Figure 3.--French Scouts with the characteristic berets and short shorts worn in the 1950s. The boy on the left wears the cord shorts popular in the 1950s while the boy on the right wears the newer beige uniform.

Like many European countries, there is no single country-wide association in France, but instead several different associations. The different associations are divided largely on religious lines and some secular groups. Catholic prelates were initially suspicious of the early Scouting movement, seeing it as largely Protestant in character. They wanted their own separate Catholic associatin that they could control. differences as well as ifferences as to how Scouting should be aspproached. Foreign readers should note that in France, any one can use the word Scout to create his or her own association. While an American Federal law reserves the term Scout to the Boy Scout Association, such a law was never passed in France and many other countries. Many French individuals and groups have creating small Associations, many of which havre not lasted long periods. Scouting can refer to Scouting based on the principles of Baden-Powell or to ones own personal principles. You could, for example, create a Fascist association and call it a Scout group if you wanted to do so. The structure of French Scouting is thus rather complicated. There are two major federations and one independent organization. In addition there are about 50 small independent units outside the formal Scouting struture. These tend to be small units that often do not last long. Some of these asociations have operated for years. Five French Scout associations are members of the international Scout association. We think the best is to review each of the associations, providing some basic pacts. As you can understand this is not historical research, just a few hints from what I have been able to learn. For some associations, the uniform is not very important. You may be surprised, however, to see that a lot of associations still stick to traditional Scout uniforms. HBU will add information hre on the different associations as we acquire it.

Complicated Structure

Like many European countries, there is no single country-wide association in France, but instead several different associations. The different associations are divided largely on religious lines and some secular groups. Catholic prelates were initially suspicious of the early Scouting movement, seeing it as largely Protestant in character. They wanted their own separate Catholic associatin that they could control. differences as well as ifferences as to how Scouting should be aspproached. Foreign readers should note that in France, any one can use the word Scout to create his or her own association. While an American Federal law reserves the term Scout to the Boy Scout Association, such a law was never passed in France and many other countries. Many French individuals and groups have creating small Associations, many of which havre not lasted long periods. Scouting can refer to Scouting based on the principles of Baden-Powell or to ones own personal principles. You could, for example, create a Fascist association and call it a Scout group if you wanted to do so.

Structure

The structure of French Scouting is thus rather complicated. There are two major federations and one independent organization. In addition there are about 50 small independent units outside the formal Scouting struture. These tend to be small units that often do not last long. Some of these asociations have operated for years. Five French Scout associations are members of the international Scout association. We think the best is to review each of the associations, providing some basic pacts. As you can understand this is not historical research, just a few hints from what I have been able to learn. For some associations, the uniform is not very important. You may be surprised, however, to see that a lot of associations still stick to traditional Scout uniforms. HBU will add information hre on the different associations as we acquire it.

Scoutisme Français

Five French Scout associations are members of the international Scout association. These are some of the larger and more important French Scout associations. The umbrellaroup is Scoutisme Français which ws was founded in 1941 by the Eclaireurs de France, the Eclaireurs Unionistes de France, the Scouts de France, the Guides de France and the Eclaireurs Israélites de France. This was of course during the German Workld War II occupation. Presumably this was a factor in the different associations deciding to work together. We do not yet have detailks on the precise historival details. Nor do we know what happened to the Eclaireurs Israélites de France during the occupation and resulting Holocaust.

Eclaireuses et Eclaireurs de France (EEDF)

The EEDF is one of the largest and most well known French Scout association. It was founded in 1911. It is a secular, coeducatinal group. In 1998 there were about 380 troops with 38 000 members. The EEDF page has images on Scout uniforms in 1944 immediately after liberation from the Germans and the 1949 uniform. There is also a louveteaux 1961 uniform. By 1998 the EEDF seems to have dropped the uniform except for the T-shirt and the scarf.

Figure 2.--French boys in the 1950s enthusiastically retook to Scouting after the German occupation in which Scouting was outlawed.

Eclaireuses et Eclaireurs israélites (Jewish) de France (EEIF)

The EEIF was founded in 1923 and was quite active in the 1930s. It was decimated in the 1940s during the German occupation. Not only was the EEIF supressed like other Scout groups, but thousands of French Jews were arrested and deported to the concentration camps in Poland where they were killed. Children were especially targeted by the NAZIs as they had no immediate economic value and thus were often sent directly to the gas chambers on arrival at the Polish camps. The EEIF currently has only 50 troops with 5,000 members. They currently give little attention to uniforms.

Fédération des Eclaireuses et Eclaireurs Unionistes de France (EEUdF)

The EEUdF was founded in 1911. It's origin is Protestant, but membership is open to everyone. There are currently 8,000 members. Images on the EEUdF page include the 1937 and 1941 uniform. And the 1998 Scout and Cub uniform.

Figure 3.--Scouts de France, members of the large Catholic Scout association, in their blue shirts and longer short pants that became popular in the 1990s.

Scouts de France (SF)

The Scouts de France (SF) was founded in 1920 from several Catholic associations. Membership today is open to everyone. There are 113 000 members (girls and boys). As Catholcism is the most important religion in France and te Church gives some attention to Scouting as an important youth activity, the SF is the most important Scouting movement in France. The SF in 1931 had a scratchy navy blue coarse woolen shorts. The French source for much of this information tells me that his brother still was wearng the woolen shorts in the 1950's. Corduroy short pants were apparently introduced to the Scouts de France in the 1950's. Corduroy was also used by some of the other movements alongside with the woolen uniform items for several years, but corduroy shorts finally will supersede the woolen ones. The Scouts de France in 1957 switched to a beige uniform. Everything is beige : shirt, sweater, corduroy shorts, and socks. The Scouts de France in 1964 abandoned shorts pants and adopts a colorful uniform. The SF page had images of the 1975, 1983, and 1985 uniforms for Scouts, Cubs, and Pionniers.

Scouts musulmans de France

No information available.

Other Associations

There are many other French Scout Associations that are not members of the International Association. The GSE/FSE is of some importance, but the others are relastively small groups.

Figure 4.--This French boy wears the characteristic cap of a French Sea Scout. He is a member of Scouts d'Europe, Sea Scouts. Notice the destinctive poppom on the cap.

Guides et Scouts d'Europe (GSE)

The GSE is the French association of the Federation Scouts d'Europe (FSE). The GSE in France was founded in 1958 from a secession from the Scouts de France. The GSE has been decsribed as a dissident Scout organisation on the same lines as the British "Baden-Powell Scouts", although some scouters do not think that this is an appropriate comparison. Unlike many French and other European Scout groups, the GSE insist on a traditional uniform, and give a lot of attention to the uniform with short pants, kneesocks, shirt with badges, etc. They are opposed to the "official" scout organisations and their policies, especially "modernisation" of the uniform, activities, and so on and stress the traditional values of scoutism. The GSE has 30,000 members boys and girls combined. It is a primarily Catholic group as they initially broke off from the Catholic Scouts de France.

Scouts Unitaires de France (SUF)

The SUF was founded in 1971. It is another Catholic, traditional Scout group. There are 21,000 members, including boys and girls.

Eclaireurs Neutres de France (ENF)

The ENF was founded in 1947. It is a small secular group devoted to traditional scouting. There are 2,000 members.

St. Georges Scouts

The history of the St. George Scouts and the traditionalist Catholic Scout movement is rather complicated. Many groups have been formed and the name of the groups have changed many times.

Riaumont

A Catholic monastic order ("Holy Cross of Riaumont") sponsors the Riaumont Scouts. It is a Scout group founded at the school the order sponsors at Riaumont in northern France. These Scouts believe in traditional Scouting and a a traditional uniform. Like at the school, many of the boys wear short pants lederhosen. The history of the school's Scout troop and uniform is a little complicated. The troop scout existed from the beginning of Riaumont, but their association has varied. Father Revet who founded the school, at first a home for orphans, did not require his boys to join the Scouts. But he worked with a Scout unit on the town of Liévin where Riaumont is located. Some of the Riaumont boys formed their own kind Scout-like troop: les "spahis " with a different uniform. They adopted the red cap which they wore with their school lederhosen. The Scouts in Liévin did not at first wear lederhosen. They followed the uniform guidelines of the Scouts of France. After 1965, the Liévin Scouts separated from the Scouts of France. Father Revet helped form a new association, Scouts of St. George--rather like the Baden Powell Scouts in England. The St. George Scouts, since disbanded, adopted lederhosen as part of their uniform.

Scouts Godefroy de Bouillon

Another small French Catholic Scout group has a military appearance. These Scouts are organization like the Riaumont. They are very small association, about 300 members. They belong to the catholic traditional movement which defends the mass in Latin and a Catholic traditiional worship between the reforms of Vatican II.

Others

Many other small Scout associations exist in France. The uniform of, one such group, the Scouts Catholiques are pictured on the other association page.