Latvijas Skautu un Gaidu Centrālā Organizācija


Latvijas Skautu un Gaidu Centrālā Organizācija is the primary national Scouting and Guiding organisation of Latvia and a member of both the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts and the World Organization of the Scout Movement. The organization had 759 members as of 2011.

History

The Latvian Scouting program is based on the principles and methods created by Robert Baden-Powell, later banned by the Soviet government in 1940. The first Scout troop in Latvia was established on April 17, 1917 under Tsarist Russia by Arvīds Bredermanis and other Scouts from Tartu, Estonia, followed by several other Scout troops in the Riga area. The official founding year of scouting in Latvia is thus stated as 1917.
The Latvian Scout Organization was established in 1921, and Latvia was a founding member of the World Organization, from 1922 to 1940. Guiding began in Latvia in 1921 under Latvian Youth Organizations. In early 1922 The Latvian Guide Central Organization '' was set up, and Girl Guiding was permitted to operate independently.
Latvia enjoyed a visit from Robert Baden-Powell, World Chief Scout and Olave Baden-Powell, World Chief Guide, on August 18,1933 during their Baltic goodwill cruise on the SS Calgaric, and had a very active Scouting and Guiding movements until both were banned in 1940.
In 1940, after the Soviet occupation of Latvia, a special officer was appointed by the communists to abolish Scouting. Scouting continued unofficially, underground, operating without uniforms and in the forests to avoid detection. In 1941, the Communists killed the Latvian Scout founder and President, General Kārlis Goppers. The former Scout Commissioner for Latvia, Valdemārs Klētnieks, fled to the United States as a refugee after World War II. With the fall of communism, Scouting reemerged, and in 1989, a camp was organized. In 1990, Latvian Scouts held their fifth National Jamboree, "Renewal" and invited several other countries to participate.
The Latvian Scout and Guide Central Organization rejoined the World Organization of the Scout Movement in 1993, as well as the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts. Since then the Latvian organization has participated in several international projects all around the world.