Eesti Skautide Ühing
Encyclopedia
Eesti Skautide Ühing the primary national Scouting
organization of Estonia
, became a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement
in 1996. The coeducational Eesti Skautide Ühing has 1,337 members as of 2011.
in 1912. According to its founders, Scouting was registered with the central organization of the tsarist Russian Scout movement
Русский Скаут as the first Scout troop in the Baltic provinces. As far as is known today, the Pärnu Troop remained the only one of its kind in Estonia for four years. In spite of its relatively isolated existence, it developed a remarkable degree of imagination and variety in its activities. In planning and organizing the troop's program, Baden-Powell
's Scouting for Boys was studied closely, and its activities emphasized the acquisition not only of Scouting skills, but also of proficiency in various crafts and trades carried out with accompanying tests for which the Pärnu Scouts prepared by working as volunteer helpers with local carpenters, blacksmiths, electricians, and various other tradesmen. During their summer vacations they worked for room and board at a nearby estate, some working in the fields, others in the workshops of the estate.
In Tallinn
and Tartu
, the movement was started at the initiative of a few enthusiasts, while it was introduced into several smaller towns by students from high schools which had been evacuated northward from Latvia
in order to escape the advancing German armies. Local boys were admitted into these Scout Troops, but this privilege was short-lived.
Estonia was soon occupied, and refugees were evacuated further into the inner Russian provinces. Most of the Scouts were among the refugees. This was the end of Scouting in these towns, but not in the larger centers. In Tartu, the second largest city in Estonia and the seat of a 300 year old university, Scout troops were organized at every large school with no other aid than a Russian translation of Baden-Powell's 'Scouting for Boys' and some consultation with a visiting Scouts in uniform from Pärnu. A few patrols of these troops were even able to continue their activities when Scouting was banned during the following German occupation
. The Estonian War of Liberation, however, brought a pause to Scouting in Tartu as most boys over 16 (many even younger) volunteered for the fighting forces. But they restored their troops and patrols as soon as they were able to return to their school benches; one of these Scouts, now in the United States
, is still active among Scouts of Estonian extraction.
In Tallinn, the first two Scout troops were started in 1916 by Anton Õunapuu (1887–1919), a teacher of physical education who had studied in Finland
and had there acquainted himself with Scouting. The Estonian Boy Scouts consider him their "founding father", although his activity was short-lived; he fell in a battle of the War of Liberation
in April 1919. His death became a symbol of the spirit of Scouting. It also brought about in Tallinn the immediate election of a Staff with Commissioners, to head the planning and execution of various Scouting activities. This organization provided the nucleus that later developed into the Estonian Scout Headquarters, which was to lead Estonian Scouting until its liquidation by the Soviet
occupational authorities in 1940.
To remedy the existing conditions the First Estonian Scout Conference was held in Tartu in March 1921. At this Conference all the major principles of Estonian Scouting were established, and the much needed central organization, The Estonian Boy Scout Association, was founded at this conference. On this occasion, one of the most noted and able Estonian public figures, Jaan Hunerson, later to become the Minister of Education of the Estonian Republic, became the chief of staff of their headquarters.
Estonian Scouting was a founding member of the World Organization from 1922 to 1940. The Estonian Boy Scout Association joined the international Scouting scene very early. Under the leadership of its International Commissioner, Baldwin Rautsman, who occupied this post from 1920 to 1940, a contingent of 10 Scouts represented Estonia at the first World Jamboree in London
, in 1920.
One of the major events of early Estonian Scouting was the reception of the World Chief-Scout, Lord Baden Powell of Gilwell, who visited Tallinn on August 19, 1933. Scouts from every part of the country rallied to the capital. It is not known exactly how many were on hand, but even the most modest estimates give a figure as large as the number of participants in the biggest Scout camp ever to be held in Estonia.
The foremost achievement of Estonian Scouting was the third Suurlaager, held in 1936 and attended by approximately 2000 boys, including 480 from abroad. Among the foreign guests were 300 Finns, large contingents from Latvia
, Lithuania
, Sweden
, Denmark
, Poland
, and a few representatives from Hungary
and Norway
. The third Suurlaager, which had, as did the preceding one, Herbert Michelson for its Camp Chief, remained the biggest achievement of Estonian Scouting. As a result of the Soviet occupation of Estonia, Scouting was liquidated and banned from 1940 onwards.
