Suomen Partiolaiset - Finlands Scouter ry |
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The Guides and Scouts of Finland
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Headquarters | Helsinki | ||
Country | Finland | ||
Founded | 1972 | ||
Membership | 75,000 | ||
Affiliation | World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, World Organization of the Scout Movement | ||
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Website www |
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Suomen Partiolaiset - Finlands Scouter ry (The Guides and Scouts of Finland, GSF) is the national Scouting and Guiding association of Finland. Scouting was founded in Finland in 1910 as part of tsarist Russia, registered with the central organization of the tsarist Russian Scout movement Русский Скаут. Finnish Scouting was among the charter members of the World Organization of the Scout Movement in 1922. Guiding started in 1910 and was among the founding members of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts. In 1972 the Girl Guide Association and the Boy Scout Association merged and formed Suomen Partiolaiset. The association has about 75,000 members.
In Finland, the Scouting movement was viewed early on as an alternative to the Pioneers communist youth organization, which was active for some time in the Baltic nation.
The Finnish Scout organization is a nonpolitical, nonsectarian and multilingual organization, as evidenced by the name of the organization itself, using both the Finnish and Swedish languages. Its religious neutrality is reflected in the Finnish Scout promise, which begins "I promise to love my God..."
Scouting is one of the most popular hobbies in Finland. To live with nature, act according to its conditions and protecting and honoring it, is one of the cornerstones of Finnish Scouting. Another important objective is to learn social abilities. Finnish Scouts and Guides learn how to become knowledgeable and active citizens, at ease with other countries and cultures. Finnish Scouting culture itself includes wearing a unique skullcap hat called a väiski as part of the uniform.
In this country of thousands of lakes and abundance of green forests, hikes and camps are a vital part of Scouting. Outdoor activities, winter camps and skiing tours greatly test the knowledge and skills of the Scouts.
All groups plan and execute their own programs and emphasize special interests. Community involvement and service to help members become active, responsible members of society are stressed in the program.