The World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM/ˈwʊzəm/) is the largest and, after the Order of World Scouts (formed in 1911), is the second-oldest international scout organization, having been established in 1922.[1][2] It has 176 members.[3] These members are national scout organizations that founded WOSM or have subsequently been recognised by WOSM, which collectively have around 43 million participants.[5] Its operational headquarters is in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia while it is legally based in Geneva, Switzerland.
WOSM's current stated mission is "to contribute to the education of young people, through a value system based on the Scout Promise and Scout Law, to help build a better world where people are self-fulfilled as individuals and play a constructive role in society".[6][7]
WOSM operates through conferences of its member organization representatives, its committee and its full-time bureau, structured into regions. It is associated with three World Scout Centres. A World Scout Jamboree is held approximately every four years under its auspices and it organizes World Scout Moots for 17- to 26-year-olds and previously organized World Scout Indabas, a gathering for Scout leaders. The World Scout Foundation is a separately governed fund, supported by donations, for the development of WOSM associated programs.
In 1920, a conference held during the 1st World Scout Jamboree at Olympia, London agreed to create a Boy Scouts international bureau. An office was established at 25 Buckingham Palace Road, London and The Boy Scouts Association of the United Kingdom International Commissioner, Hubert S. Martin, was appointed as honorary director. The bureau's principal task was to co-ordinate discussions and prepare a second international conference in Paris in 1922.[1][2] At the 1922 Paris conference, The International Conference of the Boy Scout Movement and its committee were constituted and took over the bureau in London.[2]
In 1961, the organization's conference reconstituted the organization under the name World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM). Its International Conference of the Boy Scout Movement became WOSM's World Scout Conference ("conference"), its Boy Scouts International Committee became WOSM's World Scout Committee ("committee") and its Boy Scouts International Bureau became WOSM's World Scout Bureau ("bureau").[9]
WOSM's membership consists of its remaining founding member organizations and organizations recognized by WOSM as national scout organizations. WOSM's rules protect its founding and existing member organizations by permitting only one member organization in each country and locking-out all other Scout organizations from WOSM membership, recognition and participation no matter how worthy or large their membership.[1] Several member organizations are federations, some with different component groups divided on the basis of religion (e.g., France and Denmark), ethnic identification (e.g., Israel) or language (e.g., Belgium). However, WOSM has never required an existing member organization to federate with other Scout organizations in the country, in order to make WOSM more inclusive and representative. There are numerous Canadian Scout organizations but only one is a WOSM member organization (the Canadian branch of one of the organizations that founded WOSM) which has a French language affiliate which is thereby recognized by WOSM. Other than this inherent limitation on WOSM membership, the basis for WOSM membership includes adherence to WOSM's aims and principles and independence from political involvement on the part of each member organization.
Member organizations in non-sovereign territories
WOSM has member organizations in some non-sovereign territories.
WOSM historically recognized some non-national Scout organizations:
"National" organizations operating outside their original homelands. WOSM's conference admitted and recognised the exile Russian Scouts as the "Representatives of Russian Scouting in Foreign Countries" on 30 August 1922 and the Armenian Scouts in France were recognized as a "National Movement on Foreign Soil" on 30 April 1929.[9]
Small, non-voting associations. The International Boy Scouts of the Canal Zone, a group in Panama with Scouts that claimed British and not Panamanian nationality was originally placed under the Boy Scouts of America's Canal Zone Council but, in 1947, was transferred under WOSM's bureau.[10] The group had over 900 members in 1957 and existed as a directly registered group until the late 60s.[citation needed] The Boy Scouts of the United Nations began in 1945 and for years there was an active Boy Scouts of the United Nations with several troops at Parkway Village in New York City but only 14 members in 1959.[citation needed] Both the International Boy Scouts of the Canal Zone and the Boy Scouts of United Nations have long since disbanded.
