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'''Scouting in France''' is very divided nowadays, with some 80 to 100 scouting organizations. If a great number of those are tiny organization not bigger than a simple local group, 9 of them came out as really big scouting organizations. Among those, only 5 are part to the [Federation of] French Scouting ("''le Scoutisme Français''") and thus linked to [[WOSM]] and [[WAGGGS]]. This peculiar state of fact is due to French history of scouting, which is an history of divisions since [[1947]], maybe the best year of scouting in France, which saw the gathering of the [[6th World Scout Jamboree|6th world jamboree]] in Moisson, a few kilometres from Paris.
The '''[[Scouting|Scout movement]] in [[France]]''' consists of about 80 different associations and federations with about 180,000 Scouts and [[Girl Guide and Girl Scout|Girl Guides]].<ref>{{cite web|year=2005| url=http://www.latoilescoute.net/2005-La-carte-du-scoutisme|title=La carte du scoutisme|language=French|publisher=La toile scoute|accessdate=2006-12-07}}</ref> Next to [[Scouting in Germany|Germany]], France is the country with the most fragmented Scout movement.


== History of scouting in France ==
According to French law, all [[youth organization]]s working on the national level can be recognized by the [[Ministère de la Jeunesse et des Sports]] (Minister of Youth and Sports). Only nine of the above mentioned 80 organizations have this status. The vast majority is non-recognized associations: their operation is not illegal under French law, but State doesn't help it.


=== From the beginnings to World War II ===
==National recognized organizations==
History of scouting in France began as soon as [[1908]], when protestant clerics create troops for young boys in their ''patronages'' (clubs for boys). Quickly, those troops become full with catholic boys (Roman Catholicism is the main religion in France and was very widespread in these times). But the Church and many people doesn't like scouting, because it's from protestant ''and English'' origin. So scouting never started from that embryological status before [[Robert Baden-Powell]] came to France in [[1911]], to present his method. That year, the three first French scouting organizations were created : the secular ''Éclaireurs de France'' (EdF), the ''Éclaireurs Français'', also secular, and created by the modern Olympic games creator Pierre de Coubertin, and the protestant ''Éclaireurs Unionnistes de France'' (EUdF). Troops continued to be filled with Catholics, and some priests began to create local catholic troops before WWI. After Fathers [[Antoine Cornette]] and [[Jacques Sevin]] successfully demonstrated that scouting was no devilry, the Catholic ''Scouts de France'' (SdF) was finally created in [[1920]]. ''Guides de France'' followed in [[1923]], the same year as this of the creation of the Jewish ''Éclaireurs Israélites de France'' (EIF).
The national recognized organizations are grouped in two federations and one independent organization.


=== From World War II to the reforms ===
===Fédération du scoutisme Français===
Life went on up to WWII, when half of France was occupied by the Germans in [[1940]]. Scouting was forbidden in the Occupied Zone, but went on (minus the EIF) in the Free Zone, where the EdF, the EUdF and the SdF (largely the most important organization) met in l'Oradou to create the Federation of French Scouting. When the Free Zone was occupied at the end of [[1942]], scouting was also forbidden there, but, in both Zones, scouts continued to meet clandestinely. Lots of scouts joined the Resistance and helped to the Liberation. So after the war, scouting was ready to re-emerge and le Scoutisme Français proposed to welcome the [[1947]] Jamboree of the Peace.  
[[Image:Foulard scouts de france.jpg|thumb|French Scouting uniform ([[Scouts de France]])]]
The [[Scoutisme Français|Fédération du Scoutisme Français]] (Federation of French Scouting) is the national member of both the [[World Organization of the Scout Movement]] (WOSM) and the [[World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts]] (WAGGGS). The federation has about 120,000 members grouped in five co-educational associations.


