Scouting and Guiding in the United Kingdom is served by several different organisations:
Independent British Scout organisations usually follow more traditional Scouting methods practised by Baden-Powell. Examples include the Baden-Powell Scouts [5] (formed in 1970), Pathfinder Scouts Association (formed in 2003) and the Rover Explorer Scouts Association, which uses Scouting based on Christian values. [6]
Other Scout organisations in the United Kingdom include independent branches of the Polish Scout Association, the Hungarian Scout Association, [6] the Lithuanian Scouts Association [7] and a chapter of Homenetmen in London. [8] The roots of these émigré organisations are the Second World War and the Cold War when refugees fled their countries and international communities in the UK wishing to maintain their home culture of Scouting rather than following the British Scouting Programme.
Also International Scout and Guide units are active in the United Kingdom. Scouts et Guides de France operates one group in London. [9] There also American Scout units, served by the Transatlantic Council, [10] American Girl Scouts served by the USAGSO headquarters. [11] and Israel Scouts tribes in London [12]
Catholic Guides of Ireland and Scouting Ireland are both also active in Northern Ireland.
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 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.
Girlguiding is the operating name of The Guide Association, previously named The Girl Guides Association. It 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 on 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 Russia comprises several dozen Scout associations, based on religion, politics and geography.
Scouting and Guiding in Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha is administered by the United Kingdom Scout Association and Girlguiding UK, due to Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha's affiliations as a British Overseas Territory.
Lone Guides or Lones are Girl Guides and Girl Scouts who do not attend group meetings for a variety of reasons. They are organised into groups that keep in touch, for example, by letter or email. Members carry out their organisation's normal programme on their own as much as they are able. The first official Lone Guides started in 1912 in the UK. Many countries have Lone Guides.
Girlguiding Bermuda is a Guiding organisation in Bermuda. It is one of the nine branch associations of Girlguiding UK. It is represented by Girlguiding UK at World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) level and Girlguiding UK's Chief Guide is also Chief Guide for Girlguiding Bermuda. Girlguiding Bermuda is part of the Caribbean Link for Guiding.
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.
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.
The Scout and Guide movement in Australia consists of:
Scouting in Austria is served by multiple Scout associations, among them
Scouting and Guiding in Ireland began six months after Baden Powell founded the first Scouts' association near the Isle of Wight, England.
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 Baden-Powell Award, also known as the B-P Award or Baden-Powell Scout Award (BPSA), is the highest award achievable to Rover (adult) Scouts.
Girl Guides is a worldwide movement, originally and largely still designed for girls and women only. The movement began in 1909, when girls requested to join the then-grassroots Boy Scout Movement.
There are many national organisations in the United Kingdom that have been established to provide services to people under the age of 18.