Scouting and Guiding in displaced persons camps: Difference between revisions

'''[[Scouting]] has been active in displaced persons camps''' These Scout and Girl Guide groups often provided postal delivery and other basic services in displaced persons camps. This working system was duplicated dozens of times around the world. In the present, Scouting and Guiding once again provide services and relief in camps throughout war-torn Africa.

Scouting in Armenia was founded in 1912, then later developed abroad among the refugees who had survived the genocide of 1915-1916 and among those that had fled the new communist occupation of their lands, at which point Scouting ceased to exist in Armenia.

Children from the refugee camp Mitterndorf took part in Scout camps of the Österreichischer Pfadfinderbund. They were trained as helpers for youthwork in the camp. The head of the ''Knabenhort'' (after -school care center) was a Scoutmaster of the Österreichischer Pfadfinderbund from Trieste.

[[Magyar Cserkészszövetség|Scouts]] worked in refugee reception centres and refugee camps.

Scout worked in refugee camps.

At that time Estonia was part of Tsarist Russia. Latvian and Lithunian refugees founded Scout troops.

Scouts and Guides cared for refugees of conflicts after World War I (i.e. Polish-Soviet War).

[[Guide International Service]] sent at Christmas gift parcels to 180 Guides and Brownies in DP camps.

*United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration-Haiming UNRRA displaced persons camp, Haiming: Volksdeutsche from Hungary, Romania and Yugoslavia, [[Scout group]] affiliated to [[Pfadfinder Österreichs]], active 1945 to 1950, Colonel [[J. S. Wilson]] of the [[World Scout Bureau]] visited the group. There were also a group of Girl Guides.

*Landeck UNRRA displaced persons camp, Landeck had a [[Külföldi Magyar Cserkészszövetség|Hungarian Scout troop]]

From [[September 17]] to 21, 1948 the DP Scouts of Tyrol and Vorarlberg held a Scout camp in Rinn, Tyrol. 265 persons, including 85 Girl Guides, took part.

The service team members were displaced Rover Scouts. The camp leaders were the Traveling Commissioner for D.P. Scouts in Germany and Austria J. Monnet, three Ukrainian Scouters, one Hungarian Scouter and a Scouter of the DP-Scout group of Haiming.

*Girl Guides

*[[Plast]]-[[Scouting in Ukraine|Ukrainian Scouting]], (Founder in Styria was A. Klutschko, the last Scouter was Michael Maschowec, who lived still in Styria in 1997).

*Feffernitz bei Feistritz (Weißenstein), a camp for Hungarian displaced persons, had a Boy Scout troop which was founded by Tibor Zoltai in 1946.

*Hungarian Scout groups were founded in refugee camps following the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. In 1957 there were 11 groups with 450 Scouts registered within Pfadfinder Österreichs. (The National Scout organisation at that time.)Scouts helped refugees by collecting donations and food for the refugees and Scouts served in refugee camps.

*In the Scoutcenter Höflein in Lower Austria was a refugee camp and Scouts and Guides worked there. There were also Fundraising campaigns for the refugees there by the [[Scouting in Austria|Austrian Scouts and Guides]].There were refugees from 22 August 1992 until 1998. This camps was for refugees from Yugoslavia. Austrian Scouts and Guides also worked together with the Red Cross and Caritas to help refugees.

*In 2007 and 2008 Scouts and Guides of the Scout group Steyr 3  cooperate with "Maradonna", a residential home for juvenile refugees in Steyr.  

[[Rover]] Crews existed in German POW camps.

There existed for example secret Polish Rover Crews. There were also Belgian Scout groups.

*Altötting UNRRA displaced persons camp, Altötting, a camp for Latvian displaced persons, had a Scout troop

*Amberg UNRRA displaced persons camp, Amberg, a camp for Latvian displaced persons, had Girl Guides

*Zierenberg had Russian Scout troops

*Altgarge UNRRA displaced persons camp, near Bleckede), a camp for Latvian displaced persons, had a Scout troop and Girl Guides

*Augustdorf UNRRA displaced persons camp, Augustdorf, a camp for Latvian displaced persons, had Girl Guides, a Scout troop and a Rover Crew

*Wolterdingen displaced persons camp, Wolterdingen,  a camp for Latvian displaced persons, had Girl Guides and a Scout troop

*Ravensburg had Russian Boy Scout troops  

*Niedersachswerfen had Russian Boy Scout troops

*Dornstadt, near Ulm, Hashomer Hatzair was active in the camp

*Watenstedt bei Salzgitter displaced persons camp, near Salzgitter, a camp for Latvian displaced persons had a Scout troop

''"Scouting continues among the displaced persons in the French and British Zones in Germany, having followed the same lines as those which have proved so successful in the United States Zone. "Our best effort was quite unintentional," reports the British Governor of a colony of 15,000 Poles housed in eight villages close to Minden. "A few weeks ago I discovered a few Boy Scouts and arranged a meeting for them. We have now got 800 Scouts and about 400 Girl Guides, with a waiting list of as many again. They are as keen as mustard. When I went to a German clothing manufacturer and ordered a thousand Scout uniforms he thought I was mad but he made them."..."''

