Scouts in Gidsen Vlaanderen

Scouts in Gidsen Vlaanderen (SGV), in the past called until in 2006 Vlaams Verbond van Katholieke Scouts in Meisjesgidsen (VVKSM) (Flemish Federation of Scouts and the Catholic Guides), is an association scoute in Dutch-speaking Belgium. It belongs to the five movements of scouting recognized by the Worldwide organization of the Movement Scout in Belgium. It is greatest association in Belgium by counting 72.000 members.

History

Shortly after that Robert Baden-Powell had launched scouting in 1907, scouting made also its appearance in Belgium. In 1910 E.H. Petit founded the first group of scouts catholic in Brussels: “Belgian Catholic Scouts” (BCS), while the not-catholics groups met in the “Servant boy scouts of Belgium” (BSB). In 1912, “Belgian Catholic Scouts” was replaced by “Baden-Powell Belgian Boy Scouts” (BPBBS). In 1913, Georges de Hasque founded in Antwerp the first group of scouts Dutch-speaking which was approved by the BPBBS. The first catholic section of girls scoutes, the BPBGG or “Baden-Powell Belgian Girl Guides”, were created in the district of Brussels of Maroilles cheese and placed under the direction of Mr. Verpoorten.

In 1916 Georges de Hasque founded with Antwerp, like counterpart of the “Seascouts of Belgium” (SB) created in 1913, the first catholic Flemish group of “zeescouts” and from now on one spoke about the BPBBSS, “Baden-Powell Belgian Boys and Sea Scouts”. As the linguistic and cultural problems grew little by little within the BPBBSS the official scission was carried out in 1930. The BPBBSS separated in two federations, on the one hand the Dutch-speaking federation “Vlaamsch Verbond der Katholieke Scouts” (VVKS) and on the other hand for the French-speaking people the “Federation of Scouts Catholiques”.

In 1940, during the second world war, a call of the national secretariat of the VVKS with his members encouraged them to render service as much as possible. The known social actions were for example “the assistance of winter”, which was addressed to those of them which were in the need, and contributes it with the children of the prisoners and the widows of war. During the second world war, scouting was not prohibited, but it was not allowed to carry the uniform.

The KMGB, “Katholieke Meisjesgidsen van België” (Dutchwoman translation of BPBGG) obtained its recognition by the world office like Flemish autonomous movement and changed its name into “Vlaams Verbond van Katholieke Meisjesgidsen (Flemish alliance of the catholic guides)” (VVKM).

In 1973, VVKM and VVKS provide the foundations of a common structure and meet like VVKM-VVKS. In 1982 the common council of the VVKM-VVKS becomes the VVKSM under the articles: “Vlaams Verbond van Katholieke Scouts in Meisjesgidsen” i.e. the “Flemish Association of Scouts and the catholic guides”. In the current of the years 1980 the popularity of the traditional youth movements decreases and the VVKSM launches a national campaign: “The legend continues”.

Structure

The structure of this association is organized according to the following plan;

All the Dutch-speaking area of Belgium is divided into 12 gouwen ( Noordzee, Zuid-Westvlaanderen, Ghent, Land Van Egmont, Waas, Antwerp, Heide, Opsinjoor, Kempen, the West-Brabant, the Oost-Brabant and Limburg ).
Each gouw is divided into surroundings 5 districts (52 in total).
has its turn, the districts are divided each one in ten groups or units (there are surroundings 500 groups in total).
In the groups (or units) there is a distinction between the chiefs and the members. Generally one is chief as from 18 years and the members are divided in sections according to their sex and old.

Internal bonds

External bonds

Scouts in Gidsen Vlaanderen

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