Colombian Youth Groups

Figure 1.--This wire service photo from August 7 1956 shows a Colombian Boy Scout directing traffic on busy street in the city of Cali. The city was in chaos after a military truck loaded with high explosives colided with a gasoline tanker and blew up. About 800 people were killed. A reader writes, "Boy Scouts keeping the inferstructure going in an energency situation was one of the ideas B.P had. He would have been very proud of the work the scouts did during the aftermath of this disaster. They helped stablise the city and keep it functioning."

We know very little about Colombian youth groups. The only group we know of is the Scouts. Scouting appeared in Colombia soon after it was founded in Britain (1913). Scouting was brought from Englnd by by Miguel Jimenez, who had lived in brought the idea of Scouting back with him. Sir Jorge Cock Quevedo also played an important early role. Scouting in Colombia is a relatively small movement, about 14,000 members (2010). There are several associations. The largest is principal the Asociación Scouts de Colombia (ASC). TheASC was founded in 1917 and accepted into the World Organization of the Scout Movement (1933). The movement is now coeducational with both boys and girls participating. Other smaller associations include: the Asociación de Guías Scouts de Colombia, Corporación Scouts de Antioquia, and the the Asociación Colombiana de Escultismo. The ASC age levels are: Manada (Lobatos, ages 7 to 11), Tropa (Scouts, ages 11 to 15), Comuidad (Caminantes, ages 15 to 18), and Clan (Rover Scouts, ages 18 to 21). The ASC program includes outdoor activities and community service. Scouts participate in national festivals and holidays. They are also active in assisting at major sporting events, disaster relief, and first aid situations. In recent years they have developed a strong emphasis on conservation and ecology.