Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth social movement employing the Scout method, 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.
The World Organization of the Scout Movement is the largest international scout organization and was established in 1922. It has 176 members. These members are national scout organizations that founded WOSM or have subsequently been recognised by WOSM, which collectively have around 43 million participants. Its operational headquarters is in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia while it is legally based in Geneva, Switzerland.
The Association of Scouts of Azerbaijan the national Scouting organization of Azerbaijan, was founded in 1997, and became the 150th member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement on 20 August 2000. In 2017 it was admitted as a full member in the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts. The coeducational association has 1,571 members as of 2021, about 35% are girls.
The Palestinian Scout Association is the organization responsible for the Scout movement in Palestine.
The Scouts of China or the General Association of the Scouts of China (Taiwan) in full, is the National Scouting Organization (NSO) of the Republic of China (Taiwan) and represents the Scouting organization in Taiwan. It is a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement since 1937. In 2021, the Scouts of China had 53,972 members.
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.
The Vietnamese Scout Association is a youth organization that was established in Vietnam and active between 1930 and 1975. The association was recognized by the World Organization of the Scout Movement from 1957 to 1975.
Scouts of Syria is the national Scout and Guide organization of Syria. Scouting in Syria was founded in 1912; Guiding started in the 1950s. The coeducational association serves 9,358 members and is a member of both the World Organization of the Scout Movement and the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts.
Algerian Muslim Scouts is the national Scouting association in Algeria. SMA has 77,554 members as of 2021.
The Bharat Scouts and Guides (BSG) is the national Scouting and Guiding association of India. The national headquarters of BSG is recognised by the Government of India.
Scouting in The Bahamas began in 1912. For the history of Scouting in the Bahamas generally see Scouting in the Bahamas.
The Barbados Boy Scouts Association is the national Scouting organization of Barbados. The Association is managed by the National Scout Council and is a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement. The boys only Barbados Boy Scouts Association has 1,305 members as of 2021.
The Scout Movement of Romania consists of several associations with slightly different aims. Among them are:
The Scout movement in Belarus consisted of 1200 members when it joined the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) in 2010. There are at least five nationwide associations as well as some regional associations. In addition, there were at one time Scouts-in-Exile in metropolitan areas of the United States, and there are presently international Scout units in Belarus.
The Scout and Guide movement in Denmark consists of about ten different associations. Most of them are members of two large federations, but there are also some independent organizations. Affiliated to Danish Scouting and Guiding are the organizations in Greenland, on the Faroe Islands and in Southern Schleswig.
The Boy Scouts of the United Nations existed from 1945 through perhaps the early 1980s as the Scouting association serving the families of diplomats and staff of the United Nations, active in both Geneva and at Parkway Village in New York. The organization sponsored groups in India, Lebanon and Cyprus and had ties to the International Boy Scouts of the Canal Zone.
The Scouting and Guiding movement in Belgium consists of 15 to 20 separate organizations serving about 160,000 members. Nearly all organizations are grouped by languages and confessions. The Crown Scout rank is the highest a Boy Scout can achieve.
There are various controversies and conflicts that involve the Scouting movement. Scouting has sometimes become entangled in social controversies such as in nationalist resistance movements in India. Scouting was introduced to Africa by British officials as an instrument of colonial authority but became a subversive challenge to the legitimacy of British imperialism as Scouting fostered solidarity amongst African Scouts. There are also controversies and challenges within the Scout Movement itself such as current efforts to turn Scouts Canada into a democratic organization.
The Scout and Guide movement in Malta is served by three organizations:
The Scout and Guide movement in Jamaica is served by