[[Image:Scouts on stamps Detmold displaced persons camp.png|thumb|stamp of Lithuanian Scout postal system for displaced persons camps ]]

*In Mönchehof displaced persons camp the Russian Scouts provided postal delivery and issued Scout stamps.

There were Polish Scout troops in refugee camps during World War II.

In Liechtenstein Scouts helped refugees by collecting donations and food for the refugees.

German Catholic Scout groups existed in prisoner of war camps in the United Kingdom and France.

Scout groups including Germans and Austrians existed in several Prisoner of war camps of the western Allies.

In refugee camps in Vichy France for Belgian refugees were active Scout groups.

In a internment camp for Germans on the Isle of Man a Scout group was active.

The [[ZHP|Polish Scout]] Headquarters moved first to Paris in 1939 and then to London. There were Polish Scout groups in Great Britain during World War II

and afterwards.  There were not only Polish there where also French, Czechoslovakian, Yugoslavian and others.  They had strong ties to their Governments in in Exile.

There were Estonian Scouts and Guide groups founded in reception camps in 1944.

[[Scouting and Guiding in Albania|Albanian Scouts and Guides]] worked in refugee camps. [[Scouting in Italy|Italian Scouts and Guides]] helped in the construction of refugee camps and worked in refugee camps, too. [[Polish Scouting and Guiding Association|Polish Guides and Scout]] sent gift parcels to children in refugee camps (Peacepacks).

[[Boy Scouts and Girl Guides of Austria|Austrian Scouts and Guides]] started a Fundraising campaign and financed two days in the Austrian refugee camp. The campaign had the name "''Mein Taschengeld für den Kosovo''" (My pocket money for the Kosovo).

[[Image:Fresno Assembly Center merit badge card.png|thumb|Fresno Assembly Center merit badge card dated October 2, 1942. Recipient is actually named ''Roy Nakagawa'', not ''Ray Nakagama''.]]

German Catholic Scout groups existed in prisoner of war camps in the United States.

Examples include:

This group was part of the Catholic camp parish. Another group was the Kolpingfamilie. Together with the Lutheran camp parish and the Kolpingfamilie the Scouts collected money to help Germany and consigned 10,000 dollars to the Caritas. An important day for the Scouts was their Confirmation. It was celebrated by the Archbishop of Boston.

[[Image:HeartMountainGirlScoutArrivalBaggage.png|thumb|right|Arrivals leaving train assisted by Girl Scout with their baggage, Heart Mountain War Relocation Center, September 1943]]

[[Image:RohwerBoyScoutCampsite1.gif|thumb|left|A 5-day Boy Scout camp on the bank of the Mississippi River was composed of nearly a hundred boys from the Rohwer War Relocation Center, together with a small troop from the nearby town of Arkansas City. August 1943]]

[[Boy Scouts of America]] units were at all ten War Relocation Authority (WRA) [[Japanese American internment]] centers during World War II. [[Girl Scouts of the USA]] units were also at most of these camps. Both Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts were also at many of the camps not run by the WRA. Internees at the Granada War Relocation Center set up a separate ''[[Scouting in Colorado|Amache District]]'' for Scouts at the camp, after the camp's unofficial name ''Camp Amache''. Camp leaders, internees themselves, set up the system. On December 06, 1942, one of the pro-Japanese internees at Manzanar started rushing towards the flagpole to tear down the American flag. A group of Japanese American [[Boy Scouts of America|Boy Scouts]], surrounded the flagpole and armed themselves with stones the size of baseballs, refusing to allow the flag to be taken down.

Between 1944 and 1946 there was an international Boy Scout troop in Oswego, N.Y whose members were young Jewish refugees from Europe. It was Troop 28 of the [[Boy Scouts of America]] and its Scoutmaster was Harold D. Clark. There were also a Cub Scout pack and a Girl Scout troop located there.

Rover Crews also existed in Japanese POW camps.

In 1939 the United Rovers were founded by the Austrian [[Scouter]] Fredy Mittler in Shanghai. This group consisted of Austrian and German émigrés.  It was affiliated to the [[The Scout Association|The Boy Scout Association]]. At the end of World War II there were 120 members.

Refugees from Poland during World War II founded Scout groups.

Refugees from Poland during World War II founded Scout troops, Guide companies, Cub and Brownie packs.