Directly registered "mixed-nationality Troops" were registered after discussions concerning such troops took place at WOSM's 3rd conference in 1924[11] at which WOSM's bureau was authorized to directly register such groups. It seems that the discussion at WOSM's 1924 conference was, at least in part, prompted by a letter to Baden-Powell from the Scoutmaster of one such troop in Yokohama, Japan.[12]Janning's troop became the first troop directly registered by WOSM's bureau.[13] Only a few troops were directly registered and the practice was soon discontinued with new "mixed" groups being encouraged to join the WOSM member organization of their country of residence. In 1955, only two such groups were still active, a troop in Iraq that disbanded that year,[14] and the first group to be so registered, the International Troop 1 in Yokohama.[15][16] The only remaining directly registered Troop is the International Boy Scouts, Troop 1 located in Yokohama, Japan.[citation needed]
Temporary recognition was extended to Scouts in displaced persons camps after World War II. In 1947, at WOSM's 11th conference the "Displaced Persons Division" of WOSM's bureau was established to register and support Scouts in displaced person camps in Austria, Northern Italy, and Germany.[17] These Scouts did not receive the right of WOSM membership but gained recognition as Scouts under WOSM's bureau until they took up residence in a country that had a recognized national Scout organization, which they could join.[18] The D.P. Division was closed on 30 June 1950.[19]
Structure
Conference
WOSM's conference is its general meeting of member organizations' representatives which meet every three years, hosted by a member association. Each member organizations may send six delegates. The conference is usually preceded by the World Scout Youth Forum.[20][21]
Date
Number
Location
Country
Member Countries
Host Candidate Countries
1920
Retrospectively referred to as the "First International Conference"
WOSM's committee is its executive governing body, composed of elected volunteers and its secretary general, which is responsible for the implementation of the resolutions of its conference and governs the organization between meetings of its conference. The committee meets at least twice a year. Its steering committee, consisting of the chairperson, two vice-chairpersons and its youth advisor and secretary general meet as needed.[28]
The committee has 21 members. Twelve, each from a different country, are elected for three-year terms by WOSM's conference. The members, elected without regard to their nationality, represent the interests of the movement as a whole, not those of their country. The secretary general, the treasurer of WOSM and a representative member of the board of the World Scout Foundation and the chairpersons of the regional Scout committees are ex-officio members of the committee. From 2008 to 2021 six Youth Advisors to the WSC were elected by the World Scout Youth Forum. The Youth Advisors participated in all of the WSC meetings and were also part of the governing structure between the meetings.[29] There will be no Youth Advisors from 2024.
The 2021–2024 committee set up work streams to address the top strategic priorities, as defined by WOSM's conference, which at present include:[30]
Educational Methods
Boosting adult volunteers
Earth Tribe Coordinating Team
Gender Mainstreaming Coordination
Life Skills Initiative
SCENES Coordination Team
World Events
Evolution of its conference
Innovation of all World Events
Good Governance
Growth, Recovery and Resilience - Enabling Capacities for Growth
GSAT Review and New Partner On-boarding
Safe from Harm 1 - Compliance Mechanism Build, Pilot and Implementation
Safe from Harm in World and Regional Events
Strengthening Consultants Support in Financial Management
Note: In 2008, WOSM's conference decided that, starting at the conference in 2011, elected committee members will serve for only three years but be eligible for re-election for one additional term. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, WOSM's conference was rescheduled from Aug 2020 to Aug 2021.
Bureau
WOSM's World Scout Bureau has five regional divisions:
WOSM's bureau is its secretariat that carries instructions of its conference and committee. The bureau is administered by the secretary general, supported by a staff of technical resource personnel.[20][31]
A bureau was established in London, England in 1922, moved to Ottawa, Ontario, Canada in 1959, Geneva, Switzerland after 1 May 1968[32] and Kuala Lumpur after August 2013.[33]
WOSM's emblem and trademark is a purple circular logo with a white fleur-de-lis in the center with a purple five-point star in each outer lobe, surrounded by a circle of white rope tied with a reef or square knot at the base.
Symbolism
The fleur-de-lis, commonly with a five-point star in each of outer lobe, is a more widely used symbol of the Scout Movement. The fleur-de-lis represents the north point on a map or compass and is intended to point Scouts on the path to service. The three lobes on the fleur-de-lis represent the three parts of the Scout Promise: duty to God, service to others and obedience to the Scout Law.[38] A "bond", tying the three lobes of the fleur-de-lis together, symbolizes the family of Scouts.[39] The two five-point stars stand for truth and knowledge, with the ten points representing the ten points of the Scout Law.
