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 174 members. These members are recognized national Scout organizations, which collectively have around 43 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.
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.
The Savez izviđača Bosne i Hercegovine is the state Scouting organisation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was founded on 17 December 2011 through the merger of the three constituent organisation of its predecessor, the Savjet izviđačkih organizacija u Bosni i Hercegovini, which was a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement since 1999. The coeducational Council of Scout Associations in Bosnia and Herzegovina has 1,250 members as of 2011.
The European Scout Region is one of six geographical subdivisions of the World Organization of the Scout Movement, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, with a satellite office in Brussels, Belgium.
The National Association of Cambodian Scouts is the national Scouting organization in Cambodia. It was founded in September 2005 through the merger of the Scout Organization of Cambodia and the Cambodian Scouts and became a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) on 1 July 2008. The coeducational association serves 59,275 members as of 2021.
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 Associação de Escuteiros de Angola, the national Scouting organization of Angola, was founded in 1994 and became a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement on June 13, 1998, and was officially welcomed into WOSM at the World Scout Conference in South Africa in July 1999. The association is a member of the Comunidade do Escutismo Lusófono.
The Botswana Scouts Association, the national Scouting organization of Botswana, was founded in 1936, and became a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement in 1958. The boys only Botswana Scouts Association claims a membership of more than 10,000 Scouts; however, WOSM lists only 2,075 members as of 2011.
The Fédération Burkinabé du Scoutisme, the national federation of two Scouting organizations in Burkina Faso, was founded in 1943, and became a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement in 1972 under the name of Upper Volta. The coeducational Fédération Burkinabé du Scoutisme had 9,398 members as of 2011 and 7,644 as of 2021.
The Association des Scouts du Burundi, the national Scouting organization of Burundi, was founded in 1940, and became a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement in 1979. The coeducational Association des Scouts du Burundi has 104,874 members as of 2021.
The Mauritius Scout Association is a Scouting organisation in Mauritius. The association was founded in 1971 and became a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) in 1971. The coeducational association had 2,782 members.
Scouting in Northern Ireland is represented by three Scouting associations. The Scouts NI is part of The Scout Association of the United Kingdom, which is the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) recognized Scouting association in the United Kingdom. Scouting Ireland is the national Scouting association and the WOSM-recognized Scouting association for the Republic of Ireland, although its membership extends to Northern Ireland, supported professionally by the Scout Foundation NI (SFNI). The Baden-Powell Scouts' Association is a member of the World Federation of Independent Scouts and operates one group in Northern Ireland.
The Rwanda Scouts Association is the national Scouting organization of Rwanda. Scouting in Rwanda was founded in 1940 and became a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) in 1975. The coeducational association has 18,884 members.
The Seychelles Scout Association (SSA) is the national Scouting organization of the Seychelles. Scouting in Seychelles was founded in 1927 and became a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) in 2002. The association has 372 members.
The International Scout and Guide Fellowship (ISGF) is a worldwide organization of adults in support of Scouting and Guiding.
The National Organization of the Scouts of Ukraine is an all-Ukrainian non-profit youth public organization that enables young people to play a constructive role in society through non-formal education. NOSU is a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) and participates in international Scouting events and activities. It was established in 2007 by the representatives of three largest Scout organizations in Ukraine, the all-Ukrainian youth organization "SPOK", Plast and the All-Ukrainian organization Sich (Січ) meaning Cossack fortress and some local groups. Since then it has grown to become one of the largest youth organizations in the country. Membership stood at 4,650 Scouts in 2011.