Refugees from Poland during World War II had Scouting activities such as summer camps organized by [[Związek Harcerstwa Polskiego|Polish Scouters]]. There were also Scout troops and Guide companies. This groups were part of Związek Harcerstwa Polskiego. The were under the jurisdication of Z.H.P. National Committee in London.

[[Image:Vietnamese refugees Boy Scouts Palawan.jpg|thumb|small|250px|[[HDVN|Vietnamese Boy Scouts]] in Philippine Refugee Processing Center]]

There were Scout groups in refugee camps for Vietnamese refugees after the Vietnam War (1960-1975), who received support from the UNHCR.

In Siberian POW Camps existed secret Polish Rover Crews.

''"In Africa alone the Z.H.P.National Committee in London catered for some 4000 children in 51 Guide companies, 27 Scout troops and 61 Cub Scout and Brownie packs."''

Refugees from Poland during World War II founded Scout groups in Northern Rhodesia.  They worked together with the [[The Scout Association|British Scouts]] there. For example: "''At Lusaka there were soon 88 Polish Scouts and 102 Guides and brownies.''"

Jewish displaced persons during World War II had a Scout troop.

[[Scouting in Estonia|Estonian Scouts]] have been present at every [[World Scout Jamboree]] and [[Rover Moot]], although after World War II, they were compelled to arrive and participate in these events with contingents of other countries. The only exceptions were the [[World Jamboree]] at Moisson in 1947 in which 36 Estonian [[DP-Scouts]] from Germany took part under the Estonian colors; and the [[Jubilee Jamboree]] at Sutton Park, England, in 1957, where it was possible for Estonian Scouts to fly their own flag in the camp allotted to the [[Scouts-in-Exile|Council of Scout Associations in Exile]].

Hungarian Scouts have been present at the World Jamborees in 1947, 1951, 1955, 1957, 1959, and 1963. In 1951 the Hungarian Scouts were members of the Austrian and German contingents. In 1957 40 Hungarian Scouts were members of the Austrian contingent. The Hungarians were also represented in the camp allotted to Council of Scout Associations in Exile  the  at the JIM in 1957.

At the [[9th World Scout Jamboree]] the Council of Scout Associations in Exile, ZHP-in exile and the Association of Armenian Scouts were represented. The Council of Scout Associations in Exile camped at Subcamp Copenhangen and included Scouts-in-exile from Hungary, Russia, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Ukraine.

From [[July 24]] to 28, 1948 2,500 Scouts from Germany, DP-Scouts from Germany and Scouts from other countries gathered together. The Bund Deutscher Pfadfinder Bayern organized the event.

The ''[[International Scouter Association]]'' was founded during a Scout conference in March 1947 in Mittenwald. The founders were German and Scouts-in-exile. The seat was in Munich.

At the 11th International Conference in Chateau der Rosny in France the resolution 14/47 was drafted and approved. So the D.P.Scout Division came into existence. D.P.Scout Division of the Boy Scouts International Bureau was active in Austria, Northern Italy and West Germany. The DP Scouts were registered as Scouts by the International Bureau, but had no right to vote in the International Conference. So from '''1947''' to '''1950''' DP Scouts were not Non-aligned Scouting organizations.

Leader of the Division was Jean R.Monnet, a British leader who had been invoved in Scouts' International Relief Service. The office of the Division was in Frankfurt am Main.

After the German and Austrian Scouts became registered as members of Boy Scouts International Bureau in 1950 and 1946 the Scouts in displaced persons camps should join the National Scout organisation of this countries. So the D.P.Scout Division of the Boy Scouts International Bureau was closed down as of June 30, 1950.

The [[Scouts' International Relief Service]] was active in refugee and displaced persons' camps in Northwest Europe, Italy, Austria, Yugoslavia, Greece, Cyprus, Syria, Palestine, Egypt and Hong Kong.

"''The GIS was one of the approved organisations to provide teams to work with displaced persons and refugees under the umbrella of the British Red Cross, the British Army and the United Nations relief and rehabilitation administration. From 1945 teams of women were formed to undertake medical, catering and canteen duties, establishing feeding schemes in camps; providing hospital equipment, medical supplies and disease control, as well as food and general relief supplies, saving thousands of lives. In 1947 repatriation and emigration schemes were established. 1951 brought the inauguration of education, adoption and parcels schemes. The service was disbanded in 1952 with any remaining funds being distributed to further assist displaced persons.''".

[[Image:Girl Guides of the UNHCR.png|thumb|WAGGGS-UNHCR badge]]

Scouting and [[Girl Guides|Guiding]] maintain work for and with displaced persons today, as with the work of [[World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts]] with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

*Refugees and Internally Displaced People.

Today there are Scout groups in Palestine Refugee camps.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Scouting In Displaced Persons Camps}}

[[Category:Non-aligned Scouting organizations]]

[[Category:International Scouting]]

[[Category:Exile organizations]]