Cercetaşii României

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Membership badge of Cercetaşii României

Organizaţia Naţională Cercetaşii României, the primary national Scouting organization of Romania, was founded in 1914, and became a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement in 1993. The coeducational Cercetaşii României has 4,927 members as of 2004.

1 History
2 Ideals and program
- 2.1 Scout oath
- 2.2 Scout law
3 See also
4 External links and references

[edit] History

Romania was a founding member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement, having formally had Scouts between 1914 and 1937. The first patrol of Boy Scouts appeared in Romania in 1912, thanks to a group of professors, physicians, soldiers, etc. (Gh. Munteanu-Murgeci, Alexandru Borza, V. Ghidionescu, C. Costa-Foru, Nicolae Iorga, Ion G. Duca and Colonel G. Berindei) who were familiar with the Scout movements in Great Britain, France, Belgium, and Germany.

The translation of Baden-Powell's book "Scouting for Boys" into Romanian appeared in 1915. That same year saw the official founding of the Cercetaşii României, the Romanian Boy Scouts Association. On this occasion, Lord Baden-Powell sent a message of congratulations, with the admonition that Scouting should be adapted to the local situation.

During World War I, Romanian Scouts were very active in defense activities. Ecaterina Teodoroiu guided a patrol of Scouts and Guides and died a heroine. Many Scouts who helped the transporting of the wounded were killed during the air attacks. On September 29, 1916 Baden-Powell sent a message expressing regret to the Scouts for the death of their fellows. At the end of the war, the Boy Scouts marched in the front of the Victory Train, under the Triumphal Arch.

In 1920, 67 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 in villages, many camps, socials, expeditions and spectacles were organized, and a great number of magazines, literary writings and pedagogical studies were published for Scouts and their Chiefs. Mircea Eliade 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. Cercetaşii României had 45,000 members at that point, and the Guides Movement had 14,000. The organizer and Chief of the Guides Movement was Princess Ileana, the daughter of Queen Marie.

Later, when the extremist movements (fascism and communism) divided the young generation, the Scout Movement remained an oasis of democracy, tolerance, peace and fraternity. It preserved its apolitical character, but in 1937, Romanian Scouting was replaced by a dictatorial organization, Străjeria. 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, former Scouts and others, despite the difficult conditions, acted for the revival of Scouting in Romania. When communism collapsed, Cercetaşii României was reborn in 1991, and in 1993 again gained recognition by the World Bureau of the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM). In 2006, there are more than 2,000 registered Scouts.

[edit] Ideals and program

Program Sections:

Elves/Cubs-8 to 11
Pioneers/Scouts-12 to 14
Explorers/Venturers-15 to 18
Seniors/Rovers-18 to 21

The Scout Motto is "Gata Oricând", translating as "Always Prepared" in Romanian. The Romanian noun for a single Scout is Cercetaş.

[edit] Scout oath

Promit pe onoarea mea să fac tot ce este posibil pentru, a servi patria mea România şi credinţa mea Dumnezeu, a ajuta pe aproapele meu în orice moment, a mă supune Legii Cercetaşului.

I promise on my honour to do all that is in my power in order to: Serve my country, Romania, and my belief, Help my fellow man in any moment, Respect the Scout Law, So help me God.

[edit] Scout law

Cercetaşul îşi iubeşte patria sa, România şi pe toţi cei care trăiesc in ea
Cercetaşul este loial, îşi respectă cuvântul dat, nu minte, este curat în gând, în vorbă şi în faptă
Cercetaşul este util şi îşi ajută semenii în orice situaţie, este un prieten pentru toţi şi frate cu toţi Cercetaşii
Cercetaşul este econom şi cumpătat, este îngăduitor cu alţii şi sever cu sine, îşi îngrijeşte corpul şi duce o viaţă sănătoasă
Cercetaşul iubeşte şi ocroteşte natura şi este bun cu animalele
Cercetaşul îşi respectă şi ascultă părinţii, şefii si profesorii şi este disciplinat în tot ceea ce face
Cercetaşul este credincios şi respectă credinţa celorlalţi
Cercetaşul este curajos şi încrezător în puterile sale, vioi şi plin de însufleţire
Cercetaşul se străduieşte să facă în fiecare zi o faptă bună, oricât de neînsemnată ar părea ea

The Scout loves his country, Romania and all the people who live in it

A Scout is loyal, trustworthy, he never lies; his mind and actions are clean

A Scout makes himself useful; he helps others in any situation; he is every ones friend and the brother of all the Scouts

A Scout is thoughtful and moderate, he is tolerant with others and severe with himself, he takes care of his body and leads a healthy life

A Scout loves and protects nature and he is good to animals

A Scout loves and obeys his parents, his chiefs and his teachers and he is disciplined in everything he does

A Scout is faithful and he respects other's faith/religion

A Scout is courageous and he trusts his own powers; he is joyful and full of life

A Scout likes to study and he teaches others

A Scout strives to do a good deed every day, however small it might seem

[edit] See also

Scouting Portal

[edit] External links and references

Distilled from information from Ken Wiltz and with information forwarded him by Professor Dr. Mircea Stefan of Bucureşti, Romania. Additional information and translations provided by Paul Iacobas.

Members of the European Scout Region