But soon after that, French scouting started to divide. As the ''Éclaireurs de France'' were too close to the communist party, some of them left and created the ''Éclaireurs Neutres de France''. Two years later, the catholic ''Scouts de France'' started to reform : in the minds of their leaders, scouting was no more fitting to the tastes of the modern youths, so, they created the ''Raiders'' : plus-troops for the better scouts, enabled to have modern activities such as those of the military commandos. Some years later, Rovers began to change to become more political. So, at the end of the 50's, new leaders want to take the militarist "raiderism" out of scouting, but to keep what they thought was good in this idea. So they divided the original 12-17 branch into 2 branches, with a different patrol system : "rangers" for boys 12 to 14 and "pioneers" for boys 15 to 17.  
Scoutisme Français was founded in 1940, with the help of [[Vichy regime]], by the ''Eclaireurs de France'', the ''Eclaireurs Unionistes de France'', the ''Scouts de France'', the ''Guides de France'', the ''Eclaireurs Israélites de France'' and the [[Fédération française des éclaireuses]].


=== From the reforms on : more and more divisions ? ===
The Members of the federation are:
*[[Eclaireuses et Eclaireurs de France]] (founded in 1911, interreligious, 35,000 members)
*[[Eclaireuses et Eclaireurs unionistes de France]] (founded in 1911, [[Protestantism|Protestant]], 5,000 members)
*[[Eclaireuses et Eclaireurs israélites de France]] (founded in 1923, [[Jew]]ish)
*[[Scouts et Guides de France]] (founded in 2004 after the merger of Scouts de France (1920) and Guides de France (1923), [[Roman Catholic Church|Catholic]], 70,000 members)
*[[Muslim Scouts of France|Scouts Musulmans de France]] (founded in 1990, [[Muslim]])


That led to many discontentment, and to the most important divides. By [[1962]], Pierre Géraud (often named Perig Géraud-Keraod), a Breton freedom partisan who had created Breton-speaking scout groups inside the SdF, left them to create the ''Scouts d'Europe''. The ''Scouts d'Europe'' did keep the traditional way of scouting, but adopted some reforms wanted by Géraud, notably concerning the guides, who had to stick to the boys' pedagogy. Traditional groups continued to exist inside the SdF up to [[1971]], when they were expelled from the organization, and created the ''Scouts Unitaires de France''.
===Conférence Française de Scoutisme===
The [[Conférence Française de Scoutisme]] (French Conference on Scouting) has about 35,000 members grouped in three co-educational associations:
*[[Association des Guides et Scouts d'Europe]] (founded in 1958, Catholic, 25,000 members). The association is affiliated to the [[Union Internationale des Guides et Scouts d'Europe]]
*[[Eclaireurs Neutres de France]] (founded in 1947, interreligious, 3,000 to 4,000 members). Affiliated is a number of smaller associations, some of them Catholic:
**''Europa Scouts''
**''Scouts et Guides Saint-Louis''
**''Scouts et Guides de Riaumont'' ([[Traditionalist Catholic]], with connections to the [[Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter]])
*[[Fédération des Eclaireuses et Eclaireurs]] (founded in 1989 as split-off of the ''Eclaireuses et Eclaireurs de France'', interreligious, 2,000 members). This federation groups about 15 to 20 independent local associations, some of them Protestant or [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Orthodox]].


While the EdF, EUdF and EIF had continued to exist, opening to girls, on catholic side, divisions continued. After the reforms in the catholic mass in [[1969]], as the ''Scouts d'Europe'' refused to let their scouts attend the traditional mass, some scouts and groups they had expelled for that reason created other organizations. In the same time, numerous other organizations had been created by people who did not found that the existing ones were fitting their needs, either for pedagogical or (mainly) religious reasons.
===Scouts unitaires de France===
The [[Scouts unitaires de France|Scouts Unitaires de France]] (Unitary Scouts of France) were founded in 1971 in reaction to a pedagogic renewal within the ''Scouts de France'' splitting the former [[Boy Scout|Scout]] troops (''unités'') in two new sections and implementing coeducation. The association is Catholic and counts about 23,000 members.


