Scouting Around the World

Fact Sheet 02-505 from the BSA web site

World Crest

Background

Scouting began in England in 1907 based on Robert S. S. Baden-Powell's ideas and book Scouting for Boys. The book and program proved to have universal appeal for boys and quickly spread worldwide. Some aspects of the program vary around the world, but the principles of the Scout Promise and Law unite the world brotherhood of Scouting and prepare boys for adulthood in today's world.

From its beginning on Brownsea Island, the Scouting idea spread around the world until it became what it is now—the largest voluntary youth movement in the world, with a membership totaling more than 25 million. Although there might be some differences in program administration, the entire movement adheres to these fundamental principles:

Worldwide Principles

  • Duty to God and respect for individual beliefs
  • Loyalty to one's country and respect for its laws
  • Strength of world friendship and Scouting brotherhood
  • Service to others—community development
  • Universal regard for the Scout Promise and Law as a life guide
  • Voluntary membership
  • Service by volunteer leaders
  • Independence from political influence and control
  • Training youth in responsible citizenship, physical and mental development, and character guidance through use of the patrol system, group activity, recognition through awards, and learning by doing
  • Outdoor program orientation

Universal Practices

These acts and symbols of Scouting are familiar all over the world:

  • Scout Promise and Law—duty to God and country
  • Design of badge—basic trefoil
  • "Be Prepared" motto
  • Universal three-finger Scout sign—sign of personal honor
  • Scout left handclasp
  • Use of the patrol system
  • Basic ideal of the Good Turn

     

World Jamborees

A world jamboree is thousands of Scouts from many nations camping together in the spirit of world friendship. Such friendships and the desire to know one another overcome barriers of language and differences in custom, race, and religion, making Scouting relevant to world brotherhood.

At jamborees, Scouts compete in Scout skills, trade friendship tokens, meet around campfires, and make lifelong pen pals. They sample each other's foods; play games; swim together; and learn Scout stunts, how to make gadgets, and how Scouts live around the world. They also learn words and phrases in different languages.

The first world jamboree, called by Lord Baden-Powell in 1920, was held in England. Since then every four years, except during World War II, Scouts have met in a jamboree. The 17th World Scout Jamboree was held in Korea in August 1991. The Netherlands hosted the event in 1995; Chile hosted it in 1998—99; and Thailand will host it in 2003.

The World Organization of the Scout Movement

The World Organization of the Scout Movement is composed of three parts.

The World Scout Conference is the general assembly of Scouting and is composed of six delegates from each of the member Scout associations. If a country has more than one association, the associations form a federation for coordination and world representation. The basis for recognition and membership in the World Scout Conference includes adherence to the aims and principles of world Scouting and independence from political involvement on the part of each member association.

The conference meets every three years, at which time basic cooperative efforts are agreed upon and a plan of mutual coordination is adopted. The last World Scout Conference was held in Durban, South Africa .

There are 151 member associations in the World Scout Conference.

The World Scout Committee is the executive body of the conference and represents it between the meetings of the full conference. World Scout Committee members are elected at the World Scout Conference for a term of six years. The members are elected without regard to their nationality.

The World Scout Bureau is the secretariat that carries out the instructions of the World Scout Conference and the World Scout Committee. The World Scout Bureau office is in Geneva, Switzerland, with regional offices in six areas around the world: Africa Region (Nairobi, Kenya), Arab Region (Cairo, Egypt), Asia-Pacific Region (Manila, Philippines), European (Geneva, Switzerland), Inter-American Region (Santiago, Chile), and Eurasia Region (Yalta-Gurzuj, Ukraine).

The World Scout Bureau is administered by the Secretary General, who is supported by a small staff of technical resource personnel. The bureau staff helps associations improve and broaden their Scouting by training professionals and volunteers, establishing sound finance policies and money-raising techniques, improving community facilities and procedures, and assisting in marshaling the national resources of each country behind Scouting.

