Scouting, or Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement of multiple organizations for both boys and girls whose aim is to develop young people physically, spiritually and mentally so that youth may take a constructive place in society. This is achieved through non-formal education with emphasis on practical activities in the outdoors, using the so-called Scout method. Most countries have Scouting programs for children and young adults from ages 6 to their early 20s.

Scouting began in 1907 when Robert Baden-Powell, a retired Lieutenant General in the British Army, held the first Scouting encampment at Brownsea Island, England. He was at that time a good friend of William Alexander Smith, founder of the Boys' Brigade. Currently Scouting and Guiding have over 38 million members in 217 countries and territories represented through several different Scouting associations at the international level. The works of Ernest Thompson Seton and Daniel Carter Beard were very influential in the early development of Scouting as well as the basis of the Traditional Scouting movement that has become very significant in the last several years. In many countries, Scouting has become a signifcant part of popular culture.

Origins

---

Baden-Powell founded the Scouting movement in 1907 in the United Kingdom. He also introduced the parallel movement for girls, the Girl Guides, in 1910 with the aid of his sister Agnes Baden-Powell. (The Guides are known as the Girl Scouts of the USA in the United States.)

More on [ Scouting ]

World Scouting News

Climate Change Threatens Scouting Way of Life
Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:04:20 -0000
Scouts across the world are lending their voices in the fight against climate change. From the Arctic Circle to small island states, to the peak of Mount Kilimanjaro, climate change is impacting upon traditional Scouting activities. The World Organization of the Scout Movement is made up of over 30 million girls, boys, women and men in 160 countries and they are feeling the heat from climate change across the globe.
Youth speak out in New York
Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:20:37 -0000
New York -October 2009- This year 41 Youth Delegates were invited to participate in the 3rd committee meetings of the 64th Session of the United Nations General Assembly. Of the 41 participants 4 of them were Scouts. Present in New York were Falko Mohrs,Germany, Gita Hulmanova, Slovakia, Linda Walberg, Sweden and Tobias Naef, Switzerland.
Lebanese Scout project helps empower lebanese women
Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:06:55 -0000
On September 20, 2009, Progressive Lebanese scouts held a graduation ceremony in El- Abadiah, Lebanon during which, eighty Lebanese women graduated from the “Women in Technology” training program. The graduation ceremony was marked by the presence of the U.S. Ambassador in Lebanon who stated that:” Empowered women with mastery of the right IT skills can generate new entrepreneurial ventures and increase women’s participation in the new global market economy. Your success in completing this program, your dedication to new knowledge, will open exciting new opportunities both today and in the future.”
First European Scout Troop Broadcasting to ISS-Spacestation
Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:32:43 -0000
100 Scouts of Maur- Zurich, Switzerland, during August and September 2009, had some workshops about topics related to space and the universe. During the “Astrocamp” , 12 of them had the chance to broadcast from the Scouting house with a self equipped amateur radio station to Frank de Winne, Astronaut on the ISS-Space-station.
JOTA-JOTI 2009 Half a million Scouts, 6500 actions for environment
Sun, 18 Oct 2009 14:00:35 -0000
On the weekend of 17-18 October 2009, thousands of Scouts from all over the world met via air-waves and the Internet. At the World Scout Bureau radio station, the JOTA international team welcomed 50 Scouts and Guides de France and Portuguese Scouts. They established connection with more than 50 countries. From Germany, the JOTI international team implemented all the necessary technology to run the event.
Help tackle the climate change challenge with 500,000 Scouts on JOTA-JOTI!
Wed, 14 Oct 2009 07:22:35 -0000
This year's JOTA-JOTI Jamboree on the Air / Jamboree on the Internet will have a special World Challenge - the 'Climate Change Challenge' (C3). This is a way in which you can join with the 500,000 Scouts around the world to take action to help to tackle climate change in your local community and around the world. For more information see the JOTA and JOTI web pages below: scout.org/jota and scout.org/joti You can chat about the Climate Change Challenge C3 in the JOTI chat room: #wosm-challengeYou can chat about the World Scout Youth Forum in the JOTI chat room: #wosm-forum

Subscribe to Scouting RSS feed