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 Scouting organization. WOSM has 175 members. These members are recognized national Scout organizations, which collectively have around 57 million participants. WOSM was established in 1922, and has its operational headquarters at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and its legal seat in Geneva, Switzerland. It is the counterpart of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS).
The World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts is a global association supporting the female-oriented and female-only Guiding and Scouting organisations in 152 countries. It was established in 1928 in Parád, Hungary, and has its headquarters in London, United Kingdom. It is the counterpart of the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM). WAGGGS is organised into five regions and operates five international Guiding centers. It holds full member status in the European Youth Forum (YFJ), which operates within the Council of Europe and European Union areas, and works closely with these bodies.
The Scout movement in France consists of about 80 different associations and federations with about 180,000 Scouts and Girl Guides. Next to Germany, France is the country with the most fragmented Scout movement.
The Organizația Națională a Scouților din Moldova, the national Scouting organization of Moldova, became a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement in 1997. The coeducational Organizaţia Naţională a Scouţilor din Moldova has 2,430 members as of 2011.
Cercetașii României is the primary national Scouting organization of Romania. Founded in 1913, it became a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) in 1993.
Slovenský skauting, is the primary national Scouting and Guiding organization of Slovakia. Currently has around 7000 members. With 3,157 Scouts and about 3,000 Guides. Slovenský Skauting is the largest youth organization in Slovakia and a member of both the World Organization of the Scout Movement and the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts.
Scoutingin Slovenia is served by three associations:
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 Asociația Ghidelor și Ghizilor din România (AGGR) is the national Guiding organization of Romania. Guiding in Romania began in 1928, was restarted in 1990 and became a member of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) in 1993. The coeducational organization has 1,000 members.
Scouts' Day or Guides' Day is a generic term for special days observed by members of the Scouting movement throughout the year. Some of these days have religious significance, while others may be a simple celebration of Scouting. Typically, it is a day when all members of Scouting will re-affirm the Scout Promise.
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 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.
The Scout Movement in Spain consists of about 30 independent associations, most of them active on the regional level. Due to the regionalisation of Spain, even the larger nationwide associations are divided into regional sub-associations with individual emblems, uniforms and Scout programs.
Religion in Scouting and Guiding is an aspect of the Scout method that has been practiced differently and given different interpretations in different parts of the world over the years.
Non-aligned Scouting organizations is a term used by the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM), World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) and their member national organizations to refer to Scouting organizations that are not affiliated with them. See List of non-aligned Scouting organizations.
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.
Scouting and Guiding in Switzerland is made up of numerous scouting and guiding bodies which act to provide the opportunities to scout. This could be though Swiss national Scouting and Guiding organizations, through independent troops or through international troops established in Switzerland. While the latter two are similar, there is a fundamental difference because the three independent groups while taking guidance under different national regimes it is a program developed by people in the various cities, where the presence of international groups in Switzerland is a top down targeted programs that have been developed to offer expatriates scouting and guiding in the language they are used to and are developed in areas with a larger expatriate community. All of which are supported the existence of KISC and Our Chalet, both acting as semi-permanent jamborees.
Scouting and Guiding in Sweden is represented by one organisation Scouterna as a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement and World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts. It was formed in 2012 as the successor to Svenska Scoutrådet which consisted of five different associations.
The Scout and Guide movement in Jamaica is served by
