mulsulmans de France : Muslims, created in 1990.
2) Organizations not belonging to Federation du Scoutisme Français and
thus not recognized by WOSM (but got the french government's approval) :
2-1 Guides & Scouts Unitaires de France : 25'000 people, catholics, boys
& girls, not mixed.
* Ages : 8-12, 12-18.
* Structure : SUF has a very different structure from the other
scouting organizations. Scout groups are almost independent.
* History : Scouts Unitaires de France organization was created on
1971 by indepedent scout groups.
2-2 Federation des Scouts d'Europe (FSE) : 31'000 people, religious,
sometimes paramilitaristic and integrist tendencies, boys and girls not
mixed.
* History : Federation des Scouts d'Europe was created on 1963
after a secession in the Scouts of France organization.
Today this organization is said to be by religious people.
At this time, FSE has many problems with
the French youth ministry: it may lose the government's approval
because they are said to have sold their members lists to extremist
groups (which they deny).
* Website : http://www.sjoa.com/agse
http://www.chez.com/agseflashinfo
Subject: Scouting in Germany - DPSG
its a little bit difficult to describe Scouting in Germany, as there is
nothing like *the* Scouting here. In Germany there are about 40 different
Scout-Organizations. Three of them belong to the WOSM, which are the
BdP (Bund der Pfadfinderinnen und Pfadfinder) http://www.pfadfinder.de/bdp/,
VCP (Verband Christlicher Pfadfinder) http://www.vcp.de/
and DPSG (Deutsche Pfadfinderschaft St. Georg) http://www.dpsg.de .
Subject: Japan
Boy Scouts of Nippon http://www.scout.or.jp/english/
Girl Scouts of Japan (member of WAGGGS)
http://www2a.meshnet.or.jp/~scouting/wgs-e.html#e-gsj1
Subject: Scouting in the Netherlands (Holland)
Since 1973 there is one scouting-organisation called: 'Scouting
Nederland'. Scouting Nederland has the objective: 'to promote the
Scoutingprogramme in The Netherlands, based on the ideas of Lord
Baden-Powell, .... '. The total membership figure (all ages) of
1992 is, according to the annual report: 114.845; i.e. 85.266
juniors and 29.579 adults. Scouting Nederland is a member of both
WOSM and WAGGGS. http://www.scouting.nl/
Subject: Scouting in Indonesia
The Scouting Movement of the Republic of Indonesia has a membership
of about 15 million people (out of a population of 190 million) which
is the largest in the world.
http://www.pramuka.org/
Subject: Scouting in Norway.
In Norway we have several scout-associations, NSF, YMCA and YWCA.
However, they are cooperating well, I think (At least so in this town,
Bergen). NSF (Norges SpeiderForbund Norwegian Scout Association) is
mixed boys and girls http://www.scout.no ,
they were two separate associations, but joined
their forces in '78. YMCA (KFUM in Norwegian) is only men, as the name
suggests, however I think they are closely linked with YWCA nowadays,
and there may be exceptions, such as female scoutmasters. YWCA is the
female counterpart.
I will after this speak about NSF only, since that's the organisation
I'm a member of. Most of it will apply for the other assications too,
though, at least the major parts.
NSF is divided into 4 age-groups:
6-7: Bever scouts (this one is fairly new, not so many have them yet).
8-10: Cub scouts.
11-16: Scouts (I really have no other name for them. :-))
16+ : Rovers.
The lower age for a scoutmaster is 17 years, however it is possible
to become an assistant scoutmaster from the age of 16 years.
Many scoutmasters are also rovers, and scoutmasters and rovers are
often two names of the same group of scouts. There IS no official
higher age for rovers, but the natural limit is somewhere around
22-23 years, when one often go away, get married or simply get
other interests.
In Norway we belive that scouting is outing, and try to do as much
of our activities as possible in the nature. We have national camps
every 4th year, and regional camp every 4th year, in such a way
there will be two years between every major camp. In addition the
groups have camps of their own, and there is also arranged national
camps for rovers in particular, since they will often have other
interests than younger scouts. A typical size for a national camp
nowadays is 19.000 scouts, and the last regional camp in Bergen
counted 650 scouts. This was with guests, though, there is always
guest from other countries at our camps, and even at our last
regional camp we had 150 foreign guests, some even from so far
away as Spain.
