Organizatsia na Bulgarskite Skauty

The Organizatsia na Bulgarskite Skauty (Bulgarian Организация на българските скаути, Organization of Bulgarian Scouts), the primary national Scouting organization of Bulgaria, became a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement in 1999; work towards World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts membership recognition remains unclear. The coeducational Organizatsia Na Bulgarskite Skauty has 2,109 members as of 2011.^[1]

History

Scouting traces back to 1911-1913 in Bulgaria, with the founding of a national Scout organization following in 1923. Bulgarian Scouting was originally a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement from 1924 to 1940. In the interwar period, Russian Scouting Русский Скаут went into exile, and continued in many countries where fleeing White Russian émigrés settled, establishing its own Scout groups in Bulgaria. Because of the political situation, Scouting in Bulgaria was suspended in 1940 and outlawed after the war, when communists controlled Bulgaria. Scout resources during the communist period were confiscated and redistributed to the Pioneri and the chavdari, organizations for communist youth. Scouting resumed in 1989 when the Berlin Wall was taken down, but it did not meet WOSM requirements for membership until 1995. The negative legacy of the Communist youth organizations contributed to slow growth of the Scouting movement, as it left the Scouts ill-equipped and without experienced leadership or established programs.

The Organizatsia Na Bulgarskite Skauty was accepted into the World Organization of the Scout Movement on January 17, 1999 as its 151st member, given an official welcome to WOSM at the World Scout Conference in South Africa on July 25, 1999. There are 57 Scout groups spread through Bulgaria, including in 20 of the largest cities and towns, with a membership of approximately 2,000. Sea Scouts are present in the city of Silistra, located on the Danube River, and on the Black Sea. The organization is volunteer-run. The Organizatsia Na Bulgarskite Skauty is open to both males and females. Bulgarian Scouts are well-publicized in their country and active in community development, including participating in projects related to reforestation and the Bulgarian Red Cross. They have an annual national Jamboree.

The Bulgarian noun for a single Scout is Скаут.

Program

• Cubs are 7 to 11 years of age
• Scouts are 12 to 18
• Rovers are 18 to 35

Ideals

Motto

Scouts - Be Prepared

Sea Scouts - Love the Sea

Scout Oath

Pred chestta si obeshtavam, che shte se staraja spored silite si:

Da ispulnjavam dulga si kum Boga I otechestvoto, da pomagam vinagi na drugite, da spasvam sakona na Skauta.

I give my word of honor, that I will do my best:

To do my duty to God and to the fatherland, to help others at all times and to obey the Scout Law.

Scout Law

Scautut e chesten I dostoen sa doverie

Scautut e predan na Boga, Otechestvoto, obshtestvoto i semejstvoto si

Scautut e dluzen da bude polesen i da pomaga na drugite

Scautut e prijatel na vsichki i brat na vseki drug Scout

Scautut e vezliv i etichen

Scautut e prijatel na zivotnite i opasva okolnata sreda

Scautut projavjava chustvo na uvagenie

Scautut e vesel i sas visok duh

Scautut e presteliv i opasva chastnata i obshtestvena sobstvenost

Scautut e chist vav mislitr, dumit i delata si

A Scout is honest and trustworthy

A Scout is loyal to God, the fatherland, society and his family

A Scout's duty is to be useful and to help others

A Scout is a friend to all and brother to every other Scout

A Scout is courteous

A Scout is kind to animals and protects the environment

A Scout is respectful and obedient

A Scout is cheerful and has spirit

A Scout is thrifty and respects all property

A Scout is clean in thought, word and deed

Emblem

The membership badge of Organizatsia Na Bulgarskite Skauty incorporates the Cyrillic letters O-B-S.

References

• Information derived from reports of Thomas N. Turba, International Representative of the Indianhead Council, Boy Scouts of America in Saint Paul, Minnesota, who led Scout contingents from Minnesota to Bulgaria in 1993 and 1995.

External links

• Official website of the Organization of the Bulgarian Scouts
• Official Forum @ Organization of the Bulgarian Scouts