Scouts
SCOUTS
Worldwide youth movement that began in England in the early 1900s; it now has affiliates in virtually every country.
Except for Afghanistan, all Middle Eastern countries have scouting associations, affiliated with the World Organization of the Scout Movement. The oldest are in Lebanon (founded 1912), Syria (1913), Egypt (1918), Iraq (1921), Tunisia (1933), and Algeria (1934). The region's office of the World Scout Bureau is in Cairo, Egypt, for all Arab countries; in Geneva, Switzerland, for Turkey; and in Manila, Philippines, for Iran. In Israel, the girls' section belongs to the Asia-Pacific scout region (Manila), the boys' to the European (Geneva). Most countries have separate Boy Scouts and Girl Scout/Guide organizations.
As a youth movement in the Middle East, scouting revolves around camping and community service, including desert reclamation, medical aid, traffic control, tree planting, construction, helping pilgrims to Mecca, literacy activities, and disaster relief. Self-sufficiency and good citizenship are the goals, with volunteerism and outdoor activities stressed for health and positive attitudes toward society.
In 1990, the largest scout associations were in Iran (105,515), Egypt (73,275), Algeria (66,585), Tunisia (26,120), Israel (29,600), and Turkey (21,750). Total regional membership is some 450,000.
Bibliography
Boy Scouts of America, External Communications Office. Fact Sheets. Irving, TX: 1992.
guilain p. denoeux