Beslidhja Skaut Albania

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Scout organization

Organizational data
Name	Beslidhja Skaut Albania
Country	Albania
Founded	2004
Membership	1000 (est)
Scouting portal

Beslidhja Skaut Albania, or more fully Organizata Skautiste Shqiptare Beslidhja Skaut Albania, is the primary national Scouting organization of Albania. It was founded in 2004 and became a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement in 2005. The coeducational Beslidhja Skaut Albania has 1,000 members as of 2004.

The Albanian Scouting movement formerly recognized by the World Organization of the Scout Movement was Besa Skaut Albania, the Organization of Albanian Honorable Scouts, until 2005.

[edit] History

Membership badge of Organizata Skautiste Shqiptare Besa Skaut Albania

Scouting was founded in Albania in 1920 and was a founding member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement from 1922 to 1937. In 1937, Scouting was banned by King Zog and recognition by WOSM was withdrawn. In 1939, Albania was invaded by Italy and after the end of World War II, the communist government had a local variant of the Pioneers.

With the fall of communism in 1989, Albanian Scouting was reestablished by Dolores and Mihal Dhima, International Commissioner and Chief Scout of Besa Scouts Albania, respectively. Scout groups rapidly sprang up in major cities.

Albanian Scouts receiving a gift of insignia from Spanish Scouts, Dolores and Mihal Dhima are in the center of the photo

Albania was accepted as a member of WOSM in July 1999 at the World Scout Conference in South Africa. The membership of Besa Skaut Albania was terminated by the World Scout Committee in 2005, and new membership was granted to Organizata Skautiste Shqiptare Beslidhja Skaut Albania, an offshoot of the older organization. Scouting struggles today due to political unrest, poor economic conditions and lack of government recognition and support.

The Beslidhja Scout Motto is "Ji Gati", translating as "Be Prepared" in Shqiptar. Other organizations use "Pergatitu", translating as "Always Prepared" in Shqiptar. The Shqiptar noun for a single Scout is Skaut.

[edit] Other Albanian Scout organizations

Membership badge of Shoqata e Guidave dhe Scoutëve në Shqipëri

Other Scout organizations include

the Association of Guides and Scouts in Albania, Shoqata e Guidave dhe Scoutëve në Shqipëri, work towards World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts membership recognition remains unclear;
the Udhëhequset dhe Skautistet e Europes/Guides et Scouts d'Albanie, an Albanian Catholic Scouts and Guides association belonging to the Union Internationale des Guides et Scouts d'Europe as an Albanian exile group in Belgium, that recently started working in Albania