Figure 1.--These KSA members were photographed in the 1990s. I'm not quite sure what the different color shirts reflect. They look like a Scout group, but in fact are not.

As with many European countries, there is no one single Scout association in Belgium. This is in part because of the differences between the two Belgian linguistic groups. Belgian has in fact several different Scout associations, each with different uniforms. The different groups are generally divided along linguistic-cultural lines, but most or at least nomimlly Catholic. There are also some Scout-like nationalist groups. These groups which compete with the Scouts (rarely will boys belong to both groups). These competing groups seem more popular in Belgium than other European countries.

Scout Groups

Available information on individual Belgian Scout associations includes:

The Federation Catholic Scouts (FCSM)

FOS

The FOS is one of the two Flemish Scout associations.

???? (SBPB)

Vlaams Verbond van Katholieke Scouts (VVKS)

The VVKSM is one of the two Flemish Scout grous. It was called VVKS before the Girl Guides joined.

Nationalist Groups

There are also some uniformed youth groups in contemprary Belgium that are not Scouts. Because of there uniforms, these groups are sometimes confused with Scouts.

Chiro

Chiro is a youth group that is not well known outsise of Belgium. It is a youth organization with strong Catholic religious orientations. It has units with branches all over Flanders. It is now an increasingly coed group, although many activities are still single gener activities. Originally boys' and girls' units were completely separate and some groups ran their activities like camps with only one or the other at any given time.

KSA

The Katholieke Studentenactie (KSA) wears a uniform that looks very much like a Scout group. But it is not a Scout association. The KSA has nothing to do with Lord Baden-Powell and the World Scouting movement. I think it may best be described as a scion of the "patronaat"-group of youth movements that have been fostered by the Roman Catholic Church. It is similar to Chiro. However both movements are recruiting their boys from different sections of society. KSA groups are always linked to a school. That school usually is a "college" i.e. a priest-run form of secondary education that is meant to prepare boys for entering university--or indeed the priesthood. (A "college" in France and Belgium is a secondary school, not an under-graduate university as in the United States.)

Vlaams-Nationale Jeugdbeweging (VNJ)

This is the Flemish National Youth Movement. It is a Flemish nationalist group advocating independence for Flanders from Francofone Belgium. The VNJ is the Flemish National Youth Movement. Flanders is a part of Belgium and the population is largely Dutch speaking. Belgian history has seen a conflict between the French speaking Waloonsm, supported by their powerful French neighbor to the south and the Flemish Dutch-speaking population in Flanders.