The World Organization of the Scouting Movement
Mission
To contribute to the education of young people, through a value system based on the Scout Promise and Scout Law, and help build a better world where people are self-fulfilled as individuals and play a constructive role in society.
Membership
- 161 national Scout organizations
- 25 million youth and adults
Universal Principles of Scouting
- Duty to God and respect for individual beliefs
- Loyalty tone’s country and respect for its laws
- Strength of world friendship and Scouting brotherhood
- Service to others—community development
- Voluntary membership
- Volunteer leadership
- Independence from political influence and control
- Outdoor program orientation
- Citizenship, physical and mental development, and character guidance
Universal Practices
- Scout Promise
- Scout Law
- Trefoil symbol
- “Be Prepared” motto
- Three-finger Scout sign
- Scout left handclasp
- Patrol system
- Recognition of accomplishments through rank advancement and awards
- Good Turns
Structure
World Scout Conference
- Composed of six delegates from each of the member Scout associations
- Meets every three years to form plans for cooperative agreements
World Scout Committee
- Executive body of the World Scout Conference
- Members are elected at the World Scout Conference
- Members have six-year terms
World Scout Bureau
- Secretariat carries out the instructions of the World Scout Conference and the
World Scout Committee
- Main office in Geneva, Switzerland
- Six regional offices
- Africa region – Nairobi, Dakar, and Capetown
- Arab region – Cairo
- Asia-Pacific region – Manila
- Europe region – Geneva, Brussels, and Belgrade
- Inter-America region – Santiago de Chile
- Eurasia region – Yalta-Gurzuf and Moscow
- Goals of the World Scout Bureau
- Improving professional and volunteer training
- Establishing sound financial policies and money-raising techniques
- Improving community facilities and procedures
- Marshaling the national resources of each country behind Scouting
- Arranging global events such as world Scout jamborees
- Encouraging regional events
Boy Scouts of America Support of World Scouting
World Friendship Fund
- Developed after World War II to rebuild Scouting in war-torn countries
- Supported by contributions from Scouts and leaders
World Scouting Fund
- Part of the National Boy Scouts of America Foundation
- Supported by individual businesses, corporations, and foundation grants
- Gives financial support for special Scouting projects around the world through grants to Scout associations
World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) Membership Countries
In 2010, Scout organizations of 161 countries were members of the WOSM including:
Country |
Year Scouting Was Founded |
Year Joined WOSM |
Membership |
Albania |
|
2005 |
1,000 |
Algeria |
1939 |
1963 |
11,120 |
Angola |
|
1998 |
13,777 |
Argentina |
1912 |
1922 |
46,264 |