The staff also helps arrange global events such as world jamborees, encourages regional events, and acts as a liaison between the Scouting movement and other international organizations. A major effort in the emerging nations is the extension of the universal Good Turn into an organizationwide effort for community development.

BSA Involvement

The Boy Scouts of America is represented in world contacts and developments by the international commissioner.

The BSA is a charter member of the World Scout Conference and is an active participant in its many and varied projects, services, and committees.

The BSA shares its resources, program materials, and volunteer and professional expertise with the World Scout Bureau and its various associations throughout the world.

The international efforts of the BSA are supported by the International Committee, one of the operating committees of the National Executive Board, and the staff of the International Division at the national office.

World Friendship Fund

The World Friendship Fund (WFF) of the Boy Scouts of America was developed during the closing days of World War II. At the time, there was a great need to rebuild Scouting in those nations that had been wracked by war and were just emerging from the shadows of totalitarianism.

In the years that have elapsed, the WFF has aided virtually every nation in the free world that has Scouting. Both those nations that have had Scouting before and those newly emerging nations that desire the Scouting program for their youth have been helped.

Through the WFF, voluntary contributions of Scouts and leaders are transformed into cooperative projects that help Scouting associations in other countries to strengthen and extend their Scouting programs.

A sampling of WFF-supported projects in recent years includes improved facilities at Kandersteg International Scout Centre in Switzerland; desktop publishing and Scout literature for the Scouts of Greece; adult training materials for the Scout Association of Nicaragua; youth Scout program literature for 11 Scout Associations of the Caribbean; supply of BSA handbooks to the Scouts of Micronesia; assistance in the resurgence of Scouting in Ethiopia; and camping equipment for underprivileged Scouts of the Guatamala Scout Association.

Since the beginning of the WFF, more than $1 million has been voluntarily donated by American Scouts and leaders to these self-help activities.

National Boy Scouts of America Foundation

The United States Fund for International Scouting (USFIS), within the National Boy Scouts of America Foundation, provides the opportunity for substantial support of World Scouting by individual business, corporate, and foundation grants. This fund is administered by an appointed committee of the BSA International Committee. The National Boy Scouts of America Foundation has full tax privileges and is not a private foundation.

Provision is made for trust and endowed instruments as well as current support of special Scouting projects around the world. Grant proposals from Scout Associations around the world are received and reviewed for disposition by a volunteer committee.

Member Scout Associations of the World Organization of the Scout Movement and Their Membership

