Junák: Difference between revisions

'''Junák''', or more properly, '''Junák - svaz skautů a skautek ČR''' (''Association of Scouts and Guides of the Czech Republic'', is the largest association of [[Scouting|Scouts]] and [[Girl Guides|Guides]] of the [[Czech Republic]]. Founded in 1911, Junák is the largest organisation of youth in the nation, with a combined estimated membership of 45,000 (19,897 under the [[World Organization of the Scout Movement]]<ref name="WOSM-TR_05-08">{{cite web |title=Triennial Report 2005-2008 |url=http://scout.org/en/content/download/11615/94838/file/Triennial_Report_EN.pdf |publisher=World Organization of the Scout Movement |accessdate=2008-07-13|format=PDF}}</ref> and 25,568 under the [[World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts]]).  

A voluntary, non-political civic organisation, without restriction to membership, Junák was founded in 1911 by [[Antonín Benjamin Svojsík]], who, after visiting [[The Scout Association|British Scouts]], wanted to establish a similar movement in his homeland. In 1910, inspired by the writings of [[Robert Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell|Baden-Powell]], Professor Svojsík wrote ''Základy junáctví'' ("The Foundations of Scouting"), the first handbook for Scouts already operating in the Czech lands. In that book, he combined Baden-Powell's system of education; ideas of the American writer, traveller and painter E.T. Seton (founder of Woodcraft); and the traditions of the Czech nation. He followed this with an experimental camp in 1912. The participants walked the entire 200&nbsp;km distance on foot, and their luggage was brought there on a single large push-cart. In the quickly developing world of Scouting at the time, ''Junák-Český skaut'' provided a model to be followed by many other developing national associations.

In 1918, at the creation of the [[Czechoslovakia|Czechoslovak Republic]], the Czech Scouts offered their services, and helped the established government with many things, they kept patrol over important buildings and sites, but they are best known for their mail delivery service, delivering official mail in Prague. They had their own stamps, the first Scout stamps in the world, which are very rare and valuable today among stamp-collectors. On December 21 1918, "Czech Scout mail" was restored, due to the arrival of President Masaryk from exile. The ranks of Scouting grew rapidly in the new country, and in 1922 a National Scout festival took place in Prague to commemorate 10 years of Scouting. Following the end of World War I, the different associations within Czechoslovakia came together in one united national association, and the Czechoslovakian Scout and Guide Federation was among the charter members of the [[World Organization of the Scout Movement]] in 1922, with Professor Svojsík elected to the World Committee.

Antonín Benjamin Svojsík died on September 17, 1938, and Czech Scouts and Guides unified on January 22, 1939 to found the new association called Junák. The Chief Scout was Dr. [[Rudolf Plajner]] and the Chief Guide was Vlasta Koseová.  Junák was abolished by force and Scouting prohibited by German State Secretary [[Karl Hermann Frank]] during the [[Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia]] on [[October 28]], 1940. Many Scouts and Guides joined the [[Czech Resistance]]; over 700 of them died during the war as part of the movement. After the war, the association was re-registered in Prague in 1945, following the country's liberation, with 120,000 members registered in 1946, the number of members grew to nearly 250,000, (making it the second largest association in the World Movements at that time), and in 1947, a contingent of 500 represented Junák at the [[World Scout Jamboree]] in France, sporting two Scout bands. In summer 1946, Lady Olave Baden-Powell visited Czechoslovakia and she was welcome in the whole Republic by our Scouts and Guides. After the war, in lieu of Scout camps, their participants helped in local agriculture. Chief Guide Vlasta Koseová became the Vice-chairman of the World Committee of WAGGGS and Chairman Dr. [[Velen Fanderlik]] was a member of the [[World Scout Committee]] of WOSM.  

After the 1989 [[Velvet Revolution]], Junák was one of the first organisations to re-emerge from working underground, by then, for the fourth time in its history. By the close of 1989, the number of Scouts in Czechoslovakia was 80,000. On 1 February 1990, the Federation of Czech and Slovak Scouting was officially registered, paving the way for its re-admittance to the World Organization during the World Scout Conference in Paris in July 1990, re-recognised by the major world Scouting organisations (see below). Upon Czechoslovakia's dissolution on December 31, 1992, Cesky Junák (as it was then called) and Slovenský Skauting were required to apply for membership of the World Organization as the national member organizations of the Czech Republic and Republic of Slovakia, respectively.  On [[June 30]], [[1996]], Junák-Svaz Skautů a Skautek was welcomed as the 141st member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement. In 1998, Junák became one of the founding members of the [[Czech Council of Children and Youth]], a national youth council that aims to protect the rights and interests of Czech young people. Membership in 1998 was 57,979 Scouts and Guides in the Czech Republic. During the summer of 1998, 1,361 camps were held and 32,177 Scouts and Guides participated in these camps. In 2001, Junák hosted the [[European Guide and Scout Conference]], in Prague.

Czech Scouts within Junák are members of the [[World Organization of the Scout Movement]] (WOSM), the Guides are members of the [[World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts]] (WAGGGS), and the Adult Scouts and Guides of the [[International Scout and Guide Fellowship]] (ISGF).  

Communications between the districts and regions, and to Junák headquarters, is quite efficient; monthly information packages are sent to all groups, much of it by e-mail.

The Scouts and Guides in Junák organise many events on the national and local level. The most well-known of these is [[Svojsik's Race]], which takes place every two years. Junák Scouts hosted [[Intercamp]] in 1994, and the Water Scouts hold a national water-themed jamboree, [[Navigamus]]. Junák Scouts also organise monetary drives and information campaigns, in support of cancer research and [[blood drive]]s. Every Christmas, Czech Scouts distribute the Bethlehem Light around the country.

Junák publishes four magazines, for its various divisions, as well as various other materials, numbering roughly 15-20 different publications a year. The organisation also maintains Scout/Guide centres around the country, run by their respective districts and other groups. Some of these are open to the public, for a nominal fee, as self-service accommodation.

[[Image:-CzechRepublichighestrank.jpg|thumb|''Three Feathers of Eagle'' badge]]

As [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] symbology and mythology has been popular in [[Central Europe]] since the 1880s, the highest award in Czech Scouting is the ''Three Feathers of Eagle''.

The [[Scout Motto]] (Skautské heslo) is ''Buď připraven'', translating as ''Be Prepared'' in Czech. The Czech noun for a single Scout is Skaut.  

* Skaut je čistý v myšlenkách, slovech i skutcích. ''(A Scout is pure in thought, word and deeds.)''

*[[Edvard Beneš]]

*[[Jaroslav Foglar]], propagator of Scouting in Czechoslovakia

*[[Jan Kubiš]]

{{Reflist}}

* [http://www.junak.cz Official website]