Scouts of Syria () is the national

Scout Scout may refer to: Youth movement *Scout (Scouting), a child, usually 10–18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement ** Scouts (The Scout Association), section for 10-14 year olds in the United Kingdom ** Scouts BSA, sect ...

and

Guide A guide is a person who leads travelers, sportspeople, or tourists through unknown or unfamiliar locations. The term can also be applied to a person who leads others to more abstract goals such as knowledge or wisdom. Travel and recreation Exp ...

organization of

Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...

. Scouting in Syria was founded in 1912; Guiding started in the 1950s. The coeducational association serves 9,358 members and is 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 ...

History

Scouting

Scouting started in Syria in 1912, when the country was part of the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

. In 1924, a federation of Christian and Muslim associations from

Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...

and Syria became member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM). In the 1930s and 1940s, this federation was affected by the political situation in the region, and especially by the separation of Syria and Lebanon, which led to the registration of the Boy Scouts de Syrie as a separate member of WOSM in August 1949. Syria hosted the 1st Arab Regional Scout Jamboree in 1954 and the 3rd Arab Regional Scout Jamboree and the 1st Arab Regional Scout Conference, both in 1958. During this conference,

Damascus Damascus ( , ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in the Levant region by population, largest city of Syria. It is the oldest capital in the world and, according to some, the fourth Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. Kno ...

was named as headquarters of the Arab Scout Region. The ''Boy Scouts de Syrie'' were removed from WOSM-membership in November 1999 due non-compliance with the constitutional obligations of WOSM (especially the non-payment of membership fees). Syria still participated in Scouting activities with Arab Scout Region neighbours while seeking return to WOSM membership. On July 1, 2008, it was readmitted to WOSM. Ali al-Dandachi, a member of the association, served on the

World Scout Committee 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. ...

of WOSM from 1951 until 1957 and. In 1969, he was awarded the

Bronze Wolf The Bronze Wolf Award is an award presented by the World Organization of the Scout Movement for outstanding service by an individual to the Scout Movement. Just over 400 people have received the Bronze Wolf since its creation in 1935. WOSM has r ...

, for his services to World Scouting. In 1980, Ibrahim Zakaria was also awarded the ''Bronze Wolf''.

Guiding

Guiding in Syria started the 1950s. About 1960, the Guide Association became a member of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS). The Arab Region of WAGGGS held its 3rd Arab Regional Conference in Damascus in 1970, followed by the Arab Committee Meeting in 1976. When the Arab Socialist Ba'th Party banned all youth organizations in the 1980s, the association lost its international recognition. Guiding was restarted in 2000 after the election of

Bashar al-Assad Bashar al-Assad (born 11September 1965) is a Syrian politician, military officer and former dictator Sources characterising Assad as a dictator: who served as the president of Syria from 2000 until fall of the Assad regime, his government ...

as president of Syria. In July 2008, the Guide branch of ''Scouts of Syria'' was re-admitted to associate membership of WAGGGS. It was promoted to full membership in 2017.

Membership

The association is open to members of all faiths and of both genders. Many events and most leadership training are carried out jointly, however most local units are single-sex. The Scout branch of Scouts of Syria had 9,358 members in 2008 (1,170 Cub Scouts, 4,500 Scouts, 3,000 Advanced Scouts, 250 Rovers and 438 Adult Leaders). The Guide branch numbered 1,020 members. In 1959, during the period when the ''Boy Scouts de Syrie'' was recognized as a unified Scout federation with

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

, the Levantine nation had 17,900 Scouts, and in 1990 membership stood at 11,073.

Program

Sections

The association is divided in four sections according to age: * Cub Scouts/ Brownie Guides - ages 7 to 11 *

Scouts 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 ...

Guides A guide is a person who leads travelers, sportspeople, or tourists through unknown or unfamiliar locations. The term can also be applied to a person who leads others to more abstract goals such as knowledge or wisdom. Travel and recreation Exp ...

- ages 12 to 14 * Advanced Scouts/Senior Guides - ages 15 to 17 *

Rover Scout 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 ...

s/ Ranger Guides - ages 18 to 23.

Motto

The Scout Motto is ''Kun Musta'idan'' (), translating as ''Be Prepared'', but the local variant is ''Wa-a-iddoo'' (). The noun for a single Scout is ''Kashaf'' ().

Facilities

Syrian Scouts have a national training center at

Zabadani Al-Zabadani or Az-Zabadani () is a city and popular hill station in southwestern Syria in the Rif Dimashq Governorate, close to the border with Lebanon. It is located in the center of a green valley surrounded by high mountains at an elevation of ...

, where the first Arab Jamboree was held in 1954.

References

{{WAGGGS, arab World Organization of the Scout Movement member organizations World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts member organizations Scouting and Guiding in Syria Youth organizations established in 1912 1912 establishments in the Ottoman Empire