Scouting Pitches Its Tent Worldwide

Robert Baden Powell, the founder of Scouting, wanted a movement created in 1907 for young boys in accordance with his military training. This movement has gradually opened up to girls, led by his wife, Olave Baden Powell, in 1912. The association then grew and developed across the world as a movement full of educational values. Scouting detaches itself from prejudices we may have about it. This movement seeks to advance young people individually as well as collectively.

Thus, they are grouped by age, usually by ages 8-11, ages 12-17, and ages 17-25. Today, this youth movement has over 38 million members in 217 countries. They are of all religions and nationalities.

World Scouting is built around five core goals: character, health, manual dexterity, sense of service and spirituality. These are the five objectives that Scouting should develop among its followers. For this, there are seven common means to all Scouts of the world: a team system, a symbolic framework, education through action, law and promise, personal progress, the educational relationship and life in nature.

To be a Scout is to obey a law written by Baden Powell, who laid the foundations of Scouting. Each Scout in the world obeys the law of its movement. Here, for example, is the Canadian Scout Law. It is the central element of the promise which, in turn, is what differentiates the scout movement from any other movement that offers outdoor activities.

This is what gives it its educational dimension. The text is adapted to the realities of all movements. Thus, the promise of Belgian Scouts states: "I wish, in good conscience, to join the World Scout brotherhood, to make the world better, and participate in the construction of peace. I commit myself through my personal, social and spiritual growth, to live every day the values ​​of the Scout Law to the best of my ability. "

This is what gives it its educational dimension. The text is adapted to the realities of all movements. Thus, the promise of Belgian Scouts states: "I wish, in good conscience, to join the World Scout brotherhood, to make the world better, and participate in the construction of peace. I commit myself through my personal, social and spiritual growth, to live every day the values ​​of the Scout Law to the best of my ability. "

In the Boy Scouts of America, young people can live piperstones a ceremony during which they receive an animal name and an adjective that qualifies. "It's something very secret, but young people are given a red stone at the end of tests. It is a tradition that the Native Americans considered to be the tears of one of their gods," says Cyril Kefuss, who spent 10 years in an American Scout unit.

Worldwide, the promise and law are fundamental concepts of the movement. They are therefore part of the symbolic framework of Scouting. It is at that time that one sees the famous uniform consisting of a shirt and a scarf. This set has a different meaning in different countries. In Portugal and Italy, the scarves that change according to age groups, rather than the shirt. Moreover, the vocabulary and insignia are specific to each movement.

Spirituality is an important part in the life of each Scout. This includes of course the faith but also the thinking of the young and adult goshawks values ​​such as sharing, friendship and coexistence with others. In Madagascar, for example, Scouts are attached to a diocese. "Every diocese is then managed by commissioners who have very specific roles, such as providing education or training are responsible," said Rigoulet Solène, a French scouting party immersion with the Malagasy Scouts.

Scouting is learning by doing. Baden Powell said: "Stay still no use. The choice is between progress and regress. Come on and smile. " The action is the only way to mark a progression. Thus, in the Boy Scouts of America, young people can try to get "merit badges". According to Cyril Kefuss "This can go gestures of first aid to pottery through the construction of wooden structures and assistance to the elderly."

In the pluralistic Belgian Scouts, younger member can earn the "soft paw", "first eye" or "game" badges. Beaver Scouts are invited to make a personal project that they must carry out. Anne Gaudin, chieftain in the pluralistic Belgian Scouts maintains that they "keep this desire to transmit a spirit of openness." Among German Scouts, groups are much more free and autonomous.

Young people are naturally looked after by chiefs who are responsible for the educational relationship that binds the head teacher and Scout. The role of a Scout leader is to teach the young to fend as much as possible for himself, he must be aware of has capabilities to assume his responsibilities. It is a relationship of dialogue and trust.

As for the Scouts of Madagascar, "the faniles, who are the oldest young girls, are vectors of education among women in remote villages in the brush," says Solène Rigoulet. The Scouts’ education also involves learning and assisting people in need. "Thanks to the scouts, faniles have gained access to education and the learning of the French language."

Scouting is knowing how to live with others by example, he embodies link between leaders and other youths. Yet "as evangelists among German Scouts, young people are in groups but with the same age groups," says Raphaëlle Tricaud, a young French Scout immersed among German Scouts. So they keep the same teams during their years in Scouting and do not really work with a view to tutoring.

Scouts around the world keep this team system that allows groups to structure themselves, which can result in groups of significant size, ranging from 7-80 young people. The Prato group in Italy, for example, has 70 Scouts divided into eight teams, four girls and four boys.

The Scout must learn to live with nature. "Scouting is the public-spiritedness of the school of the woods, " said Baden Powell. It's a simple life framework that calls for calm, independence and freedom. Different groups establish camps like this, often during the summer.

Each country has its own way of life in nature. In the US, the boy scouts are found in huts on the spot. "My father and my uncle went to a camp in their area and, forty years later, I have lived in a camp in the same place with the same traditions," said Cyril Kefuss. The camps can also be done during the year, during the holidays, and respect of nature remains a priority. Everyone is involved in waste sorting. Sobriety remains a flagship point of the scouting world, that is to say, living modestly by taking what nature provides with simple values ​​and, as much as possible without technology.

There are also major world gatherings for scouts and guides. This summer, they were able to gather in Japan for the 23th World Jamboree. Scouting also trains adults to BAFA, ability to host functions Patent, and the ADB, fitness director of the patent office, diplomas recognized nationally.