Romania
The Scout Movement of Romania consists of several associations with slightly different aims. Among them are:
Organizaţia Naţională Cercetaşii României (ONCR), belonging to the World Organization of the Scout Movement, founded in 1991 with 4,927 members,
Asociaţia Scout Catolică din România (ASCRO), a Catholic Scout association, which is part of ONCR and linked with AGESCI, the Italian Catholic Scout and Guide Association
Asociaţia Ghidelor şi Ghizilor din România (AGGR), belonging to the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, founded in 1990 with 627 members
Cercetaşii Creştini Români din FSE, belonging to the Union Internationale des Guides et Scouts d'Europe, founded in 1991 with 500 members
Romániái Magyar Cserkészszövetség, ethnic Hungarian Scouts in Romania linked to Magyar Cserkészszövetség
The first patrol of Boy Scouts appeared in Romania in 1912, due to a group of professors, physicians, soldiers, etc (Gh. Munteanu -Murgeci, Alex. Borza, V. Ghidionescu, C. Costa-Foru, N. Iorga, I. G. Duca and Colonel G. Berindei) who knew the Scout Movement in Great Britain, France, Belgium, and Germany.
The translation, into Romanian, of the book "Scouting for Boys" by Baden-Powell
appeared in 1915. That same year saw the official founding of the Cercetasii Romaniei (The Romanian Boy Scouts Association). On this occasion, Robert Baden-Powell sent a message of congratulations, with the mention that Scouting should be adapted to the local situation.
During the first World War the Boy Scouts were very active. Ecaterina Teodoroiu guided a patrol of Scouts and Guides and she died as a heroine. Many Scouts, who helped the transporting of the wounded were killed during the air attacks. On the 29th of September 1916 Baden-Powell sent a message expressing the regret of the Scouts for the death of their brothers of Romania. At the end of the war, the Boy Scouts marched in the front of the Victory-Train, under the Triumphal Arch.
In 1920, sixty-seven Romanian Boy Scouts and their leaders were present at the first World Jamboree in London, England. Between the two World Wars, the Scout Movement developed a great deal in Romania. Many patrols were formed in towns and even in villages. Many camps, socials, expeditions and spectacles were organized. A great number of magazines, literary writings and pedagogical studies were published for Scouts and their Chiefs. Mircea Ellade was a devoted Boy Scout.
In 1930, the first Romanian Scout Jamboree took place in the presence of Hubert Martin and many delegations of Scouts and Guides from other countries. The Boy Scout Movement had, then, 45,000 members and the Guides Movement had 14,000. The organizer and Chief of the Guides Movement was Princess Lleana, the daughter of Queen Mary of Romania.
Later on, when the extremist movements (fascism, communism) divided the young generation, the Scout Movement remained an oasis of democracy, tolerance, peace and fraternity. It preserved its apolitical character, without discrimination of class, race and religion. The Scout Movement remained an oasis of democracy, tolerance, peace, and fraternity. Unfortunately, in 1937, Romanian Scouting was replaced by a dictatorial organization (Strajoria). After the Second World War, there were attempts to restore the Scout Movement in Romania, but the communist system banned it totally. After the revolution of December 1989, the former Scouts and others, despite the difficult conditions, act for the revival of Scouting in Romania.
When communism collapsed, Romanians revolted and created a democratic government. Scouting was reborn in 1991 and in 1993, gained recognition by the World Bureau (WOSM) in 1993. Today, there are 4,930 registered Scouts