Vietnamese Boy Scouts


Figure 1.--This 1966 press photo shows Vietnamese Boy Scouts climbing over the wreckage of a South Vietnamese Air Force plane. The caption read, "Vietnamese Boy Scouts climb over the wreckage of a South Vietnamese Air Force plane that crashed into a dependant housing area10/1, killing 5 and wounding24 others, including wight Americams. The plane, a Skjyraider was performing for a Boy Scout jamboree when it crashed. For a time, the Saigon government refused to allow newds agencies to transmit this and other pictures tajken at the crash scene. They later relented."

There was a Boy Scout movement in French Indochina. It was primarily in Vietnam, although Indochinas also included Laos and Cambodia. The Scouting movement was founded in the schools for French children. Well-to-do Vietnamese children also attended the French schools. They were essentially French Scouts in Indochina. Most of the boys were Catholics. Two Vietnamese athletes, Tran Van Khac and Ta Van Ruc, founded the "Dong Tu Quan" (Scouts) youth movement (1930). This was the foundation of the Vietnamese Scouting movement. Tran Van Khac is generally accepted as the founder of Vietnamese Scouting. This first Vietnamese troop pursued standfard Scouting actibities, but with a heavy emphasis on athletics. Other troops were founded before World War II. French Pioneers and the French Scouts assisted with the organization of the Viernamese troops. The boys were organized in three units: Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts and Senior Scouts. Andre Lefevre, a French Scoutmaster and chief of the French Freedom Scout Association, played a makjor role in the Vienamese Scout movement. He set set up a training camp and prpogram for 60 Vietnamese scoutmasters. The Federation of French Scouts sent Scoutmaster Raymond Schlemmer to help organize the Scouting movement in Indoichina (Viet Nam, Laos and Cambodia). The Scouting movement at this time was much more developed in Vietnam than the rest of Indochina. Schlemmer help set up the Indo-Chineese Federation of Scouts. World War II disrupted the growth of the Scouting movement. After France fell to the Germans (June 1940), the Japanese seized control of first north Indochina and then the south. The French not only lost control, but a Communist independence movement grew in strength. The Scouts disbanded during the Japanese occupation (1940-45). The French reintroduced Scouting when they retuned (1945), but were defeated by the Viet Minh (1953). The Geneva Conference divided Vietnam. (1954). Many Cathlocs fled south and the Scouting movement continued there. The Viet Minh seized power in the North and establoshed a Communist government. The Noirth Vietnanese Communists banned Scouting. There were both Buddhisdt and Catholic Scouts in South Vietnam. We note Buddhist Boy Scouts protesting the South Vietnamese Government (1963). The Budhists saw the Government as dominsated by the Catholics. The Budhists seem to have thought that they would be better off under the Communists. The Communists banned Scouting and founded the Young Pioneer Movement. Of course this meant that there was no longer any protesrts against the Government.







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Created: 11:35 PM 4/8/2010
Last updated: 11:35 PM 4/8/2010