Only as recently as [[2004]] was it possible to do something else than continuous divisions : that year, the two catholic organizations, ''Scouts de France'', now open to boys and girls, and the girl-only ''Guides de France'' merged into the ''Scouts et Guides de France''. The 9 main organizations started to talk together, and from that came out what may be the first step towards the unity of French scouting : the French State issued a decree stating that there were officially recognized scouting organizations.
==Regional or local recognized organizations==
There are at least 50 independent Scouting associations in France outside the above mentioned federations. Most of them are recognized by regional or local authorities, some via religious communities. They have an estimated membership of about 5,000 Scouts and Guides.


== Scouting organizations ==
Notable among them are:
=== The "G.9" ===
*''Association Française de Scouts et Guides Catholiques'' (Traditionalist Catholic)
The 9 main French scouting organizations, which are recognized by the French State as scouting organizations, are often named the "G.9", in reference to the G.8, the meeting of the chiefs of State of the 8 more rich countries in the world.
*''Scouts de Doran'' (Split-off of the former, Catholic), working towards national recognition
*''Scouts et Guides Godefroy de Bouillon'' (Traditionalist Catholic, with connections to the [[Society of St. Pius X]])
*''Ecuyers Saint-Michel'' (Fencing Scouts)
*''Fédération du Scoutisme Evangélique Français'' (Protestant). Affiliated are a number of smaller associations.


==== le Scoutisme Français ====
==Old Scouts==
''le Scoutisme Français'' is the only federation to be recognized by [[WOSM]] and [[WAGGGS]]. It was created in [[1940]], and counts :
The Fédération des Associations d'Anciens du Scoutisme (FAAS) is the national member of the [[International Scout and Guide Fellowship]].
* '''Éclaireuses et Éclaireurs de France''' (EEdF), the former EdF, secular ;
* '''Éclaireuses et Éclaireurs Unionnistes de France''' (EEUdF), the former EUdF, protestant ;
* '''Éclaireuses et Éclaireurs Israélites de France''' (EEIF), the former EIF, Jewish ;
* '''Scouts et Guides de France''' (SGdF), merging of the SdF and the GdF, Roman Catholic ;
* '''Scouts Musulmans de France''' (SMF), a Muslim organization created in [[1990]].


==== Conférence Française de Scoutisme ====
The Members of the federation are:
the ''Conférence Française de Scoutisme'' (CFS) is the meeting of 3 of the organizations born from the divides :
*Les Amitiés de France Anciens Scouts et Guides (ADF)
* '''Association des Guides et Scouts d'Europe''' (AGSE or FSE), part to the [[Union Internationale des Guides et Scouts d'Europe|International union of European guides and scouts]] ;
*Association des Anciens Éclaireurs et Éclaireuses (A.A.E.E.)
* '''Éclaireurs Neutres de France''' (ENF), a [[1947]] split-off the EdF ;
*A3-Association des Anciens et Amis des Éclaireurs et Éclaireuses Israélites de France
* '''Fédération des Éclaireurs et des Éclaireuses''' (FEE), a federation of small and very different organizations.
*Les Tisons, Anciens des Éclaireurs et Éclaireuses Unionistes
*Réseau des Parents et Amis des Guides et Scouts de France<ref>{{cite web|title=les Associations|url=http://www.faas.fr/3.html|accessdate =2009-09-30|publisher= FAAS|language=French}}</ref>