Armenia |
1912 |
1997 |
2,385 |
Australia |
1908 |
1953 |
73,955 |
Austria |
1912 |
1922 |
10,768 |
Azerbaijan |
1997 |
2000 |
1,356 |
Bahamas |
1913 |
1974 |
1,017 |
Bahrain |
1953 |
1970 |
1,867 |
Bangladesh |
1972 |
1974 |
896,118 |
Barbados |
1912 |
1969 |
2,738 |
Belarus |
1909 |
2010 |
1,200 |
Belgium |
1911 |
1922 |
88,307 |
Belize |
1911 |
1987 |
2,376 |
Benin |
1932 |
1964 |
6,350 |
Bhutan |
1991 |
1999 |
16,738 |
Bolivia |
1915 |
1950 |
7,829 |
Bosnia and Herzegovina |
|
1999 |
1,901 |
Botswana |
1936 |
1958 |
4,660 |
Brazil |
1910 |
1922 |
59,057 |
Brunei Darussalam |
1933 |
1981 |
1,886 |
Bulgaria |
1911–13 |
1999 |
2,711 |
Burkina Faso |
1943 |
1972 |
10,165 |
Burundi |
1940 |
1979 |
6,661 |
Cambodia |
2008 |
|
|
Cameroon |
|
|
|
Canada |
1909 |
1946 |
146,250 |
Cape Verde |
|
2002 |
733 |
Chad |
1960 |
1974 |
8,132 |
Chile |
1909 |
1922–71, 1974 |
35,189 |
China, Scouts of |
1912 |
1937 |
57,039 |
Colombia |
1917 |
1933 |
14,045 |
Comoros |
1975 |
1990 |
1,725 |
Cong, The Democratic Republic of the |
1924 |
1963 |
71,486 |
Costa Rica |
1915 |
1935 |
5,050 |
Côte-d’Ivoire |
1937 |
1972 |
6,436 |
Croatia |
1915 |
1993 |
4,825 |
Cyprus |
1913 |
1961 |
4,478 |
Czech Republic |
1911 |
1996 |
23,088 |
Denmark |
1909 |
1922 |
44,591 |
Dominica |
1929 |
1990 |
1,100 |
Dominican Republic |
1926 |
1930 |
8,899 |
Ecuador |
1920 |
1922 |
4,132 |
Egypt |
1918 |
1922 |
74,598 |
El Salvador |
1938 |
1940 |
3,970 |
Estonia |
1912 |
1996 |
1,209 |
Ethiopia |
1950 |
2002 |
1,827 |
Fiji |
1914 |
1971 |
2,825 |
Finland |
1910 |
1922 |
31,735 |
France |
1910 |
1922 |
67,383 |
Gabon |
1936 |
1971 |
3,809 |
Gambia |
1921 |
1984 |
18,448 |
Georgia |
1994 |
1997 |
1,240 |
Germany |
1910 |
1950 |
123,686 |
Ghana |
1912 |
1960 |
2,311 |
Greece |
1910 |
1922 |
17,658 |
Grenada |
1924 |
1979 |
1,665 |
Guatemala |
1928 |
1930 |
11,272 |
Guinea |
|
2005 |
|
Guyana |
1909 |
1967 |
424 |
Haiti |
1932 |
1932 |
9,859 |
Honduras |
1952 |
1957 |
3,031 |
Hong Kong |
1911 |
1977 |
99,591 |
Hungary |
1912 |
1990 |
6,236 |
Iceland |
1912 |
1924 |
1,526 |
India |
1909 |
1938 |
2,423,686 |
Indonesia |
1912 |
1953 |
8,103,835 |
Ireland |
1908 |
1949 |
36,185 |
Israel |
1920 |
1951 |
21,920 |
Italy |
1912 |
1922 |
100,689 |
Jamaica |
1910 |
1963 |
3,181 |
Japan |
1913 |
1922 |
195,370 |
Jordan |
1954 |
1955 |
15,538 |
Kazakhstan |
1992 |
2008 |
1,640 |
Kenya |
1910 |
1964 |
262,146 |
Kiribati |
|
1993 |
1,333 |
Korea, Republic of |
1922 |
1953 |
214,363 |
Kuwait |
1952 |
1955 |
6,061 |
Latvia |
1917 |
1993 |
544 |
Lebanon |
1912 |
1947 |
14,334 |
Lesotho |
1936 |
1971 |
371 |
Liberia |
1922 |
1965 |
2,418 |
Libyan Arab Jamahiriya |
1954 |
1958 |
13,698 |
Liechtenstein |
1931 |
1933 |
689 |
Lithuania |
1918 |
1924–40, 1997 |
2,107 |
Luxembourg |
1914 |
1922 |
5,092 |
Macedonia, The former Yugoslav Republic of |
1921 |
1997 |
1,988 |
Madagascar |
1921 |
1960 |
9,473 |
Malawi |
|
2005 |
4,000 |
Malaysia |