Immediately following their seizure of power in June 1940, the paramilitary
Estonian Defence League
and its youth organizations, Noored Kotkad
and Kodutütred, were abolished. The Boy Scouts and Girl Guides
were tentatively permitted to continue their activities, but the operation of camps was forbidden. Thus the first Estonian Wood Badge course, which was to open in July, 1940 could not be held. The Scouts and other remaining Estonian organizations were compelled to participate in political meetings and demonstrations organized by the Soviet authorities. In August, 1940 the representatives of all sponsoring bodies were ordered to a meeting with the ostensible purpose of electing a new executive for the "Federation of Friends of Scouts" and new Headquarters staffs for the Boy Scout and Girl Guide Associations. No elections were held; instead the Communist Party representative announced the new members of the above organizations all positions were filled by Communists. The new Communist headquarters issued only one order, to liquidate the organizations and to surrender all property, including documents and archives, to the Komsomol
Communist youth organization. The Soviets justified this move by claiming that Scouting was a disguised Anglo-American espionage organization.
Estonian Scouting was not broken by the liquidation of their organizations by the Soviet occupational authorities in 1940; nor was it crushed by the following German occupation of 1941-1944. This became quite evident during the final stages of World War II when Estonian refugees reached those countries and areas where they were at liberty to reorganize their Movements.
In order to unify all Estonian Scouting organizations in exile
, two independent organizations were formed, one for Boy Scouts and the other for Girl Guides. The central organization for boys was established on the initiative of the Central Bureau of the Estonian Boy Scouts in Germany, the only legally recognized Estonian Scouting organization. The Charter of the "Estonian Boy Scouts in Exile" was signed in London on August 1, 1949, by the representatives of Estonian Scouts from Germany
and Great Britain
. This new organization was later joined by the Estonian Scouts in the United States and Australia, but universal membership could be assured only after the statutes had been modified. At this occasion the name was changed to the present one, "The Estonian Boy Scout Associations in Exile".
The executive organ of the Boy Scouts is a Central Bureau under the direction of a Secretary General. The more important decisions of the "Estonian Boy Scout Associations in Exile" are submitted to a Council composed of representatives of the constituent organizations. This Council never meets; its members decide the issues in question by voting by mail.
The post of Secretary General has up to now had four incumbents. The location of the Boy Scouts Central Bureau and the majority of its members is usually, although not necessarily, determined by the residence of the Secretary General. Herbert Michelson was Secretary-General for the Central Bureau from 1949 to 1953, living at first in Germany and later in the United States. The second Secretary General, Walter Koppemnan (1953–1955) directed the alteration of the statutes and the reorganization of the activities from Philadelphia. The third incumbent, Aksel Salumets (1955–1957), was from Toronto
, Canada
, where after the Executive Secretary moved to Helsingborg
, Sweden, where the fourth Secretary General, Aksel Vaigur resides. Re-elected once (in 1960) he has held his office until present day.
Estonian Scouts have been present at every World Scout Jamboree
and Rover Moot, although after World War II
, they were compelled to arrive and participate in these events with contingents of other countries. The only exceptions were the World Jamboree at Moisson in 1947 in which 36 Estonian DP-Scouts from Germany
took part under the Estonian colors
; and the Jubilee Jamboree at Sutton Park, England, in 1957, where it was possible for Estonian Scouts to fly their own flag in the camp allotted to the Federation of Scouts in Exile
.
Membership in Eesti Skautide Ühing is open to all young people in Estonia, with 1,199 male and female members as of 2004. The association's national headquarters are at Tallinn. Members of the association have participated in international events, including Eurofolk 1993, the 1994 and 2005 EuroJam (European Jamboree), the 1995 and 1999 World Jamborees and various European Region seminars. Leaders have also attended training courses provided by Scout associations in Denmark, Finland and Canada.
I pledge solemnly to do the best, to honour the God, to fulfill my duty for Estonia, for my fatherland, to help others and pursue the Scout laws.
Scouting
Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement with the stated aim of supporting young people in their physical, mental and spiritual development, that they may play constructive roles in society....
organization of Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
, became a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement
World Organization of the Scout Movement
The World Organization of the Scout Movement is the Non-governmental international organization which governs most national Scout Organizations, with 31 million members. WOSM was established in 1920, and has its headquarters at Geneva, Switzerland...
in 1996. The coeducational Eesti Skautide Ühing has 1,337 members as of 2011.
