New stamps on Scouting…

 

100 Years of  Hungarian Scout Association

Date of issue: 20 April 2012

Magyar Posta has issued  a commemorative miniature sheet with a surcharge in honour of the centenary of the foundation of the Hungarian Scout Association. The stamp designs of the miniature sheet are graphic compositions related to scouting, the world jamboree, leadership training, the scout salute and the scout symbol.

Magyar Posta devotes the proceeds from the surcharge – HUF 100 for each miniature sheet, which may not be used to pay for postage – to supporting youth stamp collecting.

 

The first scout camp began on 1 August 1907 on Brownsea Island in the south of England. The movement, founded by Robert Baden-Powell in 1907, appeared in Hungary in 1910. The Hungarian Scout Association was established on 28 December 1912. Hungary was a founder member of the International Scout Bureau (today WOSM) as well as the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, which was established in Parád in 1928. Hungarian scouts first took part in a world jamboree in Copenhagen in 1924, where they came third in the competition behind the British and the Americans.

In 1926 the first Hungarian national jamboree was organised, which was attended by 10,000 people. In 1927 the Association set up a centre for the highest scout training among other activities at Hárshegy. By then the Association also owned a central national building, a sea scout centre on the Danube and a national network of scout shops. In 1933 Hungary organised the 4th World Scout Jamboree in the park of the royal palace in Gödöllő, where 26,000 scouts from 46 countries took part. Between 1948 and 1989 the movement was banned by the government in Hungary, and Hungarian scouting continued either illegally or in emigration. After the change of political system, on 11 February 1989 the Hungarian Scout Association was the very first social organisation to be registered at the Metropolitan Court of Budapest. 

At present the Hungarian Scout Association has 10 scout districts. Each district is divided into areas, which operate their own scout groups. Irrespective of geographical area, there are specialised branches of the scout movement, such as the sea scouts and the air scouts, where scouts can learn about their particular interest. The training takes place in small communities called patrols, which are run by young leaders. Several patrols with members of similar age are overseen by an adult. The leaders are given their assignments dependent on different levels of training.

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