From: moyen@clipper.ens.fr (Jean-Francois Moyen)
Subject: Scouting in France
Date: 18 Apr 1994 15:56:40 GMT

[For the history of scouting in France, see the file "France-history"
 in the directory rec.scouting/history/. -- Ed.]

Let's go : It will be long, since we have a big number of association in
France. To start with, let's remind you that there are 57 millions inhabitants 
in France. The laws say that adultes responsibles of childs must have a
specific state diplome, named BAFA (Brevet d'aptitudes aux fonctions
 d'Animateur). All scouting assoc. in France are habilited to give it.
To direct a camp, you must have BAFD (Brevet... Directeur), which you can
only do if aged of more than 21. But some scouting association are allowed
by the "ministere de la jeunesse et des sports" (youth and sports) to have
19 years old "camp master", with this qualification being given by the 
association.

First, six scouting associations are regrouped in "Scoutisme francais", which
belongs to WOSM. They are the only one that benefits from the "scouting" label
in France, and then from the benefits of the legislation i just spoke about 
(19 years old camp masters, not as many exigences regarding hygien, and so..).

1) Scouts de France is the biggest association, with more than 150 000 boys and
girls. It's a catholic mouvement. Different parts are :
6-8 years "lutins"
8-11 "louveteaux"
12-15 "scouts"
15-18 "pionniers"
18-more "compagnons"

Younger groups are mainly mixed, but from 12 years on, boys and girls
 are separated. Those units are regrouped in local group made, in theory,
 from one of each sort. In reality, it depends widely on the number of childs
in the town. Groups are regrouped in districts, and then in regions.

2) Guides de France is the exact female counterpart of SdF. About 80 000 girls.
Both association are thinking about a merging.

3) Eclaireurs de France is a laical mouvement, remanent of the first french 
scouting mouvement, which later exploded in confessional associations.
About 10 000 boys and girls, totally mixed since the 50's, same ages as SdF.
They performed a wide pedagogical reflexion...which lead then to loosing
a large part of there "scout" identity. They are currently struggling, loosing
more and more people year after year.

4) Federation des Eclaireurs et Eclaireuses Unionistes de France : FEEUF 
regroups 8000 boys and girls, and defines itself as "having a protestant 
origine and christian inspiration, but open to everyone regardless of 
religion". And indeed, there is a good third of "non prot." in this assoc.
3 ages :
louveteaux 8-12
eclaireurs 12-16
aines 16-18

Louveteaux and aines are mixed, eclaireurs are mainly co eduqued (girls patrols
and boys patrols in same troup). Great job has been done in trying to adapt
BP's pedagogy to present realitys, but this lead in hard fight between 
"traditionalists" and "progressist". The crisis seems to be over now, since
most people have accepted the "new pedagogy". It was time, for FEEUF has lost
2000 people in 10 years.
(btw, it's my association, so i might be partial at some place...Things like
that sometimes happen..)

5) Eclaireurs Israelites de France :
Jewish, around 4000 people, as far as i know same age structure and conception
of mixing as in FEEUF.
They have rewritten there pedagogy, centering it on "jewish traditions" 
rather than on "jungle folklore" (Kipling), which makes them rather atypical.

6) Eclaireurs Musulmans de France (muslims) are about 300, and joined Scoutisme
Francais only month ago. There creation was supported by the SdF. I don't
know any much about it.


Secondly, there are an undefined number of association that DO NOT belong
to "Scoutisme Francais", with consequences i listed before. The most 
importants, as far as i know, are :

1) Scouts Unitaires de France : Catholic, boys only, 80 - 100 000 people.
They appeared in the 60's from a sission with SdF. There conceptions are
simple enough : they follow word by word what BP said, with not a concession
to the world of the 90's.

2) Federation des Scouts d'Europe : Boys only. Around 50 000.
In France, they happen to be catholic, for it's the most important
 religion. They are totally focused on religion, demanding that each 
boy have a religion, and that every one in a 
unit as the same, so that they can have a "religious life". May i had they
are quite intolerant to the other ? Oh, btw, they are the guys who make
order in political meetings of JM Le Pen, our local neo fascist. They also are
the one who makes scouting have a poor image in french's mind. Most frenchman
think scouts are para militarist, traditionnal catholic, organisation.

3) Scouts St Georges, and various groups of the same sort. Maybe 2000 boys (?)
Very, very near from Mgr Lefevre "integrist catholics". Royalists, if not
fascists.

4) Scouts de l'Evangile : maybe 300 boys, protestant mouvement near from
fondamentalism, very religious (as opposed to FEEUF). Partly coming
from trad' prot. churches, partly from some "ultra trad." people having 
leaved FEEUF.

5) Eclaireurs Neutres de France, 1000-2000 people, "neutral but not 
areligious". Growing ? I don't know any more.

6) I have once seen "Scouts Ecologistes" somewhere in Paris. I think, 100 
people or so...

	JF  (F.E.E.U.F. Paris / Louveteaux)
	moyen@clipper.ens.fr