History
Scouting was initially established in Estonia in 1911 as part of tsarist Russia, and the first Scout troop was formed in the west coast town of PärnuPärnu
Pärnu is a city in southwestern Estonia on the coast of Pärnu Bay, an inlet of the Gulf of Riga in the Baltic Sea. It is a popular summer vacation resort with many hotels, restaurants, and large beaches. The Pärnu River flows through the city and drains into the Gulf of Riga...
in 1912. According to its founders, Scouting was registered with the central organization of the tsarist Russian Scout movement
Russian Association of Scouts/Navigators
The Russian Association of Scouts/Navigators , or RAS/N , is the national Scouting federation of Russia, which became a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement in 2004...
Русский Скаут as the first Scout troop in the Baltic provinces. As far as is known today, the Pärnu Troop remained the only one of its kind in Estonia for four years. In spite of its relatively isolated existence, it developed a remarkable degree of imagination and variety in its activities. In planning and organizing the troop's program, Baden-Powell
Robert Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell
Robert Stephenson Smyth Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell, Bt, OM, GCMG, GCVO, KCB , also known as B-P or Lord Baden-Powell, was a lieutenant-general in the British Army, writer, and founder of the Scout Movement....
's Scouting for Boys was studied closely, and its activities emphasized the acquisition not only of Scouting skills, but also of proficiency in various crafts and trades carried out with accompanying tests for which the Pärnu Scouts prepared by working as volunteer helpers with local carpenters, blacksmiths, electricians, and various other tradesmen. During their summer vacations they worked for room and board at a nearby estate, some working in the fields, others in the workshops of the estate.
In Tallinn
Tallinn
Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...
and Tartu
Tartu
Tartu is the second largest city of Estonia. In contrast to Estonia's political and financial capital Tallinn, Tartu is often considered the intellectual and cultural hub, especially since it is home to Estonia's oldest and most renowned university. Situated 186 km southeast of Tallinn, the...
, the movement was started at the initiative of a few enthusiasts, while it was introduced into several smaller towns by students from high schools which had been evacuated northward from Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
in order to escape the advancing German armies. Local boys were admitted into these Scout Troops, but this privilege was short-lived.
Estonia was soon occupied, and refugees were evacuated further into the inner Russian provinces. Most of the Scouts were among the refugees. This was the end of Scouting in these towns, but not in the larger centers. In Tartu, the second largest city in Estonia and the seat of a 300 year old university, Scout troops were organized at every large school with no other aid than a Russian translation of Baden-Powell's 'Scouting for Boys' and some consultation with a visiting Scouts in uniform from Pärnu. A few patrols of these troops were even able to continue their activities when Scouting was banned during the following German occupation
Occupation of Baltic Republics
The occupation of the Baltic states refers to the military occupation of the three Baltic states: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania by the Soviet Union under the auspices of the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact on 14 June 1940 followed by their incorporation into the USSR as constituent republics, unrecognised...
. The Estonian War of Liberation, however, brought a pause to Scouting in Tartu as most boys over 16 (many even younger) volunteered for the fighting forces. But they restored their troops and patrols as soon as they were able to return to their school benches; one of these Scouts, now in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, is still active among Scouts of Estonian extraction.
In Tallinn, the first two Scout troops were started in 1916 by Anton Õunapuu (1887–1919), a teacher of physical education who had studied in Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
and had there acquainted himself with Scouting. The Estonian Boy Scouts consider him their "founding father", although his activity was short-lived; he fell in a battle of the War of Liberation
Estonian Liberation War
The Estonian War of Independence , also known as the Estonian Liberation War, was a defensive campaign of the Estonian Army and its allies, most notably the White Russian Northwestern Army, Latvia, and the United Kingdom, against the Soviet Western Front offensive and the aggression of the...
in April 1919. His death became a symbol of the spirit of Scouting. It also brought about in Tallinn the immediate election of a Staff with Commissioners, to head the planning and execution of various Scouting activities. This organization provided the nucleus that later developed into the Estonian Scout Headquarters, which was to lead Estonian Scouting until its liquidation by the Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
occupational authorities in 1940.
Founding of Estonian Scouting
An enormous increase in membership made existing facilities, even in the larger towns with their experienced Scouts and leaders, inadequate to efficiently organize and train all the boys who desired to join the Tanks of Sooldin. Furthermore, there had been no central organization which could coordinate a program and provide assistance to the individual troops.To remedy the existing conditions the First Estonian Scout Conference was held in Tartu in March 1921. At this Conference all the major principles of Estonian Scouting were established, and the much needed central organization, The Estonian Boy Scout Association, was founded at this conference. On this occasion, one of the most noted and able Estonian public figures, Jaan Hunerson, later to become the Minister of Education of the Estonian Republic, became the chief of staff of their headquarters.
