Organizatsia Na Bulgarskite Skauty - History

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.