Last, a little tip for all those who leave their group for studies:
towns,
so those who want to continue with scouting when they leave town
can join those groups. I know they have a lot of fun, and at least
the one in Trondheim is a large resource when it comes to arranging
national evenements. However, I guess Bjoern Arne can tell you more
about that (arneberg@idt.unit.no).
Subject: Russia
After the downfall of the USSR, Scout units are emerging again in all
the former Soviet republics. Scout UK has launched several programs to
ducts of
this project is a publication called Network Russia.
Network Russia's goal is to encourage assistance to Russian Scouting
and to ease relations and exchanges. You can get at least 3 copies of the
printed edition each year by sending 2-50 to Network Russia, Oxfordshire
County Scout Association, 22nd Oxford Scout HQ, Meadow Lane, Donnington,
Oxford OX4 4BJ. To get a copy of the premier issue, ftp to ftp.ethz.ch and
look in the directory ftp.ethz.ch:/rec.Scouting/misc/ for the file
"network-russia-9306".
Subject: Singapore
The Singapore Scouting Association
http://socrates.moe.edu.sg/ecac/uniform/scouts/
The Scout promise in singapore
I promise that I'll do my best,
to do my duty to god and to the republic of singapore to help other
people and to keep the Scout law.
------------------------------
Subject: Scouting in Slovenia
Programme for different age ranges (branches):
http://www2.arnes.si/~ljzts1/page1slo.htm
Cub Scouts - boys and girls (age 7-11)
By The Jungle Book everything happens in the framework of happy family
and through a joyful game. However, we are not playing our imaginary
world, but we live it. By playing, which is the basic element of our
work, we try to attain the objects of the annual programme, of the
individual's personal growth, resposibility, and serving. The youngest
members have a special Promise and Law to suit their age. They practice
in group of six, united in a Pack, which is led by Akela and the
assistants (Baghira, Baloo, Kaja...)
Boy Scouts and Girl Guides (age 11 - max. 16)
The members carrying out their activities in Patrols (6 - 9 of the same
sex) in the progressive process of education, which is divided into five
upbringing stages, attain all the objects of the Scout education. The
fundamental method of work consists in adopting the way of adveture and
selfeducation - on the basis of democratic decisions made at the Troop
Council - as one's own attitude towards aducation and life. The Troop
Leader's role is to arrange the way out of the members initiatives, and
partly out of their own, as companions, as older brothers. After having
travelled over the first stage, boys and girls make the Scout Promise.
After having passed the whole process, or at the age of 16, they may
pass to the higher branch. Their education is based on small groups of
the same sex, led by one of them, and founded upon adventure,
ambientation, technical skills and life in the nature.
Rovers and Rangers (age 16 - max. 21)
The Branch is divided into two parts. During the first part, the
Novitiate, young people in groups of boys and girls first ao all learn
to live together. Now, they must live as young men and women. Special
emphasis is laid od the community and on challenges, which can be of
different kinds - from tramping to disputing.
The second part is the life in Clan, which has just like branch Boy
Scouts and Girl Guides - a vertical structure and two Leaders. If
possible we try to provide for their own Spiritual Assistant. Three
elements are amphasized: the process, community and serving. The man
departure is being educated. At the age of 21 he will be able to make
decisions of his own as a man or woman. For this purpose the following
educational elements are used: simplicity, living together, respect for
one another in mixed groups, and personal serving, which is voluntary,
individual, unpaid work for benifit of others. At the end of this
process each member writes a letter of departure commiting
himself/herself to live either as Scout of Guide for certain period of
time without help of community or as Leader in the Associatiion, or to
work in humanitarian insitutions or in politics.
As we are in stage of abnormal growth, special programme directions for
particular groups are not catered for. As an association we are aware of
the fact that we have to be open to all. This is our standpoint when
accepting new members. We put no limits to anyone because he or she is
different. Therefore in the groups there are persons who are different
(disabled, unbelivers etc.). Our international relations are quite
intense, yet we are mainly users, as we are trying togather as much
experience of others, we try to integrate them into our Scouting. We
intensively cooperate with AGESCI and also with other Scout Associations
(Poland, Spain, Austira, Ireland...) Particular attention is paid to the
training of new leaders in order to set up the operation of our
Association - and of its every Branch - in the most accomplished
possible way, and as much autenthically to our Founder's bases, to the
age of our members, and to our environmental conditions as possible.