Estonian Scouting was a founding member of the World Organization from 1922 to 1940. The Estonian Boy Scout Association joined the international Scouting scene very early. Under the leadership of its International Commissioner, Baldwin Rautsman, who occupied this post from 1920 to 1940, a contingent of 10 Scouts represented Estonia at the first World Jamboree in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, in 1920.
One of the major events of early Estonian Scouting was the reception of the World Chief-Scout, Lord Baden Powell of Gilwell, who visited Tallinn on August 19, 1933. Scouts from every part of the country rallied to the capital. It is not known exactly how many were on hand, but even the most modest estimates give a figure as large as the number of participants in the biggest Scout camp ever to be held in Estonia.
The foremost achievement of Estonian Scouting was the third Suurlaager, held in 1936 and attended by approximately 2000 boys, including 480 from abroad. Among the foreign guests were 300 Finns, large contingents from Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
, Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, and a few representatives from Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
and Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. The third Suurlaager, which had, as did the preceding one, Herbert Michelson for its Camp Chief, remained the biggest achievement of Estonian Scouting. As a result of the Soviet occupation of Estonia, Scouting was liquidated and banned from 1940 onwards.
Immediately following their seizure of power in June 1940, the paramilitary
Paramilitary
A paramilitary is a force whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military, but which is not considered part of a state's formal armed forces....
Estonian Defence League
Estonian Defence League
The Estonian Defence League is the name of the unified paramilitary armed forces of the Republic of Estonia. The Defence League is a paramilitary defence organization which aim is to guarantee the preservation of the independence and sovereignty of the state, the integrity of its land area and its...
and its youth organizations, Noored Kotkad
Noored Kotkad
Noored kotkad in an Estonian war and adventure silent film about Estonian War of Independence, fought in 1918-1920.Film was filmed in 1927 in Tartu, Tartu County, Mustvee and Värska. The film was digitally restored in 2008 by Taska Productions and Digital Film Finland....
and Kodutütred, were abolished. The Boy Scouts and Girl Guides
Girl Guides
A Guide, Girl Guide or Girl Scout is a member of a section of some Guiding organisations who is between the ages of 10 and 14. Age limits are different in each organisation. It is the female-centred equivalent of the Scouts. The term Girl Scout is used in the United States and several East Asian...
were tentatively permitted to continue their activities, but the operation of camps was forbidden. Thus the first Estonian Wood Badge course, which was to open in July, 1940 could not be held. The Scouts and other remaining Estonian organizations were compelled to participate in political meetings and demonstrations organized by the Soviet authorities. In August, 1940 the representatives of all sponsoring bodies were ordered to a meeting with the ostensible purpose of electing a new executive for the "Federation of Friends of Scouts" and new Headquarters staffs for the Boy Scout and Girl Guide Associations. No elections were held; instead the Communist Party representative announced the new members of the above organizations all positions were filled by Communists. The new Communist headquarters issued only one order, to liquidate the organizations and to surrender all property, including documents and archives, to the Komsomol
Komsomol
The Communist Union of Youth , usually known as Komsomol , was the youth division of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. The Komsomol in its earliest form was established in urban centers in 1918. During the early years, it was a Russian organization, known as the Russian Communist Union of...
Communist youth organization. The Soviets justified this move by claiming that Scouting was a disguised Anglo-American espionage organization.
Estonian Scouting was not broken by the liquidation of their organizations by the Soviet occupational authorities in 1940; nor was it crushed by the following German occupation of 1941-1944. This became quite evident during the final stages of World War II when Estonian refugees reached those countries and areas where they were at liberty to reorganize their Movements.
In order to unify all Estonian Scouting organizations in exile
Scouts-in-Exile
Scouts-in-Exteris, also referred to as Scouts-in-Exile, are Scouting and Guiding groups formed outside of their native country as a result of war and changes in governments...
, two independent organizations were formed, one for Boy Scouts and the other for Girl Guides. The central organization for boys was established on the initiative of the Central Bureau of the Estonian Boy Scouts in Germany, the only legally recognized Estonian Scouting organization. The Charter of the "Estonian Boy Scouts in Exile" was signed in London on August 1, 1949, by the representatives of Estonian Scouts from Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
. This new organization was later joined by the Estonian Scouts in the United States and Australia, but universal membership could be assured only after the statutes had been modified. At this occasion the name was changed to the present one, "The Estonian Boy Scout Associations in Exile".