  Albania (4) 1,284   Germany (4) 127,012   Nigeria (1) 46,701
  Algeria (2) 10,045   Ghana (1) 2,311   Norway (4) 15,234
  Angola (1) 5,600   Greece (4) 19,467   Oman (2) 9,495
  Argentina (5) 45,452   Grenada (5) 1,542   Pakistan (3) 508,176
  Armenia (6) 2,035   Guatemala (5) 7,247   Palestinian Authority (2) 20,275
  Australia (3) 109,527   Guyana (5) 294   Panama (5) 2,367
  Austria (4) 16,323   Haiti (5) 9,859   Papua New Guinea (3) 1,674
  Azerbaijan 1,213   Honduras (5) 4,319   Paraguay (5) 1,340
  Bahamas (5) 3,173   Hong Kong 69,121   Peru (5) 12,727
  Bahrain (2) 1,820   Hungary (4) 13,369   Philippines (3) 3,491,911
  Bangladesh (3) 1,325,014   Iceland (4) 1,808   Poland (4) 117,733
  Barbados (5) 3,041   India (3) 1,963,266   Portugal (4) 66,766
  Belarus (6) 7,500   Indonesia (3) 9,961,921   Qatar (2) 6,000
  Belgium (4) 91,198   Ireland (4) 38,784   Romania (4) 4,930
  Belize (5) 869   Israel (4) 21,920   Russian Federation 14,000
  Benin (1) 19,605   Italy (4) 108,656   Rwanda (1) 5,479
  Bhutan (3) 1,145   Jamaica (5) 5,526   San Marino (4) 200
  Bolivia (5) 7,600   Japan (3) 227,566   Saudi Arabia (2) 19,267
  Bosnia & Herzegovina (4) 8,000   Jordan (2) 14,238   Senegal (1) 5,882
  Botswana (1) 4,660   Kenya (1) 190,505   Sierra Leone (1) 7,902
  Brazil (5) 60,518   Kiribati (3) 1,333   Singapore (3) 11,290
  Brunei Darussalam (3) 2,617   Korea, Republic of (3) 247,445   Slovakia (4) 3,680
  Bulgaria (4) 2,000   Kuwait (2) 6,061   Slovenia (4) 6,624
  Burkina Faso (1) 10,165   Latvia (4) 1,179   South Africa (1) 18,496
  Burundi (1) 6,661   Lebanon (2) 8,450   Spain (4) 82,971
  Cameroon (1) 6,535   Lesotho (1) 371   Sri Lanka (3) 21,653
  Canada (5) 238,957   Liberia (1) 2,418   St. Lucia (5) 393
  Chad (1) 8,132   Libyan Arab Jamahiriya (2) 14,220   St. Vincent and 1,017
  Chile (5) 35,180   Liechtenstein (4) 421   the Grenadines (5)  
  China, Scouts of (3) 69,353   Lithuania (4) 1,500   Sudan (2) 13,550
  Colombia (5) 13,636   Luxembourg (4) 5,634   Suriname (5) 2,601
  Comoros (1) 2,200   Macau (3) *getting #   Swaziland (1) 4,994
  Congo, The Democratic 62,842   Macedonia, the former 3,443   Sweden (4) 65,486
  Republic of The (1)     Yugoslav, Republic of (4)     Switzerland (4) 29,909
  Costa Rica (5) 11,729   Madagascar (1) 9,473   Tajikistan (6) 1,100
  Cote-d'Ivoire (1) 6,436   Malaysia (3) 96,409   Tanzania, United Republic of (1) 49,993
  Croatia (4) 3,607   Maldives (3) 4,518   Thailand (3) 1,237,515
  Cyprus (4) 6,183   Malta (4) 2,900   Togo (1) 15,759
  Czech Republic (4) 26,133   Mauritania (2) 3,790   Trinidad & Tobago (5) 6,600
  Denmark (4) 51,727   Mauritius (1) 3,009   Tunisia (2) 40,920
  Dominica (5) 1,100   Mexico (5) 59,531   Turkey (4) 6,257
  Dominican Republic (5) 6,047   Moldova, Republic of (6) 1,540   Uganda (1) 65,152
  Ecuador (5) 5,536   Monaco (4) 67   United Arab Emirates (2) 5,824
  Egypt (2) 74,598   Mongolia (3) 6,623   United Kingdom (4) 542,277
  El Salvador (5) 4,180   Morocco (2) 12,304   United States (5) 6,253,606
  Estonia (4) 1,131   Mozambique (1) 11,403   Uruguay (5) 4,510
  Fiji (3) 2,445   Namibia (1) 1,378   Venezuela (5) 10,754
  Finland (4) 30,545   Nepal (3) 25,814   Yemen (2) 6,481
  France (4) 113,570   Netherlands (4) 59,315   Yugoslavia (4) 12,080
  Gabon (1) 3,835   New Zealand (3) 28,531   Zambia (1) 7,427
  Gambia (1) 14,134   Nicaragua (5) 2,298   Zimbabwe (1) 3,111
  Georgia (6) 1,063   Niger (1) 3,241      
  1. Africa Region
  2. Arab Region
  3. Asia-Pacific Region
  4. European Region
  5. Inter-American Region
  6. Eurasia Region

Fact Sheets

The Boy Scouts of America BSA http://www.scouting.org