We are among the members of MSS - Slovenia, which has been founded after
democratic changes in 1991. We have assumed the responsibility of
carrying out some tasks for the benifit of young people in Slovenia. We
are included in the Civil Protection organization in case of disasters
or other misfourtunes. We cooperate with the Church and with local
communities that are just arising at present.
The programme is always based on the analysis of our environment.
Moreover, we try to answer the needs of our surroundings with our
initiatives, programmes, and with our work. Thus our activities are
closely connected with our life in concrete circumstances. In spite of
all our initial difficulties, which we admit and are aware of, the
activity of our Association echoes far and wide, and sometimes it
resounds even more than wished. But we alwalys try to do our best in
accordance with Scout slogan.
From: abw@mango.mef.ki.se (Anders Wennerberg)
Subject: Scouting in Sweden
THE SWEDISH GUIDE AND SCOUT COUNCIL
(Svenska Scoutr}det - SSR)
http://www.scout.se/
This is a co-operative body for the Swedish Guide and Scout associations.
Over the years it had developed co-operative bodies for boy- as well as girl
scouting in Sweden, and after the merge to co-educational associations a joint
committee was formed in 1968 origin from these two bodies - The Swedish Guide
and Scout Union, with the working title The Swedish Guide and Scout Council.
In 1982 the name was changed to be solely The Swedish Guide and Scout Council.
SSR is a member of WAGGGS and WOSM.
The Swedish Guide and Scout Council deal with most international matters as
well as joint questions and projects concerning the five associations (~150000
members). All five associations have mixed boys and girls and they have
their own leadership training within their own organisations, through the
local troop, on a district level, on a regional level and on a national level.
Trefoil/Gilwell courses are arranged every year. Leaders are from almost all
age groups. It is usual that a group has leaders of quite different age.
Leaders are both old scouts and parents. I believe there is a majority of
non-parents. It is not a tradition that parents follow their kids through the
different age groups; instead they tend to stay in the same age group a number
of years. There is no notion of ranks (like Star, Life, Eagle as in the BSA)
in any of the scouting associations. There are however merit badges. The
scout uniform differs in the five associations. Usually half uniform is worn
- shirt and scarf. The Gilwell scarf is the same for the five associations
and is worn over the collar.
Amongst other things, in Stockholm, G|teborg (Gothenburg) and Malm| there are
Reception Teams to receive and help you with contacts into the country.
Contact The Swedish Guide and Scout Council before you come to Sweden.
(Some facts of Sweden - almost 9 million people in Sweden, the biggest towns
are Stockholm - capital of Sweden, G|teborg (Gothenburg) and Malm|, Sweden is
measuring 1574 km (977 miles) from max. south-north, 499 km (310 miles) max.
east-west and the total surface area is 449964 km^2 (173731 sq.miles), from
south to north by road ~2100 km (~1305 miles). Sweden is a country with an
extensive coastline, a very nice archipelago, woods, countryside, mountains
and alp scenery.)
The council also represents Swedish guiding and scouting in the world
associations and other members countries as well as other organizations,
authorities and keeping in contact with the public.
Postal address: Visiting address:
Svenska Scoutr}det Igeldammsgatan 22
P.O. Box 49005 Stockholm
S-100 28 Stockholm Telephone: + 46 (0)8 650 35 35
Sweden Telefax: + 46 (0)8 653 07 43
THE SALVATION ARMY GUIDE AND SCOUT ASSOCIATION
(Fr{lsningsarmens Scoutf|rbund - FA)
Founded 1916, 3000 members in 55 groups.
FA Scout is a branch of the local Salvation Army Young People's Corps. The
program is characterized by traditional scout activities with outdoor life,
international awareness and community involvement. But the aim also includes
definite guidance towards making a personal decision to accept the Christian
faith and life style.
There are four sections of activities, both boys and girls take part in all
four. The shirt is medium blue with a red scarf that is worn underneath the
collar.
Minior scout (7-9 yrs)
Junior scout (10-11 yrs)
Patrol scout (12-14 yrs)
Senior scout (15-20 yrs)
Troop leaders must be 18 years of age.
