The Scout movement, also known as Scouting or the Scouts, is a voluntary non-political educational movement for young people open to all without distinction of gender, origin, race or creed, in accordance with the purpose, principles and method conceived by the founder, Lord Baden-Powell. The purpose of the Scout Movement is to contribute to the development of young people in achieving their full physical, intellectual, emotional, social and spiritual potentials as individuals, as responsible citizens and as members of their local, national and international communities. During the first half of the twentieth century, the movement grew to encompass three major age groups for boys and, in 1910, a new organization, Girl Guides, was created for girls. It is one of several worldwide youth organizations.
A Scout is a child, usually 10–18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement. Because of the large age and development span, many Scouting associations have split this age group into a junior and a senior section. Scouts are organized into troops averaging 20–30 Scouts under the guidance of one or more Scout Leaders. Troops subdivide into patrols of about 6–8 Scouts and engage in outdoor and special interest activities. Troops may affiliate with local, national, and international organizations. Some national Scouting associations have special interest programs such as Air Scouts, Sea Scouts, outdoor high adventure, Scouting bands, and rider Scouts.
Cub Scouts, Cubs or Wolf Cubs are programs associated with Scouting for young children usually between 5 and 12, depending on the national organization to which they belong. A participant in the program is called a Cub. A group of Cubs is called a 'Pack'.
L'Association des Scouts du Canada (ASC) is a Canadian Scouting organization. ASC is a World Organization of the Scout Movement "affiliated organization" through affiliation with Scouts Canada. Scouts du Canada primarily serves French speaking Scouting in Canada.
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: 9,503 Scouts and 10,508 Guides.
Girlguiding is the operating name of The Guide Association, previously named The Girl Guides Association and is the national guiding organisation of the United Kingdom. It is the UK's largest girl-only youth organisation. Girlguiding is a charitable organisation.
Scouting Nederland is the national Scout organisation of the Netherlands with approximately 110,000 members (53,324 male and 54,663 female, 87,000 youth members, as of 2010.
Girl Guides of Canada is the national Guiding association of Canada. Guiding in Canada started in September 7, 1910 and GGC was among the founding members of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) in 1928.
Scouting in Aruba shared a common history with the other Netherlands Antilles until the political separation of the island from the Netherlands. Scouting Aruba is a Full Member of the Interamerican Region of the World Organization of the Scout Movement.
Scouting and Guiding Federation of Turkey is the national Scouting and Guiding federation of Turkey. It serves 33,974 Scouts and 2,883 Guides. The federation is a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement since 1950, and the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts since 1987.
Boy Scouts van Suriname is the national Scouting organization of Suriname. Scouting in Suriname officially started in 1924 and became a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) in 1968. The coeducational association has 2,601 members.
By 2008, Girl Scouts of the USA had five levels: Daisy, Brownie, Junior, Cadette, and Senior. In 2011 they added the new sixth level of Ambassadors. Girl Scouts move or "bridge" to the next level, usually at the end of the school year they reach the age of advancing. They are considered in the appropriate level based on their grade on October 1, the start of each new Girl Scout year. There are exceptions for "special needs" but Girl Scouts who are "young in grade" have not been specifically considered. Each year of membership in Girl Scouting is represented on the uniform by a small, golden, six-pointed membership star with colored background discs which represent a level. Girl Scouts wear uniforms consisting of a white shirt and khaki bottom under the appropriate uniform item for their level: a blue tunic or vest for Daisies, a brown sash or vest for Brownies, a green vest or sash for Juniors and a tan sash or vest for the older girl levels of Cadettes, Seniors and Ambassadors grades (11-12). All uniform tunics, vests, or sashes must include the American flag patch, council ID patches troop numbers, and a tab with the WAGGGS pin and the membership pin.
The Padvindstersvereniging van de Nederlandse Antillen is the national Guiding organization of the former Netherlands Antilles. It serves 461 members. Founded in 1930, the girls-only organization became an associate member of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts in 1978 and full member in 1981.
The Surinaamse Padvindsters Raad is the national Guiding organization of Suriname. It serves 502 members. The girls-only organization became an associate member of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts in 1972.
The Scout and Guide movement in Aruba is served by
The Scout and Guide movement in the Dutch Caribbean is served by
Scouts en Gidsen Vlaanderen is a coeducational, Flemish Scout and Guide organisation in Belgium and is a member of the Guidisme et Scoutisme en Belgique/Gidsen- en Scoutsbeweging in België.
The Caribbean Link for Guiding is a consortium of 21 Girl Guide Associations from throughout the Caribbean. These include associations from independent countries as well as from British Overseas Territories, coordinated by Girlguiding UK. It was created in 1958.
