The YWCA-YMCA Guides and Scouts of Norway is a Norwegian

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...

 Scouting

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....

 and Guiding

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...

 association founded in its present form in 2003, when the YMCA

YMCA

The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...

-Scouts and the YWCA

YWCA

The YWCA USA is the United States branch of a women's membership movement that strives to create opportunities for women's growth, leadership and power in order to attain a common vision—to eliminate racism and empower women. The YWCA is a non-profit organization, the first of which was founded in...

-Guides merged. Norges KFUK-KFUM-speidere serves about 13,000 members.

The association is a member of Speidernes Fellesorganisasjon

Speidernes Fellesorganisasjon

Speidernes Fellesorganisasjon is the national Scouting and Guiding federation of Norway, founded in 2003. It took over the WOSM membership of Norges Speiderforbund and the WAGGGS membership of the Fellesrådet for speiderpiker i Norge...

, the national Scouting and Guiding federation of Norway. It is divided in 20 districts with about 350 local troops.

History

Guiding with in the YWCA was started in 1920, Scouting in the YMCA in 1945. In 2003 both organizations merged; for the first years after the merger, the association run both former programs and the units were free to decide if the followed the Guide or the Scout scheme. In 2007, a new organizational structure as well as new program were decided.

Program

Since 2007, the association is divided in four sections according to age:

• Uppdagere (Discoverers) - ages 8 to 10
• Stifinnere (Pathfinders) - ages 10 to 12
• Vandrere (Wanderers) - ages 12 to 17
• Rovere (Rovers) - ages 17 and older

Scout law

Scout Law

Since the publication of Scouting for Boys in 1908, all Scouts and Guides around the world have taken a Scout Promise or oath to live up to ideals of the movement, and subscribed to a Scout Law...

1. A Guide and a Scout are open to God and His word.
   En speider er åpen for Gud og Hans ord.
2. A Guide and a Scout feel responsibility for themselves and others.
   En speider kjenner ansvar for seg selv og andre.
3. A Guide and a Scout are helpful and considerate.
   En speider er hjelpsom og hensynsfull.
4. A Guide and a Scout are a good friend.
   En speider er en god venn.
5. A Guide and a Scout are honest and reliable.
   En speider er ærlig og pålitelig.
6. A Guide and a Scout know nature and protect it.
   En speider kjenner naturen og verner om den.
7. A Guide and a Scout think and act on their own and try to understand others.
   En speider tenker og handler selvstendig og prøver å forstå andre.
8. A Guide and a Scout do their best in hard times and difficulties.
   En speider gjør sitt beste i motgang og vansker.
9. A Guide and a Scout are modest and try to manage on their own.
   En speider er nøysom og prøver å klare seg selv.
10. A Guide and a Scout work for peace and understanding among people.
    En speider arbeider for fred og forståelse mellom mennesker.

Scout promise

In belief of God's help, I promise

to serve God,

help others,

and live according to the scout law.

I tro på Guds hjelp lover jeg

å tjene Gud,

hjelpe andre

og leve etter speiderloven.

Emblem

The elements used in the logo of the Norges KFUK-KFUM-speidere are a fleur-de-lis

Fleur-de-lis

The fleur-de-lis or fleur-de-lys is a stylized lily or iris that is used as a decorative design or symbol. It may be "at one and the same time, political, dynastic, artistic, emblematic, and symbolic", especially in heraldry...

 for Boy Scouting, a trefoil

Trefoil

Trefoil is a graphic form composed of the outline of three overlapping rings used in architecture and Christian symbolism...

 for Girl Guiding and a triangle for YWCA

YWCA

The YWCA USA is the United States branch of a women's membership movement that strives to create opportunities for women's growth, leadership and power in order to attain a common vision—to eliminate racism and empower women. The YWCA is a non-profit organization, the first of which was founded in...

-YMCA

YMCA

The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...

. The triangle is more prominent in the historic logo of Norges KFUM speidere prior to the merger.

External links

• Official website