Figure 1.--This Romanian family was photograophed some time in the late-1930s. Note the two boys wearing their Străjeria uniforms. Membership was required, but the fact that the boys are wearing them for a family portrait suggests that thefamily was supoirtive, perhaps a Government employee or at least a supporter of the mobnarchy.

The Străjeria members were known as străjeri (Sentinels or Watchmen). All Romanian boys aged 7 to 18 and all girls between 7 and 21 were supposed to join the Străjeria. We are not sure about why there was this age differential. The older boys were apparently given military trainming outside the Străjeria. We believe that many former Scouters were involved, but have no actual information. A a national mass organization, membership was much larger than that of the Scouts before they were cbanned. The organization eventually totaled about 4 million members. Enforcment of the membership requirement was accomplished through the schools. It was probably most strongly enforced in the cities where school attendance was most pronounced. We do not believe that Jews were permitted to join, but we do not have specific details. Unlike the Hitler Youth, converted Jews probably could join, although this may have been affected by anti-Semetic laws promoted by the Iron Guard and passed as the Roimanians began to realign their foreign policy toward the Germans (1940). .