1911 |
1957 |
73,494 |
Maldives |
1963 |
1990 |
4,518 |
Malta |
1908 |
1966 |
2,531 |
Mauritania |
1946 |
1983 |
3,790 |
Mauritius |
1912 |
1971 |
3,022 |
Mexico |
1920 |
1926 |
28,963 |
Moldova, Republic of |
1991 |
1997 |
1,540 |
Monaco |
|
1990 |
61 |
Mongolia |
1992 |
1994 |
8,264 |
Montenegro |
2008 |
|
|
Morocco |
1933 |
1961 |
12,304 |
Mozambique |
1960 |
1999 |
28,993 |
Namibia |
1917 |
1990 |
2,172 |
Nepal |
1952 |
1969 |
15,621 |
Netherlands |
1910 |
1922 |
59,500 |
New Zealand |
1908 |
1953 |
19,751 |
Nicaragua |
1937 |
1948 |
1,541 |
Niger |
1947 |
1996 |
3,113 |
Nigeria |
1915 |
1961 |
46,701 |
Norway |
1911 |
1922 |
18,818 |
Oman |
1948 |
1977 |
9,078 |
Pakistan |
1947 |
1948 |
526,403 |
Palestinian Authority |
1912 |
1996 |
20,017 |
Panama |
1924 |
1924–36, 1950 |
1,868 |
Papua New Guinea |
1926 |
1976 |
5,515 |
Paraguay |
1960 |
1962 |
1,075 |
Peru |
1916 |
1922 |
9,147 |
Philippines |
1923 |
1946 |
1,872,525 |
Poland |
1919 |
1922–50, 1996 |
61,394 |
Portugal |
1913 |
1922 |
73,181 |
Qatar |
1956 |
1965 |
3,518 |
Romania |
1914 |
1993 |
4,930 |
Russian Federation |
1909 |
2000 |
14,130 |
Rwanda |
1940 |
1975 |
18,884 |
San Marino |
1973 |
1990 |
173 |
Saudi Arabia |
1961 |
1963 |
19,269 |
Senegal |
1930 |
1963 |
26,373 |
Seychelles |
|
2002 |
609 |
Sierra Leone |
1909 |
1964 |
7,902 |
Singapore |
1910 |
1966 |
9,965 |
Slovakia |
1913 |
1997 |
4,268 |
Slovenia |
1915 |
1994 |
4,525 |
South Africa |
1908 |
1937 |
11,634 |
Spain |
1912 |
1922 |
65,088 |
Sri Lanka |
1912 |
1953 |
27,264 |
Saint Lucia |
1935 |
1993 |
393 |
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines |
1924 |
1990 |
549 |
Serbia |
1911 |
1995 |
5,899 |
Sudan |
1935 |
1956 |
13,550 |
Suriname |
1924 |
1968 |
2,601 |
Swaziland |
1928 |
1968 |
4,994 |
Sweden |
1911 |
1922 |
59,035 |
Switzerland |
1912 |
1922 |
25,946 |
Syria |
2008 |
|
|
Tajikistan |
1991 |
1997 |
1,968 |
Tanzania, United Republic of |
1929 |
1963 |
91,057 |
Thailand |
1911 |
1922 |
1,360,869 |
Togo |
1920 |
1977 |
7,326 |
Trinidad and Tobago |
1911 |
1963 |
4,176 |
Tunisia |
1934 |
1957 |
19,236 |
Turkey |
1923 |
1950 |
13,964 |
Uganda |
1915 |
1964 |
92,946 |
Ukraine |
2008 |
|
|
United Arab Emirates |
1972 |
1977 |
5,824 |
United Kingdom |
1907 |
1922 |
444,271 |
United States |
1909 |
1922 |
5,970,203 |
Uruguay |
1946 |
1950 |
3,003 |
Venezuela |
1913 |
1937 |
16,221 |
Yemen |
1954 |
1980 |
6,481 |
Zambia |
1930 |
1965 |
7,396 |
Zimbabwe |
1909 |
1980 |
2,389 |
Notes: The membership shown for each country represents only the members (youth and adults) of the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM), which in most countries includes boys and girls. These numbers are from the latest WOSM census.
The dates represent the most recent years in which the current National Scout Organization was founded and joined the World Organization of the Scout movement.
World Organization of Scouting: www.scout.org