| Type: | organization |
| Associazione Guide e Scouts Cattolici Italiani | |
| Headquarters: | Piazza P. Paoli, 18 00186 Rome |
| Country: | Italy |
| F-Date: | 1974 |
| Members: | 182,000[1] (2024) |
| Chiefscouttitle: | Chief Scout |
| Chiefscout: | Fabrizio Marano[2] (Calabria) |
| Chiefscouttitle2: | Chief Guide |
| Chiefscout2: | Giorgia Caleari (Veneto) |
| Chiefscout3: |
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| Chiefscouttitle4: | Ecclesiastical Assistant |
| Chiefscout4: | |
| Website: | www.agesci.it |
| Pattern Head: | barehead |
| Pattern Body: | shirt short sleeves |
| Color Body: | 7C9ED9 |
| Pattern Legs: | shorts |
| Color Legs: | 2b3b4e |
The Associazione Guide e Scouts Cattolici Italiani (English: Association of Italian Catholic Guides and Scouts|italic=yes|link=yes, AGESCI) is a Catholic Scouting and Guiding association in Italy. It is coeducational and, as of 2024, has 182,000 members, including 33,454 leaders (of whom 1,947 priests), 1,885 local groups and 6,126 units,[1] making it the country's largest Scout, as well as youth, association.
AGESCI was formed in 1974 upon the merger of the Associazione Scouts Cattolici Italiani (ASCI, founded in 1916) and the Associazione Guide Italiane (AGI, founded in 1943). As early as in 1976, some AGESCI groups and individual members, along with some ASCI and AGI leaders who had disagreed with the merger (and, above all, opposed the principle of coeducation) and had refused to join AGESCI, formed the 20,000-strong Associazione Italiana Guide e Scouts d'Europa Cattolici (AIGSEC/FSE).[3] Since 1986 AGESCI has formed, along with the 12,000-strong non-denominational Corpo Nazionale Giovani Esploratori ed Esploratrici Italiani (CNGEI),[4] the Italian Scout Federation (FIS), Italy's national member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) and the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS). AGESCI is also a member of the International Catholic Conference of Scouting (ICCS). In Italy, AGESCI is recognised by the Catholic Episcopal Conference and co-operates with Civil Protection Department of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers.[5]
The Südtiroler Pfadfinderschaft (SP), a Catholic association in German-speaking South Tyrol,[6] and the Slovenska Zamejska Skavtska Organizacija (SZSO), serving Slovenes in Friuli-Venezia Giulia,[7] are AGESCI affiliates, albeit not members.
AGESCI has a federal structure, composed of regional sections, provincial/diocesan sections and local groups.
The region with more AGESCI members is Emilia-Romagna (13.2% of the total), followed by Veneto (13.1%) and Lombardy (10.7%), all three in northern Italy. As a result, 49.6% of AGESCI members are in northern Italy (29.7% in northeast Italy and 19.9% in northwest Italy), 20.5% in central Italy and 29.4% in southern Italy and the Isles. Veneto is first also by groups (11.5%) and units (12.1%).[1]
There are three age ranges/units in AGESCI (and they are present in most groups) following the old traditional age group format:
Units can be only-male, only-female or coeducational. In the latter case they have to be led by a male leader and a female leader. Mono-sex E/G units are quite frequent (as of 2024, 47% of the total in Liguria, 43% in Marche, 39% in Emilia-Romagna, 36% in Veneto, 29% in Sardinia, 29% in Campania, 21% in Tuscany, 18% Sicily, 17% in Lazio, etc.). L/C mono-sex units are rare and are more likely in regions where the Coccinelle have a strong tradition and presence (mainly: 23% in Marche, 20% in Sardinia and 17% in Emilia-Romagna). Finally, R/S mono-sex units are even rarer (2% in Sicily and Campania).[1]
Each group is co-ordinated by two group leaders and directed by a comunità capi (leaders' community), where all adult leaders and at least a priest belong. It meets quite often (weekly in most cases) to plan all educational activities in the group. Its work is driven by a multi-year (usually three-year) progetto educativo (educational plan), which gives a common thread to the programme of all units, ensuring a common focus across all age ranges.
Rover scouts and ranger guides may join a group's leaders' community upon completing their education and leaving the crew; more specifically, this moment is marked by a ceremony called partenza (departure).
In order to be awarded of the Wood Badge, scout leaders need to go through a lengthy training, mainly consisting of three formation camps, as well as a few years of service before, between and after these camps. In 1986 Pope John Paul II was given the Wood Badge insignia as honorary AGESCI leader.