| Country: | Argentina |
| Scouts de Argentina | |
| F-Date: | 1912 |
| Members: | 75,000 |
| Website: | scouts.org.ar |
| Affiliation: | World Organization of the Scout Movement |
| Pattern Head: | barehead |
| Pattern Body: | shirt long sleeves |
| Color Body: | D2B48C |
| Pattern Legs: | trousers |
| Color Legs: | 000000 |
Scouts de Argentina (Scouts of Argentina) is one of the national Scouting associations of Argentina. Scouting was officially founded in Argentina in 1912, shortly after the publication of "Scouting For Boys" in Spanish, which was granted a National Charter in 1917, and was among the charter members of the World Organization of the Scout Movement in 1922. Scouts de Argentina has 75,000 members as of 2020.[1]
Scouts of Argentina is a non-profit aimed at non-formal education, one of the scouts associations in Argentina with national scope and multi-faith guidance, formed by the merger of the USCA (Argentine Catholic Scouts Union) and the Association of Scouts of Argentina.
It was founded by Perito Francisco Moreno with the name "Boy Scouts Association Argentinos" and subsequently known as the "National Association of Boy Scouts Argentinos", "Boy Scouts Argentinos", then declared "National Institution of Argentine Scouting" by presidential decree Dr. Hipólito Yrigoyen in 1917. It is also known as "Argentine Scouting National Institute"; all these indistinct names refer to the same organization.
USCA and INSA were dissolved on December 1, 1996 to join Scouts of Argentina, Civil Association.
A Scout patrol of Anglo-Argentine students greeted Baden-Powell on his way to visit Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina and Chile in 1908. In the late 1930s, a Catholic Scout Union (USCA) was created under the sponsorship of the Roman Catholic Church and operated separately until December 2, 1996, when INSA and USCA merged to form the Scouts of Argentina.
In the mid-1990s there were two major Scout associations in Argentina:
In 1980, there were talks to agree on a federation of the two organizations, but they succumbed to differences between the leaders of the associations, and restarted further talks in 1991 under the auspices of the Interamerican Scout Region (World Organization of the Scout Movement).
In 1995, as a result of these discussions, they created a Constitution Committee which aimed to draft a merger of both associations to agree on a common educational project and establish convergence in education and land.
As one of the partnerships was an organization of the Catholic Church, the Argentine Episcopal Conference in early 1996 tried to make the adoption of Terms of Reference for the unification, although each Bishop reserves the right to form a private association in their jurisdiction if they consider that it would weaken the identity of Catholic Scouts in its two key aspects, "Faithfulness to the Scout Movement and fidelity to the Catholic doctrine. As part of these agreements, the USCA set aside a private association of the Catholic Church through the establishment of a "Scout Catholic Pastoral Committee" (COPASCA). The COPASCA assumed a supra-institution in the new partnership that arises from the unit.
On December 1, 1996, the Argentine Catholic Scouts Union (USCA) and the Association of Scouts of Argentina (ASA) merged, and a joint National Assembly was held in the town of Ezeiza on the grounds of the Textile Workers Union (SETI) next to the Matanza River.
As a result of the merger, the organization became Scouts of Argentina, the name of the new unified association.
In December 2016, the Catholic Archdiocese of La Plata announced that it will no longer sponsor Scouts of Argentina, because the organization has strayed from Christian values.[2]
It is an educational organization composed of girls, children, youth and adults.
The definition of Youth Program groups in Scouts of Argentina takes place in different stages.
On this section, kids participate of activities and learn the basics skills to prepare them to join the Unidad. The environment is thematically oriented after Rudyard Kipling's "The Jungle Book". The troop leaders are named after characters of the book like Bagheera, Baloo, Akela, Kaa, Kotick, Raksha and Rikki-Tikki-Tavi. Manada literally means pack, for pack of wolves. The children are called "Lobatos y Lobeznas", wolf cubs, representing the wolves from the book. When going on camping trips the Manada usually sleeps in one big tent as a group.
The Unidad is the main phase of the scouting experience. Kids are divided into small groups of about 4-7 people that are named after native animals of Argentina. Girls and boys are separated when forming these small groups as they will later sleep together as groups in one tent during the camping trips. The scouts will learn most of their skills in this phase. Activities are mostly organized in a competitive way between the different small groups called "Patrullas", patrols. The camping trips usually include a long-term competition that lasts the whole trip. Each patrol has a guide and sub-guide that take decisions as well as designated roles to be occupied by the members while on camping trips or during meetings. The guides and sub-guides themselves for their own patrol for special events where they meet guide-patrols from other scout groups.
Caminantes is the phase were the scouts leave the competing units to work as one group and develop more as individuals. On this phase the meetings are no longer heavily organized by the troop leaders and the scouts have more freedom to do as they please. Their camping trips last a bit longer than those in the Unidad and are characterized by them being trecking trips where the scouts carry their own gear while walking long stretches from place to place.
Also, any Scout Groups could participate in the Sea Scouts option.
Books written by Robert Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell in which underpin the Youth Programme and Scout method are:
And the general guidelines for tasks of the adult leaders were presented in Aids to Scoutmastership.
The Scout Motto is Siempre Listo (Always Prepared).
The Scout emblem incorporates the color scheme of the flag of Argentina.
The Committee on Constitutions of the World Scout Movement, adopted in 1999, the words of the Scout Promise to Argentina:
I, ... (name), promise on my honor and with the grace of God to do all that I can do to fulfill my debts to God, my country, to others and against myself, to always help my fellow men and to live the Scout Law.
The Confessional Religious Commissions, in accordance with their respective terms of reference or preliminary agreements, "may include additional terms in the text of the Pledge and determine a badge that identifies them to be used on the uniform by members who profess their faith, in accordance with any international educational agencies Scouts of Argentina and respecting the methodological guidelines that are handed down.
The text of the Scout Law Scout Argentina was adapted from the original formulation of Robert Baden-Powell to the current youth language.As the new wording contains the expression of the three scout principles, incorporating the duties to the profession of religious faith was not present in the proposed Act by B-P.The final text was drafted in the National Conference of Commissioners held in Puerto Pibes, City of Buenos Aires in July 1998, and ratified by the National Assembly In October of that year. Then the Committee on Constitutions of the World Scouting Organization approved it in 1999 .
In Argentina it is customary to celebrate the Scout Good Turn Day every year on September 5 .In some cases, the scouts collect food for the homeless. But it has recently been extended to assemble in the city's square with a fleur de lis and disposable plastic bottle caps.The recyclable material is then donated to children's hospitals to take care of children with complex health problems.One of the major benefitting organizations is the Juan Pedro Garrahan National Pediatric Hospital Foundation.
Scouts of Argentina has signed national, provincial and municipal various initiatives to promote peace education and prevent youth addictions.Among them are: