Figure 1.--

I do not know of any Young Pioneer groups that were formed in the Netherlands. The Pioneers were primarily Government sponsored groups formed once the Communists seized control in a country. A Dutch reader mentions the Arbeiders Jeugd Centrale (AJC), a communist/socialist organization for boys and girls from working class families that was active in the Netherlands during the 1930s before World War II. They did not have a very elaborte uniform. They usually wore blue shirts and a red neckerchief and the boys often brown corduroy long or short pants, perhaps to emphasize their prolitarianism. He believes the AJC groups were mixed, boys and girls together. They would march in the May Day parades and go to summer camps. The AJC was disbanded by the German occupation immediately after the Dutch surrender in 1940. Our Dutch reader report that AJC members were looked upon with disdain by most Dutch. He remembers how people talked about them.

Young Pioneers

I do not know of any Young Pioneer groups that were formed in the Netherlands. The Pioneers were primarily Government sponsored groups formed once the Communists seized control in a country.

Arbeiders Jeugd Centrale (AJC)

A Dutch reader mentions the Arbeiders Jeugd Centrale (AJC), a communist/socialist organization for boys and girls from working class families. The AJC was founded in the Netherlands in 1918 as a youth organization of the Sociaal Demokratische Arbeiders Partij (SDAP). It had a social mission of a romantic nature, away from the big cities, in a new socialist society. It was strongly influenced by the Dutch Scout movement, but the Souts were nore of middle-class movement. THe AJC was active in the Netherlands during the 1930s before World War II. Its membership counted from 6,000 to 10,000 youngsters between 12 and 20 years of age. They loved camping and hiking. Politics and class-struggles became less important through the years. They did not really wear a uniform, but they were still immediately recognized, the boys by their corduroy pants (both longs and shorts) and often blue shirts. The corduroy emphasized their prolitarianism.The girls wore flowery skirts (forerunners of the hippies). They all wire red scarfs. They would march in the May Day parades and go to summer camps. The AJC was disbanded by the German occupation immediately after the Dutch surrender in 1940. Our Dutch reader report that AJC members were looked upon with disdain by most Dutch. He remembers how people talked about them.