Council of Scout Associations in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Membership badge of Scouting in Bosnia, often seen in black-and-white so as not to show ethnic leaning of the various groups

File:Scout Association of the Federation of Bosnia and Hezergovina emblem.png

Emblem of the Scout Association of the Federation of Bosnia and Hezergovina

File:Scout Association of Republika Srpska emblem.png

Emblem of the Scout Association of Republika Srpska

The Council of Scout Associations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the national federation of several Scouting organizations of Bosnia and Herzegovina, was founded in 1999 and became a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement that year. The coeducational Council of Scout Associations in Bosnia and Herzegovina has 1,514 members as of 2004.

History of Scouting in Bosnia

Scouting in Bosnia and Herzegovina was established in 1915 under the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In his book, What Scouts Can Do: More Yarns, Baden-Powell wrote about Bosnia before the First World War; in a section "Biking in Bosnia" he provides a fascinating picture of this war-torn land. As part of Yugoslavia, Bosnia-Herzegovina was a founding member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement from 1922 to 1948.

File:Sarajevo.jpg

Scouting in Yugoslavia was coopted by the Tito government in 1950 into Savez Izviđača Jugoslavije, at which time WOSM membership was forfeited.

The Council of Scout Associations in Bosnia and Herzegovina comprises Savez Izviđača Federacije Bosne i Hercegovine (Scout Association of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina) and Savez Izviđača Republike Srpske (Scout Association of the Republic of Srpska). Both Scout Associations agreed to work together to form a federation and join WOSM together, and met to finalize matters presented to WOSM for consideration of membership. At the World Scout Conference in July 1999, Bosnia and Herzegovina was accepted to full membership in WOSM.

Participation

The purpose of The Council of Scout Associations in Bosnia and Herzegovina is to represent both Associations in WOSM. They will both be able to participate in world events such as World Jamborees, World Conferences and a variety of other activities. The goal of this Council is to work towards merging into one Scout Association when the political situation in the country is more stable.

Earlier in the decade, renewed fighting in Bosnia and Herzegovina led to the decision that it was too dangerous for a contingent from Bosnia and Herzegovina to travel to the World Jamboree, held in the Netherlands, 2-12 August 1995. The Scouts of Bosnia sent the following message to the 25,000 participants of the 1995 World Jamboree:

Dear friends,

Cruel realities of war have prevented us from being together today and in the next days. For 40 months the war has been ravaging our homeland. Both adults and children have been killed every day. 16,814 children have been killed and 34,555 wounded in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and many of them remain maimed for life. The number of orphaned children has also grown enormously. Among them are many of our members.

Schools and libraries in Bosnia and Herzegovina were burnt; there are no more parks for children to play in; our favourite excursion sites are now strewn with mines and unexploded shells. Many have not even their homes, which were burnt together with their toys and their memories.

In the aggression against Bosnia and Herzegovina many Scout centres were devastated, equipment destroyed, Scouting symbols going back for more than half a century demolished. But we did not lose heart. Wherever we could, we helped our peers, but also our elders. In the gloom of cold shelters we are still playing Scout games and learning Scout skills. We had an earnest desire to show these skills at the Jamboree, to play and make friends.

Scout ranks in Bosnia and Herzegovina include the young people of all nations; Croats, Muslims and Serbs. We hate no-one on account of his or her ethnic origins. What matters is that he or she is not evil. We have not violated the Scout principles laid down by our Movement's Founder, Lord Robert Baden-Powell. But these and all other principles of civilised life have been trampled by the evil which is tearing down our country.

We wish you a very nice time at the Jamboree and pleasant memories to take home, to share with your families and friends. We shall be glad if only once in the course of the Jamboree you all turn your thoughts to us, and pray for us, for an end to this horror, and to wish us to meet at the next Jamboree. Convey these wishes to your parents. They also can help to put an end to the evil in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina is a small but proud country, internationally recognised and respected by many friends. We Scouts of Bosnia and Herzegovina believe that you too are our friends. Do not forget this.

Yours in Scouting, Scouts of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sarajevo, 30 July 1995

The Scout Motto is "Budi Spreman", translating as "Be Prepared" in the dialect of each ethnic group. The noun for a single Scout is interchangeably Skaut and Izviđač.

Scout Associations in Bosnia and Herzegovina

• The Council of Scout Associations in Bosnia and Herzegovina (WOSM umbrella federation, 1,514 members)
  • File:Flag of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.svg Savez Izviđača Federacije Bosne i Hercegovine (Scout Association of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina; WOSM sub-association)
  • File:Flag of Republika Srpska.svg Savez Izviđača Republike Srpske (Scout Association of Republika Srpska; WOSM sub-association)

• File:BosniaexileA.jpg In addition, there are Bosnian Scouts-in-Exile units existing in Ireland.

Program sections

• Cub Scouts/Poletarac-ages 7 to 10
• Scouts/Izviđači-ages 11 to 20

Scout oath

Dajem casnu rec da cu učinti najviše što mogu
Da budem veran Bogu i otadžbini,
Da pomažem i
Da živim i radim u skladu sa Izviđačkim zakonima.

I give an oath that I will do as much as I can
To be faithful to God and fatherland
To help and
To live and work according to Scout laws

Scout law

1. Izviđaču je cast da mu vjeruju.
2. Izviđač je odan.
3. Izviđač je koristan, nesebican i pomaze drugima.
4. Izviđač je svima prijatelj i brat svakog drugog Izviđača.
5. Izviđač je uctiv.
6. Izviđač upoznaje prirdu je i cuve.
7. Izviđač postuje svoje roditelje i odrasle.
8. Izviđač je vedar i drustven.
9. Izviđač je stedljiv i vredan.
10. Izviđač je cestit cestit u misli, reci i delu.

External links and references

• Scout Association of the Republic of Srpska
• Partially distilled from Eurofax, the monthly newsletter of the European Region of the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM), produced by the European Scout Office and is distributed by fax to all member associations in the European Scout Region and the Europe Region WAGGGS, and others. Scouting is mentioned in the Bosniak-language Wikipedia article on the town of Banovići.