==== Scouts Unitaires de France ====
==International Scouting units in France==
* the '''Scouts Unitaires de France''' are not part to the ''Conférence Française de Scoutisme'', even though they signed its manifesto, called the ''Message aux Familles'' (Message to the Families).
*[[Boy Scouts of America]], served by the [[Transatlantic Council]] in Paris<ref>{{cite web|title=TAC-Districts |url=http://www.tac-bsa.org/Districts.html|accessdate =2009-09-30|publisher=TAC-BSA}}</ref>
*[[Girl Scouts of the USA]], served by USAGSO headquarters<ref>{{cite web|title=Overseas Committees|url=http://www.girlscouts.org/who_we_are/overseas/committees/europe.asp|accessdate =2010-10-02|publisher=Girl Scouts of the USA|language=}}</ref>
*[[The Scout Association]],served by British Scouts Western Europe<ref>{{cite web|title=Districts-France|url=http://scoutbswe.org/content/france|accessdate =2009-09-30|publisher=BSWE|language=}}</ref>
*[[Girlguiding UK]], served by [[Girlguiding BGIFC|British Guides in Foreign Countries]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Girlguiding BGIFC - Benelux & France|url=http://www.bgifc.org.uk/benelux.html|accessdate =2009-09-30|publisher=British Guides in Foreign Countries|language=}}</ref>
*Armenian Scouting, served by [[Homenetmen]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Scoutisme|url=http://www.homenetmen.fr/index.php?l1=8|accessdate =2009-09-30|publisher=Homenetmen France|language=French}}</ref>
*[[Scouts of Greece|Greek Scouting]] in Paris<ref>{{cite web|title= Scouts Hellenes en France|url=http://scouts.grecs.pagesperso-orange.fr/index.html|accessdate =2011-06-27|publisher=Scouts Hellenes en France|language=French}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title= Scouts hellenes |url=http://jeunesseorthodoxe.free.fr/spip.php?article11|accessdate =2011-06-27|publisher=Festival de la Jeunesse Orthodoxe|language=French}}</ref>
*[[Külföldi Magyar Cserkészszövetség]] operates one troop in Paris<ref>{{cite web|title=Our Troops, by Region and City|url=http://www.kmcssz.org/contents/visitors/ourlocations_byregion.html|accessdate =2011-06-27|publisher=KMCSSZ|language=English,Hungarian}}</ref>
*Polish Scouting and Guiding, served by  [[ZHP|ZHP pgK]] (ZHP aboard)<ref>{{cite web|title=Okręgi na Świecie|url=http://www.zhppgk.org/Main/okregi_na_swiecie.htm|accessdate =2009-09-30|publisher=ZHP pgK|language=Polish}}</ref>
*Russian Scouting, served by [[National Organization of Russian Scouts (Scouts-in-Exile)|National Organization of Russian Scouts (NORS)]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Scouts russes de France|url=http://jeunesseorthodoxe.free.fr/spip.php?article12|accessdate =2011-06-27|publisher=Festival de la Jeunesse Orthodoxe|language=French}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Russian Scouts-Scouts Russes |url=http://www.scouts-russes.org/|accessdate =2011-06-27|publisher=Scouts Russes|language=French, Russian}}</ref> and [[Organization of Russian Young Pathfinders (Scouts-in-Exile)|Organization of Russian Young Pathfinders]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Organisation des jeunes éclaireurs russes|url=http://jeunesseorthodoxe.free.fr/spip.php?article14|accessdate =2011-06-27|publisher=Festival de la Jeunesse Orthodoxe|language=French}}</ref>


=== The others ===
==History==
There are many scouting organizations in France outside of the so-called G.9. Most of them are tiny, some of them are quite particular, as ''les Écuyers de Saint Michel'', an organization for fencing scouts, or some organizations devoted to the disabled.  
[[File:Fédération Française des Éclaireuses.svg|140px|thumb|left|[[Fédération Française des Éclaireuses]] (FFE), an all-girl neutral Girl Scouts federation, dissolved in 1964]]
At the end of 1937, France sent Scoutmaster [[Raymond Schlemmer]] to the [[Cambodia]]n, [[Laos|Laotian]] and [[Vietnam]]ese areas of [[Indochina]] to oversee the setting up of the [[Fédération Indochinoise des Associations du Scoutisme]] (FIAS, Indochinese Federation of Scouting Associations) in all three regions.


