Éclaireuses et Éclaireurs de France (''Guides and Scouts of France'', EEdF) is an interreligious and coeducational

Scouting Scouting or the Scout Movement is a youth social movement, movement which became popularly established in the first decade of the twentieth century. It follows the Scout method of informal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activi ...

and Guiding association in

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. The first interreligious Scouting groups in France were founded in 1911, and interreligious Guiding started in 1914; both movements merged in 1964 forming the EEdF. The association serves today about 17,000 members of both sexes. EEdF is a member of Scoutisme Français and through this federation also a member of both the

World Organization of the Scout Movement The World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM ) is the largest and, after the Order of World Scouts (formed in 1911), is the second-oldest international organization in the Scout Movement, having been established in 1922. It has 176 members. ...

and the

World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts The World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS ) is a global association that supports Girl Guides, female-oriented and female-only Guiding and Scouting organizations in 153 countries. It was established in the year 1928 in Parád, H ...

Emblem

The bow and arrow were chosen as emblems by the founders of the Eclaireurs de France in 1911. The trefoil is for the girls and women. The four colours (orange, green, red, blue) represent the four age groups.

History

In 1911, two interreligious Scouting organizations were founded in France: the ''Eclaireurs de France'' (EdF) by Nicolas Benoit and the ''Eclaireurs Français'' (EF) by

Pierre de Coubertin Charles Pierre de Frédy, Baron de Coubertin (; born Pierre de Frédy; 1 January 1863 – 2 September 1937), also known as Pierre de Coubertin and Baron de Coubertin, was a French educator and historian, co-founder of the International Olympic ...

. Three years later, the first Guide groups emerged. They formed the ''Fédération des Eclaireuses'' (FEE) in 1921. In the same year the EdF started the

Cub Scout Cubs or Wolf Cubs are programs associated with some Scout organizations, for young children, usually between 8 and 12, who are too young to be Scouts and make the Scout Promise. A participant in the program is called a Cub and a group of Cubs ...

section; Rovering followed in 1926. In the 1930s, André Lefèvre, chief of the Eclaireurs de France, set up a training camp for 60 Scoutmasters from all over

French Indochina French Indochina (previously spelled as French Indo-China), officially known as the Indochinese Union and after 1941 as the Indochinese Federation, was a group of French dependent territories in Southeast Asia from 1887 to 1954. It was initial ...

. During World War II, the EdF was among the founding members of the ''Fédération du Scoutisme Français'' in 1941. In 1947 some leaders left the EdF for its laical attitude and founded the Eclaireurs Neutres de France with a more positive position to religion. Despite this the membership of the EdF reached 50,000 Scouts in 1948. The ''Eclaireurs de France'' and the ''Fédération des Eclaireuses'' started a process of mutual approach in 1949. This led to joint national jamborees and finally led to the merger of the EdF, the EF and the FEE in 1964 under the name ''Eclaireuses et Eclaireurs de France''. In 1989, five local groups left the EEdF forming the Fédération des Eclaireuses et Eclaireurs.

Program

Values

The EEdF has formulated five core values that are fundamental for the whole association: *

Laïcité (; 'secularism') is the constitutional principle of secularism in France. Article 1 of the French Constitution is commonly interpreted as the separation of civil society and religious society. It discourages religious involvement in governmen ...

: The association and its members respect the diversity of mankind and fight against all types of discrimination and intolerance. *

Coeducation Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to ...

means to educate both girls and boys in the same groups for mutual understanding and acceptance. *

Democracy Democracy (from , ''dēmos'' 'people' and ''kratos'' 'rule') is a form of government in which political power is vested in the people or the population of a state. Under a minimalist definition of democracy, rulers are elected through competitiv ...

means to have the choice between equal opportunities, to allow everybody her or his rights and duties to participate in common projects and to take responsibilities. * Openness and

solidarity Solidarity or solidarism is an awareness of shared interests, objectives, standards, and sympathies creating a psychological sense of unity of groups or classes. True solidarity means moving beyond individual identities and single issue politics ...

help to be open to the world and to others and to develop a spirit of exchange and working together. * Engagement for the environment means to know and understand the world, to act for its protection and to respect its balance and harmony.

Sections

The association is divided in four sections, distinguished by ages, and a fifth one for leaders: * ''Les lutins et lutines'' (Pixies) - ages 6 to 8 * ''Les louveteaux et louvettes'' (

Cub Scouts Cubs or Wolf Cubs are programs associated with some Scouting, Scout organizations, for young children, usually between 8 and 12, who are too young to be Scouts and make the Scout Promise. A participant in the program is called a Cub and a gro ...

) - ages 8 to 11 * ''Les éclaireuses et éclaireurs'' ( Guides and Scouts) - ages 11 to 15 * ''Les aînés'' ("Elders" -

Rover Scouts Rovers or Rovering is a programme associated with some Scout organizations for adults, originated by The Boy Scouts Association in the United Kingdom in 1918 to provide a programme for young men who had grown up beyond the age range of the Boy ...

) - ages 15 to 18 * ''Les Djaé'' - ages 18 to 25 * ''Les responsables d'animation'' (Leaders) - ages 17 and older

Scout Promise

The EdF were one of the few Scouting associations who were allowed to use the Alternative Promise by

Robert Baden-Powell Lieutenant-General Robert Stephenson Smyth Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell, ( ; 22 February 1857 – 8 January 1941) was a British Army officer, writer, founder of The Boy Scouts Association and its first Chief Scout, and founder, with ...

. This led to grave turbulences in the 1950s and finally to the introduction of a religious formula which may be used by the Scouts and Guides but is not an integral part of the

Scout Promise The Scout Promise (or Oath) is a declaration made by a person joining the Scout movement. Since the publication of ''Scouting for Boys'' in 1908, all Scouts and Girl Guides around the world have taken a Scout (or Guide) promise or oath to live up ...

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Eclaireuses Et Eclaireurs De France Scouting and Guiding in France World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts member organizations World Organization of the Scout Movement member organizations Youth organizations established in 1964 1964 establishments in France Ig Nobel laureates