The executive organ of the Boy Scouts is a Central Bureau under the direction of a Secretary General. The more important decisions of the "Estonian Boy Scout Associations in Exile" are submitted to a Council composed of representatives of the constituent organizations. This Council never meets; its members decide the issues in question by voting by mail.
The post of Secretary General has up to now had four incumbents. The location of the Boy Scouts Central Bureau and the majority of its members is usually, although not necessarily, determined by the residence of the Secretary General. Herbert Michelson was Secretary-General for the Central Bureau from 1949 to 1953, living at first in Germany and later in the United States. The second Secretary General, Walter Koppemnan (1953–1955) directed the alteration of the statutes and the reorganization of the activities from Philadelphia. The third incumbent, Aksel Salumets (1955–1957), was from Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, where after the Executive Secretary moved to Helsingborg
Helsingborg
Helsingborg is a city and the seat of Helsingborg Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden with 97,122 inhabitants in 2010. Helsingborg is the centre of an area in the Øresund region of about 320,000 inhabitants in north-west Scania, and is Sweden's closest point to Denmark, with the Danish city...
, Sweden, where the fourth Secretary General, Aksel Vaigur resides. Re-elected once (in 1960) he has held his office until present day.
Estonian Scouts have been present at every World Scout Jamboree
World Scout Jamboree
The World Scout Jamboree is a Scouting jamboree of the World Organization of the Scout Movement, typically attended by several tens of thousands of Scouts from around the world, aged 14 to 17....
and Rover Moot, although after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, they were compelled to arrive and participate in these events with contingents of other countries. The only exceptions were the World Jamboree at Moisson in 1947 in which 36 Estonian DP-Scouts from Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
took part under the Estonian colors
Flag of Estonia
The national flag of Estonia is a tricolour featuring three equal horizontal bands of blue , black, and white. The normal size is 105 × 165 cm...
; and the Jubilee Jamboree at Sutton Park, England, in 1957, where it was possible for Estonian Scouts to fly their own flag in the camp allotted to the Federation of Scouts in Exile
Scouts-in-Exile
Scouts-in-Exteris, also referred to as Scouts-in-Exile, are Scouting and Guiding groups formed outside of their native country as a result of war and changes in governments...
.
Rebirth of Estonian Scouting
Estonian Scouting was reborn as soon as the country regained its independence in 1989. Eesti Skautide Ühing was founded in 1995, and has been recognized and rejoined as the 140th member of World Organization of the Scout Movement in January 1996. When founded, Eesti Skautide Ühing had 200-300 members in several counties of Estonia.Membership in Eesti Skautide Ühing is open to all young people in Estonia, with 1,199 male and female members as of 2004. The association's national headquarters are at Tallinn. Members of the association have participated in international events, including Eurofolk 1993, the 1994 and 2005 EuroJam (European Jamboree), the 1995 and 1999 World Jamborees and various European Region seminars. Leaders have also attended training courses provided by Scout associations in Denmark, Finland and Canada.
Program Sections
Since 2005, the program sections are- Hundud (Cub Scouts) - 6 to 10
- Skaudid (Scouts) - 11 to 14
- Vanemskaudid (Ventures) - 15 to 17
- Rändurid (Rovers) - 18 to 26
Scout ideals
The Scout Motto is Ole Valmis, translated as Be Prepared in Estonian. The Estonian noun for a single Scout is skaut.Scout Oath
Tõotan pühalikult püüda teha parimat, et austada Jumalat, täita kohust Eesti, mu isamaa ees, aidata kaasinimest ja järgida skaudiseadusi.I pledge solemnly to do the best, to honour the God, to fulfill my duty for Estonia, for my fatherland, to help others and pursue the Scout laws.
Scout Law
- Skaut on usaldatav - a Scout is trustworthy
- Skaut on truu - a Scout is faithful
- Skaut on abivalmis - a Scout is helpful
- Skaut on sõbralik ja rõõmus - a Scout is affable and merry
- Skaut on viisakas - a Scout is polite
- Skaut on looduse sõber - a Scout is a friend of nature
- Skaut austab ennast ja teisi - a Scout is considerate for himself and others
- Skaut on sihikindel ja visa - a Scout is persevering and single-minded
- Skaut on kokkuhoidlik ja töökas - a Scout is frugal and industrious
- Skaut on puhas mõttes, sõnas ja teos - a Scout is clean in thought, word and deed