THE SWEDISH YWCA-YMCA GUIDE AND SCOUT ASSOCIATION
(KFUK-KFUMs Scoutf|rbund)
The YMCA-Scout Association was founded 1911 and the YWCA-Guide Association in
1921. In 1960 they merged to form The Swedish YWCA-YMCA Guide And Scout
Association. 18000 members in 430 groups.
Some of the scout groups originate from local YWCA-YMCA groups. But many have
other parents organizations. There are Baptist scouts, Adventist scouts,
Blue-band scouts, Methodist scouts, Swedish Salvation Army scouts, although
most groups are independent and not in any way associated with the local YWCA-
YMCA group or with any church.
The aim of all activities is to give the members various experiences,
understanding and knowledge of outdoor life, with consciousness of the
environment, questions of faith and moral issues, a sense of international
responsibility and involvement in public affairs.
There are five sections of scouting, both boys and girls take part in all
five. The shirt is medium blue with a white (or the group's colour) scarf
that is worn underneath the collar.
Beaver scouts (5-7 yrs)
Minior scouts (8-9 yrs)
Junior scouts (10-11 yrs)
Patrol scouts (12-15 yrs)
Rover scouts (16- yrs)
THE TEMPERANCE GUIDE AND SCOUT ASSOCIATION
(Nykterhetsr|relsens Scoutf|rbund - NSF)
Scouting began as an activity within the Swedish Temperance Movement in 1927.
Four decades it was run by two different associations, NTO's Guide and Scout
Association and IOGT's Guide and Scout Association. In 1970 they were united
and became NSF. 7000 members in 120 groups.
A fundamental principle of NSF, along with the Guide/Scout law and promise,
learning by doing, the patrol system, outdoor life and international, is
personal temperance. Members over 12 years of age make a temperance pledge.
This means they do not drink any beverage with more than 2.25 % of alcohol by
volume.
There are four sections of scouting, both boys and girls take part in all
four. The shirt is medium blue with a dark-blue scarf that is worn underneath
the collar.
Beaver scouts (7 yrs) as a trial activity
Minior scouts (8-9 yrs)
Junior scouts (10-11 yrs)
Patrol scouts (12-15 yrs)
Senior scouts (16- yrs)
THE GUIDE AND SCOUT ORGANISATION OF THE SWEDISH COVENANT
YOUTH
(Svenska Missionsf|rbundets Ungdom-scout - SMU-scout)
Founded 1931, 35000 members in 545 groups.
The Guide and Scout Organisation of The Swedish Covenant Youth is part of the
activities within youth work of the Swedish Covenant Church.
The program is characterized by traditional scout activities with outdoor
life, questions of faith and moral issues, learning by doing, the patrol
system, international awareness and responsibility, community involvement and
guidance towards a personal Christian faith and life style.
There are four sections of scouting, both boys and girls take part in all
four. The shirt is green with a brick-red scarf that is worn over the collar.
Nying scout don't wear full uniform, just a yellow scarf.
Nying scout (7-9 yrs)
Scout (10-12 yrs)
Teenage (13-15 yrs)
Senior scouts (16-18 yrs)
After 18 years of age you become leader. There is 1 sea scout troop.
THE SWEDISH GUIDE AND SCOUT ASSOCIATION
(Svenska Scoutf|rbundet - SSF)
Founded 1912, 82000 members in 635 groups.
The Swedish Guide And Scout Association is a non-political organization, which
runs scout activities for children, young people and adults, from 7 years of
age and upwards.
There are five sections of scouting, both boys and girls take part in all
five. The shirt is medium blue with a white (or the group's colour) scarf
that is worn underneath the collar.
Beaver scouts (7 yrs)
Minior scouts (8-9 yrs)
Junior scouts (10-11 yrs)
Patrol scouts (12-14 yrs)
Senior scouts (15-18 yrs)
Members over 18 years old are leaders and can also form a rover scout unit.
There are about 150 sea scout troops along our coasts.
Subject: Scouting in Switzerland
See: http://www.pbs.ch/
Subject: Scouting in Liechtenstein
see: http://www.scout.li
Subject: Scouting in the UK
The Scout Association is the largest Scouting organization in
the United Kingdom. They are a member of the WOSM
Information on the Scout Association can be found at:
http://www.scoutbase.org.uk/
SSAGO (Student Scout and Guide Orgaisation)
SSAGO is the official organisation for Scouts and Guides at University
or College in the UK. SSAGO clubs covering over 30 Universities and
Colleges exist, with programs both active and social much like a
Venture Scout or Ranger Guide unit. At the institutions not covered by
clubs, students can join SSAGO directly as "Individual" members.