There are also some relatively big organizations, of about 1000 members or so, notably the ''Scouts de Doran'', traditional Roman Catholic.
== See also ==


But the big problem of this abundance of scouting organizations is that everyone can create his association (the law is very permissive in France regarding associations) and to call it a scouting organization. Some organizations have been having problems with justice, because they were not respecting the laws about security in camps (which ended with the death of youths), or because they were related to very dark politic groups.
*[[Bleimor (Scouting)]]
*[[Scouting in displaced persons camps]]


One unhappy effect of that is that for members of organizations part to the G.9, quite often, members of the other organizations are not "real" scouts, regardless of what is their actual practice of scouting.
==Notes==
<small>The [[French language]] knows two words both for Boy Scout and Girl Guide/Girl Scout. ''Boy Scout'' is translated as ''scout'' in Catholic and Muslim associations, and as ''éclaireur'' in Protestant, Jewish and interreligious associations. ''Girl Guide/Girl Scout'' is translated as ''guide'' in the Catholic associations, and as ''éclaireuse'' in Protestant, Jewish and interreligious associations.</small>


{{history portal}}
==References==
{{Reflist}}
 
==External links==
*[http://www.latoilescoute.net/s-informer/zoom/carte_du_scoutisme/ Overview chart of the French Scout Movement] {{Fr icon}}
*[http://www.scoutisme.net/ Presentation of the ten major organizations] {{Fr icon}}
*[http://www.scoutisme-francais.org/ Fédération du scoutisme français] {{Fr icon}}
*[http://www.scoutisme.org/ Conférence Française de Scoutisme] {{Fr icon}}
*[http://www.scouts-unitaires.org/ Scouts Unitaires de France] {{Fr icon}}
*[http://www.afcts.org/ Association Française des Collectionneurs de Timbres Scouts (AFCTS)-French Scouts on Stamps Association] {{Fr icon}}
{{Scout continent|Europe}}
{{Scout continent|Europe}}
[[Category:Scouting and Guiding by country|France]]


[[Category:Scouting and Guiding in France| ]]


[[de:Pfadi in Frankreich]]
[[de:Pfadi in Frankreich]]
[[es:Historia del escultismo en Francia]]
[[fi:Partiointi Ranskassa]]
[[fi:Partiointi Ranskassa]]
[[fr:Histoire du scoutisme en France]]
[[fr:Histoire du scoutisme en France]]

Revision as of 21:59, 10 July 2013

The Scout movement in France consists of about 80 different associations and federations with about 180,000 Scouts and Girl Guides.[1] Next to Germany, France is the country with the most fragmented Scout movement.

According to French law, all youth organizations working on the national level can be recognized by the Ministère de la Jeunesse et des Sports (Minister of Youth and Sports). Only nine of the above mentioned 80 organizations have this status. The vast majority is non-recognized associations: their operation is not illegal under French law, but State doesn't help it.

National recognized organizations

The national recognized organizations are grouped in two federations and one independent organization.

Fédération du scoutisme Français

French Scouting uniform (Scouts de France)

The Fédération du Scoutisme Français (Federation of French Scouting) is the national member of both the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) and the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS). The federation has about 120,000 members grouped in five co-educational associations.

Scoutisme Français was founded in 1940, with the help of Vichy regime, by the Eclaireurs de France, the Eclaireurs Unionistes de France, the Scouts de France, the Guides de France, the Eclaireurs Israélites de France and the Fédération française des éclaireuses.

The Members of the federation are:

Conférence Française de Scoutisme

The Conférence Française de Scoutisme (French Conference on Scouting) has about 35,000 members grouped in three co-educational associations:

Scouts unitaires de France

The Scouts Unitaires de France (Unitary Scouts of France) were founded in 1971 in reaction to a pedagogic renewal within the Scouts de France splitting the former Scout troops (unités) in two new sections and implementing coeducation. The association is Catholic and counts about 23,000 members.

Regional or local recognized organizations

There are at least 50 independent Scouting associations in France outside the above mentioned federations. Most of them are recognized by regional or local authorities, some via religious communities. They have an estimated membership of about 5,000 Scouts and Guides.

Notable among them are:

  • Association Française de Scouts et Guides Catholiques (Traditionalist Catholic)
  • Scouts de Doran (Split-off of the former, Catholic), working towards national recognition
  • Scouts et Guides Godefroy de Bouillon (Traditionalist Catholic, with connections to the Society of St. Pius X)
  • Ecuyers Saint-Michel (Fencing Scouts)
  • Fédération du Scoutisme Evangélique Français (Protestant). Affiliated are a number of smaller associations.