The WOSM emblem adds an encircling rope, tied with a knot at the base, which symbolizes the unity and bond of the Scout Movement[citation needed] and uses purple and white colours. In heraldry, the white of the fleur-de-lis and rope denotes purity and the royal purple denotes leadership and service.[39]
WOSM emblem history
For the origin of the fleur-de-lis as a more widely used Scout symbol see: Scout Movement.
1939–1955 WOSM emblem
From its origin in 1922 until 1939, WOSM did not have its own emblem. In 1939, its director, J. S. Wilson, introduced an international Scout badge, a silver fleur-de-lis on a purple background containing the five continent names in silver framed between two concentric circles. Wearing of the badge was confined to WOSM committee members and bureau staff and their past members. The design became WOSM's logo and a purple flag containing the design followed, the flying of which was restricted to WOSM international Scout gatherings.
1955–2024 WOSM emblem.
In 1955, WOSM's emblem was redesigned in mid-century minimalist style, dropping the continent names and circles and replacing them with a circle of tied rope in the style of family clan emblems. The redesign was introduced at WOSM's 8th World Scout Jamboree by former Boy Scouts of Greece National Commissioner Demetrios Alexatos.[40]
In August 2024, WOSM introduced the current minor redesign of its emblem.
Use by WOSM member organizations
WOSM's emblem is worn by Scouts and Scouters of several of its member organizations, which determine the manner in which WOSM's emblem is worn.
The Scout Association (United Kingdom)
The Scout Association refers to WOSM's emblem as its "Membership Award"[39] and uses it as its joining badge for its Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, Explorer Scouts and Scout Network, with progressing requirements intended to help the member understand their commitment.[41][42][43][44]
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) refers to WOSM's emblem as the World Crest. It may be worn on BSA uniforms as an emblem of the worldwide Scout Movement. BSA first used the badge as an award for Scouts and Scouters who participated in an international Scouting event from early 1956 through 1991 with requirements devised by each council. In 1991, BSA made it part of the uniform for all Scouts and its International Activity Patch replaced the World Scout Crest as an award.[45]
Scouts South Africa
Scouts South Africa uses the WOSM emblem badge when new members join as a Cub, a Scout or an Adult Leader. The badge is worn on the left front pocket of the uniform, over the heart.[citation needed]
WOSM's Bronze Wolf Award is given for exceptional services to the international Scout Movement. It was first awarded to Robert Baden-Powell by a unanimous decision of the committee on the day the award was instituted in 1935.[citation needed]
^ abcdeColquhoun, OBE, John Frederick (1954). Running a Scout Group. London: The Boy Scouts Association. p. 198. the first International Conference was held in Paris in '1922', when Great Britain became one of the founder-members of the world organization.
^"WOSM and the UN". World Organization of the Scout Movement. 2016. Archived from the original on 21 June 2021. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
^ abKroonenberg, Piet J. (March 2004). "Chapter 2: International Scouting: Refugees, Displaced Persons and Exile Scouting". The Undaunted (Integral Internet Edition, November 2011 ed.). Las Vegas International Scouting Museum. ISBN9780974647906. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 21 March 2016.
^Wilson, John S. (1959). "The International Bureau Goes on the Road". Scouting Round the World (first ed.). London: Blandford Press. p. 134. At Balboa we met up with Gunnar Berg and Ray Wyland of the B.S.A., also on their way to Bogota, and had a conference about the question of coloured Scouts in the Canal Zone, who claim British and not Panamanian nationality. It was agreed that they should be taken under the wing of the Canal Zone Council of the Boy Scouts of America, but ten years later they were transferred directly under WOSM's bureau as the International Boy Scouts of the Canal Zone.
^Kroonenberg, Piet J. (1998). The Undaunted – The Survival and Revival of Scouting in Central and Eastern Europe. Geneva: Oriole International Publications. pp. 42–43. ISBN2-88052-003-7.
^Kroonenberg, Piet J. (1998). The Undaunted – The Survival and Revival of Scouting in Central and Eastern Europe. Geneva: Oriole International Publications. pp. 43–46. ISBN2-88052-003-7.
^Kroonenberg, Piet J. (1998). The Undaunted – The Survival and Revival of Scouting in Central and Eastern Europe. Geneva: Oriole International Publications. pp. 45–46. ISBN2-88052-003-7.
^"The World Membership Badge"(PDF). The Scout Association. 16 May 2006. Archived(PDF) from the original on 15 November 2020. Retrieved 2 November 2013.
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