Web Page: http://www.ssago.org.uk/
Email: Admin.sec@ssago.org.uk
F.S.E. (Fe`de`ration du Scoutisme Europe`en) of Great Britain.
The F.S.E. is a very small traditional Scout organization and has
nothing to do with the mainstream organization "The Scout
Association". The F.S.E. of GB is a member of an organization
called C.E.S. (Confederation of European Scouts), a pan-European
organization which binds traditional Scouting organizations together
across Europe.
More information can be found at:
http://www.fseuk.org/
Baden-Powell Scout Association
http://members.xoom.com/bpscouts/
Subject: Scouting in the USA
There are two organizations within the United States that
use the word Scouts in their title:
Information on the Boy Scouts of America (a member of WOSM)
can be found at: http://www.bsa.scouting.org
Information on the Girl Scouts of the United States of America (GSUSA)
(a member of WAGGGS) can be found at:
http://www.gsusa.org
There are other organizations in the United States that have historical
roots either with Scouting or Guiding in the United States or elsewere:
Information on the Campfire Boys and Girls can be found at:
http://www.campfire.org/
http://members.aol.com/alicebeard/campfire.htm
Alpha Phi Omega (USA)
Alpha Phi Omega is a National Service Fraternity whose cardinal
principles are Leadership, Friendship and Service. Out program of service
is directed to four areas: Campus, Community, Nation, and Fraternity.
We were founded by former Boy Scouts who wanted to continue Scouting ideals
in the college setting.
We have about 350 active chapters in the United States and more than 225,000
students have chosen Alpha Phi Omega. There are about 150 chapters of Alpha
Phi Omega, Philippines and we are interested in extending to other countries.
We were founded in 1929, until 1967 membership was only former Boy Scouts,
however today membership is now open to any college student, male or female.
We are not a social fraternity. We have no selective or exclusive membership
requirements and there is absolutely no hazing.
We maintain strong ties to its Scouting roots. HOWEVER, the BSA does not
finance or govern the fraternity in any way. Examples of Service to Scouting
include sponsoring Scout troops, staffing Camporees and other functions,
cleaning up Scout camps and assisting in fundraising.
Address for further information:
Alpha Phi Omega National Office
14901 E. 42nd St.
Independence, MO 64055-9932
Subject: Vietnam
Date: Wed, 1 Apr 1992 14:52:09 GMT
My name is Hung Le, and I'm a former cub Scout, boy Scout,
venturer, rover Scout and Scouter of BSVN (Boy Scout of Vietnam).
Currently, I'm with the Santa Clara County Council, BSA
as a unit commissioner.
I would like share with all fellow Scouts out there on the Net-
work some personal experiences that I have had with the Scout or-
ganizations, especially with the BSVN. These experiences are so
valuable to my life and my children as well... When I joined the
Boy Scouts of Vietnam, my country was torn apart by the war.
Everywhere I went, there were always fighting leftovers. It was
dangerous to travel, abeit going camping, but even so, we managed
to have wonderful times, troop leaders were very creative in
finding places for kids to camp, to have a meeting location.
Scout meeting was always outdoors, in the open air. A lot of
times we went camping without a Scoutmaster because of the mili-
tary draft. During my 6 years as a boy Scout, I had three Scout-
masters and their average age was about 19 years old.
I remember taking my Panther patrol (yes, a Blank Panther), on a
trek to a remote waterfall. Each member had to be separated by a
distant of 10 meters, so that a bobby trap grenade would not de-
cimate the whole patrol. I learned valuable survival skills from
the boy Scouts, during the war, not only to help myself, but help
to my family and other beings as well. Beside learning knots and
semaphores, we also learned camouflaging, how to recognize booby
traps, different type of ordnance (by default), and servicing re-
fugee camps. Servicing refugee camps was a constant activity for
the troops and the posts. Sometimes the pack would chip in their
help in making greeting lines for some big shots who come and
visited refugee camps. During the Tet offensive of 1968, my ex-
plorer post managed a makeshift refugee camp in Dalat province
for more than 3 months. This included security for people in the
camp (A lot of problems came from rowdy bands of government sol-
diers trying to intimidate the female refugees, but when they saw
the Scouts, they thought another military unit was handling the
refugee camp). This also included searching for food (mostly, by
contacting GI units and the government in the area) for refugees.