Old Scouts

The Fédération des Associations d'Anciens du Scoutisme (FAAS) is the national member of the International Scout and Guide Fellowship.

The Members of the federation are:

  • Les Amitiés de France Anciens Scouts et Guides (ADF)
  • Association des Anciens Éclaireurs et Éclaireuses (A.A.E.E.)
  • A3-Association des Anciens et Amis des Éclaireurs et Éclaireuses Israélites de France
  • Les Tisons, Anciens des Éclaireurs et Éclaireuses Unionistes
  • Réseau des Parents et Amis des Guides et Scouts de France[2]

International Scouting units in France

History

File:Fédération Française des Éclaireuses.svg
Fédération Française des Éclaireuses (FFE), an all-girl neutral Girl Scouts federation, dissolved in 1964

At the end of 1937, France sent Scoutmaster Raymond Schlemmer to the Cambodian, Laotian and Vietnamese areas of Indochina to oversee the setting up of the Fédération Indochinoise des Associations du Scoutisme (FIAS, Indochinese Federation of Scouting Associations) in all three regions.

See also

Notes

The French language knows two words both for Boy Scout and Girl Guide/Girl Scout. Boy Scout is translated as scout in Catholic and Muslim associations, and as éclaireur in Protestant, Jewish and interreligious associations. Girl Guide/Girl Scout is translated as guide in the Catholic associations, and as éclaireuse in Protestant, Jewish and interreligious associations.

References

  1. "La carte du scoutisme" (in French). La toile scoute. 2005. http://www.latoilescoute.net/2005-La-carte-du-scoutisme. Retrieved 2006-12-07. 
  2. "les Associations" (in French). FAAS. http://www.faas.fr/3.html. Retrieved 2009-09-30. 
  3. "TAC-Districts". TAC-BSA. http://www.tac-bsa.org/Districts.html. Retrieved 2009-09-30. 
  4. "Overseas Committees". Girl Scouts of the USA. http://www.girlscouts.org/who_we_are/overseas/committees/europe.asp. Retrieved 2010-10-02. 
  5. "Districts-France". BSWE. http://scoutbswe.org/content/france. Retrieved 2009-09-30. 
  6. "Girlguiding BGIFC - Benelux & France". British Guides in Foreign Countries. http://www.bgifc.org.uk/benelux.html. Retrieved 2009-09-30. 
  7. "Scoutisme" (in French). Homenetmen France. http://www.homenetmen.fr/index.php?l1=8. Retrieved 2009-09-30. 
  8. "Scouts Hellenes en France" (in French). Scouts Hellenes en France. http://scouts.grecs.pagesperso-orange.fr/index.html. Retrieved 2011-06-27. 
  9. "Scouts hellenes" (in French). Festival de la Jeunesse Orthodoxe. http://jeunesseorthodoxe.free.fr/spip.php?article11. Retrieved 2011-06-27. 
  10. "Our Troops, by Region and City" (in English,Hungarian). KMCSSZ. http://www.kmcssz.org/contents/visitors/ourlocations_byregion.html. Retrieved 2011-06-27. 
  11. "Okręgi na Świecie" (in Polish). ZHP pgK. http://www.zhppgk.org/Main/okregi_na_swiecie.htm. Retrieved 2009-09-30. 
  12. "Scouts russes de France" (in French). Festival de la Jeunesse Orthodoxe. http://jeunesseorthodoxe.free.fr/spip.php?article12. Retrieved 2011-06-27. 
  13. "Russian Scouts-Scouts Russes" (in French, Russian). Scouts Russes. http://www.scouts-russes.org/. Retrieved 2011-06-27. 
  14. "Organisation des jeunes éclaireurs russes" (in French). Festival de la Jeunesse Orthodoxe. http://jeunesseorthodoxe.free.fr/spip.php?article14. Retrieved 2011-06-27. 

External links