Eclaireuses et Eclaireurs de France
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| Scouting organization | |
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 Guides and Scouts of France |
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| Organizational data | |
| Name | Éclaireuses et Éclaireurs de France |
| Headquarters | 12, place Georges Pompidou |
| Location | Noisy-le-Grand |
| Country | France |
| Founded | 1964 |
| Membership | 35,000 |
| President | Gilles Ybert |
 Scouting portal |
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Éclaireuses et Éclaireurs de France (EEdF, Guides and Scouts of France) is an interreligious and coeducational Scouting and Guiding association in France. 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 35,000 members of both genders.
EEdF is a member of Scoutisme Français and via this federation member of both the World Organization of the Scout Movement and the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts.
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[edit] History
In 1911, two interreligious Scouting organizations were founded in France: the Éclaireurs de France (EdF) by Nicolas Benoit and the Éclaireurs Français (EF) by Pierre de Coubertin. Three years later, the first Guide groups emerged. They formed the Fédération des Éclaireuses (FEE) in 1921. In the same year the Edf started the Cub Scout 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.
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 Éclaireurs Neutres de France with a more positive position to religion. Despite this the membership of the EdF reached 50,000 Scouts in 1948.
The Éclaireurs de France and the Fédération des Éclaireuses 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 Éclaireuses et Éclaireurs de France.
In 1992 an overzealous Éclaireurs de France group infamously took their graffiti-scrubbing equipment into the Meyrieres Cave near the French village of Bruniquel in Tarn-et-Garonne, where they carefully erased the ancient paintings from the walls, earning them the 1992 Ig Nobel Prize in archaeology.
[edit] Program
[edit] Values
The EEdF has formulated five core values that are fundamental for the whole association:[1]
- Laïcité: The association and its members respect the diversity of mankind and fight against all types of discrimination and intolerance.
- Coeducation means to educate both girls and boys in the same groups for mutual understanding and acceptance.
- Democracy 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.
- Openess and solidarity 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.
[edit] Sections
The association is divided in four sections, distinguished by ages, and a fifth one for leaders:[2]
- Les lutins et lutines (Pixies) - ages 6 to 8
- Les louveteaux et louvettes (Cub scouts) - ages 8 to 12
- Les éclaireuses et éclaireurs (Guides and Scouts) - ages 12 to 15
- Les aînés ("Elders" - Rover Scouts) - ages 15 to 19
- Les responsables d'animation (Leaders) - ages 17 and older
[edit] Scout Promise
The EdF were one of the few Scouting associations who were allowed to use the Alternative Promise by Robert Baden-Powell. This led to grave turbulences in the 1950s[3] 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.
