Latvijas Skautu un Gaidu Centrālā Organizācija

Latvijas Skautu un Gaidu Centrālā Organizācija (Latvian Scout and Guide Central Organization, LSGCO) is the primary national Scouting and Guiding organisation of Latvia and a member of both the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts and the World Organization of the Scout Movement. The organization had 759 members as of 2011 (466 Scouts[1] and 293 Guides).

Latvijas Skautu un Gaidu Centrālā Organizācija
Latvian Scout and Guide Central Organization
HeadquartersKalpaka bulvāris 10-18
LocationRiga
Country Latvia
Founded1917/1990
Membership759
AffiliationWorld Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, World Organization of the Scout Movement
Website
http://www.skauti.lv

History

The Latvian Scouting program is based on the principles and methods created by Robert Baden-Powell, later banned by the Soviet government in 1940.[2] The first Scout troop in Latvia was established on April 17, 1917 under Tsarist Russia by Arvīds Bredermanis and other Scouts from Tartu, Estonia, followed by several other Scout troops in the Riga area. The official founding year of scouting in Latvia is thus stated as 1917.

The Latvian Scout Organization (Latvijas Skautu Organizācija) was established in 1921, and Latvia was a founding member of the World Organization, from 1922 to 1940. Guiding began in Latvia in 1921 under Latvian Youth Organizations. In early 1922 The Latvian Guide Central Organization (Latvijas Gaidu Centrālā Organizācija) was set up, and Girl Guiding was permitted to operate independently.

Latvia enjoyed a visit from Robert Baden-Powell, World Chief Scout and Olave Baden-Powell, World Chief Guide, on August 18,1933[3] during their Baltic goodwill cruise on the SS Calgaric, and had a very active Scouting and Guiding movements until both were banned in 1940.[4]

In 1940, after the Soviet occupation of Latvia, a special officer was appointed by the communists to abolish Scouting. Scouting continued unofficially, underground, operating without uniforms and in the forests to avoid detection. In 1941, the Communists killed the Latvian Scout founder and President, General Kārlis Goppers (1876–1941). The former Scout Commissioner for Latvia, Valdemārs Klētnieks, fled to the United States as a refugee after World War II.[5] With the fall of communism, Scouting reemerged, and in 1989, a camp was organized. In 1990, Latvian Scouts held their fifth National Jamboree, "Renewal" and invited several other countries to participate.

The Latvian Scout and Guide Central Organization rejoined the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) in 1993, as well as the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts. Since then the Latvian organization has participated in several international projects all around the world.[6][7][8][9]

See also

References
  1. "Triennal review: Census as at 1 December 2010" (PDF). World Organization of the Scout Movement. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 May 2012. Retrieved 2011-01-13.
  2. John S. Wilson (1959), Scouting Round the World. First edition, Blandford Press. p. 159
  3. Klētnieks, Valdemārs (1960). Latviešu Skautisma Cetrdesmit Gadi 1917-1957. p. 118.
  4. John S. Wilson (1959), Scouting Round the World. First edition, Blandford Press. p. 159
  5. Goodman, E. Urner (1965). The Building of a Life. St. Augustine, Fla.: Standard Printing.
    Goodman, who was National Program Director of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) in the 1940s and the founder of the Order of the Arrow, and his wife took in the exiled Latvian Scout Commissioner, Valdemārs Klētnieks, and his family at their Vermont farm. As of 2006, Klētnieks' grandson and great-grandson are members of the BSA and his daughter lives in Riga.
  6. Inge Pamminger (1999). "Partnerland Lettland". PPÖ-Brief (in German). Pfadfinder und Pfadfinderinnen Österreichs. 3/1999: 29–30.
  7. Irene Rojnik;Marlies Honnegger-Jünnemann (2000). "Partnerschaft:Lettland-Luxemburg-Österreich". PPÖ-Brief (in German). Pfadfinder und Pfadfinderinnen Österreichs. 3/2000: 22.
  8. Christa Stadler (2000). "Jugendtreffen Österreich-Lettland". PPÖ-Brief (in German). Pfadfinder und Pfadfinderinnen Österreichs. 2/2000: 19.
  9. b.open daily (2001). "lagerplan/map". b.open daily (in German and English). Pfadfinder und Pfadfinderinnen Österreichs.

Further reading
  • World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, World Bureau (2002), Trefoil Round the World. Eleventh Edition 1997. ISBN 0-900827-75-0
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