Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth social movement employing the Scout method. It is a program of informal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activities, including camping, woodcraft, aquatics, hiking, backpacking, and sports. Another widely recognized movement characteristic is the Scout uniform, by intent hiding all differences of social standing in a country and encouraging equality, with neckerchief and campaign hat or comparable headwear. Distinctive uniform insignia include the fleur-de-lis and the trefoil, as well as merit badges and other patches.
Pfadfinder und Pfadfinderinnen Österreichs is the largest Scouting and Guiding organization in Austria and the only one approved by World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) and the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM). The association claims more than 300 troops with more than 85,000 Scouts nationwide. WOSM and WAGGGS give quite smaller membership values for the PPÖ: 27,274 members in WOSM and 10,508 members in WAGGGS.
Scouting and Guiding in mainland China was reported as banned with the establishment of the People's Republic of China (PRC) by the Communist Party since 1949. Instead, the Young Pioneers of China and the Communist Youth League, led by the Communist Party, have become the dominant youth organization in mainland China for younger and older youth, respectively. However, China now has multiple and originally separate Scouting activities within its borders. In 2004, the Scout Club of Hainan (海南童子军俱乐部), borrowing heavily from Scouting in terms of emblems, uniforms and activities, was founded in Hainan Province; it is, however, not affiliated with worldwide Scouting. An attempt to organize a nationwide Scouting organization in Wuhan was ended by the government in 2004. The Scout Association of the People's Republic of China (中华人民共和国童军总会), founded in 2008 serves Venture Scouts in both genders as well as Rover Scouts. The Rover Explorer Service Association operate groups in China.
The Pakistan Boy Scouts Association (PBSA) is the national Scouting organization of Pakistan and has 526,626 members. Scouting was founded in Pakistan as part of the British Indian branch of The Scout Association. The PBSA was officially founded in 1947, immediately after independence from the British and became a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement in April 1948.
The Bangladesh Scouts is the national Scouting organization of Bangladesh. Now The Chief Scout of Bangladesh is Mohammed Shahabuddin. Scouting was founded in 1914 in East Bengal, now Bangladesh, as part of the British Indian branch of The Scout Association, and continued as part of the Pakistan Boy Scouts Association until the country's divided sections split in 1971 during the Bangladesh Liberation War. Following its independence, in 1972, the Bangladesh Boy Scout Association was officially formed as successor of the Pakistan Boy Scouts Association. Bangladesh became an independent member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement in 1974. The organization changed its name to "Bangladesh Scouts" in 1978. The organization has 2,261,351 members as of 2021.
The "Nepal Scouts" is the national Scouting and Guiding organization of Nepal, founded in Nepal in 1952. It became a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement in 1969 and later became a member of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts in 1984.
The Egyptian Federation for Scouts and Girl Guides is the national Scouting and Guiding federation of Egypt. Scouting was founded in 1914 and was among the charter members of the World Organization of the Scout Movement in 1922, while nominally independent from Britain. Guiding started in 1913 and became a member of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts in 1931. The EFSGG serves 79,611 Scouts and 92,000 Guides.
Colonel John Skinner "Belge" Wilson (1888–1969) was a Scottish scouting luminary and friend and contemporary of General Baden-Powell, recruited by him to head the World Organization of the Scout Movement's bureau. Wilson was its acting director from 1938 to 1939, following the death of Hubert S. Martin. He was elected in 1939 and remained in office until 1951. He then became Honorary President of WOSM for four years.
Sangam World Centre is one of the five World Centres of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS), located on the banks of the Mula River in Pune.
Mohan Singh Mehta (1895–1986) was founder of Vidya Bhavan group of institutions and Seva Mandir in Udaipur, Rajasthan, India.
Scouting and Guiding in India have a long history.
Lakshmi Mazumdar of Delhi was the National Commissioner of the Indian Scouting organization Bharat Scouts and Guides from November 1964 to April 1983, and supervised the construction of the Sangam World Girl Guide/Girl Scout Centre, which was inaugurated on 16 October 1966 by the World Chief Guide, Lady Olave Baden-Powell.
Hridya Nath Kunzru was an Indian freedom fighter and a public figure. He was a long-time Parliamentarian, serving in various legislative bodies at the Provincial and Central level for nearly four decades. He was a member of the Constituent Assembly of India (1946–50) that drew up the Constitution of India. He was also keenly interested in international affairs and co-founded the Indian Council of World Affairs and the Indian School of International Studies.
Justice Vivian Bose, Judge of the Supreme Court of India, served as the National Commissioner of the Bharat Scouts and Guides from November 1957 to November 1959.
V.P. Deenadayalu Naidu was an Indian politician. He was elected mayor of Bangalore in 1955, served as the National Commissioner of the Bharat Scouts and Guides from November 1992 to November 1995. He also served as the Charter President of the Rotary Club of Bangalore East in 1971.
Sir Alfred Donald "Pickle" Pickford OBE was an English businessman who made his wealth from jute in British India and was a Boy Scouts Association official.
Madan Mohan Malaviya was an Indian scholar, educational reformer and activist notable for his role in the Indian independence movement. He was president of the Indian National Congress three times and the founder of Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha. He was addressed as Pandit, a title of respect.
Kondajji Basappa was an Indian politician who was the Member of Parliament in the Lok Sabha for Davanagere, Karnataka and a leader in the Karnataka Scouts and Guides movement.