Sanitation was always the biggest task of the day: Talk about
cleaning the out-houses for refugees!!! At times we organized
'dare-devil' teams to go into battle areas to retrieve civilian
and, sometimes, military bodies to bury or to take back to the
city morgue. The morgue was always full during those days. In the
city, there was another youth group organized by the Red Cross,
and we competed with them in collecting the wounded and the dead,
along with other war trophies. One time we collected a "broken"
bomb and decorated it as a gate for our refugee camp. It was
quite a deterrent for those who passed through that gate.
The war also took a personal toll in my life. My very first cub-
master was blown up in his Jeep from an ambush. I went to his
funeral without seeing his face since there were nothing left to
see. The second cubmaster was killed and left behind his pregnant
wife and two small girls. The third cubmaster spent almost ten
year in the re-education camps. My first patrol leader volun-
teered for Airborne division at the age of 17, and came back in a
light casket. His mother told me that after he was killed in the
DMZ area, he had to wait for a few months for transport of his
body back home... There were so many Vietnamese Scouts in my
area that I know never made it to 18th year birthday. Frankly,
without Scouting, it would be very hard for me to find solace for
those senseless killings. Looking back, I admired all of my Scout
leaders. They were true men (unfortunately, I never had any fe-
male leaders, even at cub age) of their word, who lived up to
Scout promises and Scout laws. At times, they weighed their
lives light as a feather, but sometimes, as heavy as the biggest
mountain in the north. At that time, deserting from the Army was
rampant, but I rarely saw or heard of Scouts were deserters.
Even in that bloody environment, I had a blast when I was in
Scouting. I had so much opportunities to learn about myself and
about other people. Nowhere else in life have I found such deep
and emotional relationships. It was not unusual that my whole pa-
trol attended Christmas mass with one Catholic member, although 6
out 7 members were Buddists. My favorite patrol member was a
Chinese who came to the Scout meeting with Chinese goodies from
his father. Many times my patrol went camping near the National
Military Academy so that at night times, we could look at the
sky, watching the yellow flares in searching for communist in-
truders. During teen age, I traveled up and down the coast of
Vietnam, hitch hiking with two other Scouts to the Delta areas.
We spent two days in a notorious, scary Cambodia village near the
border with Vietnam, and had a chance to observe how people were
trafficking at the border. A few times, my troop went camping out
of town by trekking to the military airstrip. We got in there be-
cause we knew well the soldiers at the entry post. Besides I
heard that the American Senior Military Advisor there was also a
former eagle Scout. We waited for the next empty cargo plane,
asked the pilot where is his next stop, then asked for a ride.
Many times we had to camp at the dirt spot nearby. It was adven-
turous and a lot of fun, and a lot of disapointment too.
During the Spring offensive of 1972, I went to the national jam-
boree with more than 10,000 Scouts camping in one of the very hot
spots near Saigon. The GI Star and Stripes newspaper called it
the "Warboree". Every night, there were skirmishes between two
ranger batailons and the local communists from the neighborhood
village.(It was possible that some of the local boys also parti-
cipated in the Jamboree). The opening night was festooned with
"Fire Dragons" tracers, shot from C-47 aircraft circulating
ahead. Laying their backs on a green grass field, the Scouts
tried to decifer beautiful colors from different flares, or
'pfuff pfuff' noise from different types of gunship helicopters.
Unforgettable experiences!!
The Boy Scouts of Vietnam Association, ceased officially to exist
as a member of the World Scout Bureau when the communists took
over the South in 1975, but thousands of Vietnamese still join
Scout organizations in the country they resided in. Many Scout
units were formed in the refugee camp in Philippine, Malaysia,
Singapore, Thailand and Hong Kong. I believe in France, there is
an official Vietnamese Scout Association operating under the
Scout Federation of France. It is estimated that there are more
than 3000 Vietnamese Scouts in Vietnamese Scout units world-wide.
In 1990, we had the Third International Vietnamese Jamboree in
Cutter Camp, Boulder Creek, California, with more than 700 Viet-
namese Scouts from 6 countries. The event was also to commemorate
the 60th anniversary of the Boy Scout of Vietnam.
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End of FAQ 8 Part 1
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