Figure 1.-- Chiang Kai-shek was rose to leadership of the Kuomintang party (KMT) was impressed with Scouting. He used the movement during the Nanjing decade (1927-37) to help promote the ethos of Republican civic duty and citizenship. He saw the Scouts as a modernizing influence to help attract young people. Here we see Chaing participating in a patriotic Scout rally in Nanking during 1936. The press caption read, "Preceded by boy scout Flag-bearers, General Chiang Kai-Shek, military leader of China´s millions, is shown with members of his staff as he reviewed 10.000 Chinese Boy Scouts and Girl Guides at the silver Jubilee celebration of the birth of the Chinese Republic. Left to right in the group are, General Feng Yu-Hsiang, Gen. Ho-Yin-Chung, Minister of war, and General Chiang Kai-Shek." The pgotograph was dared October 30, 1936, just before the Japanese invasion.

Following the birth of the Republic in 1912, the first scout troop was organized by Reverend Yen Chia-lin in WuChang (February 25). The growth of Scouting in China was aided by the foreign Scouters in the Treaty Ports and the Christian missionaries scattered around the country. The movement spread rapidly all over the county, at least within the more moden elements of the Middle Class in the major cities. We note Chinese Scouts participating in Ntionalist rallies. Chiang Kai-shek was rose to leadership of the Kuomintang party (KMT) was impressed with Scouting. He used the movement during the Nanjing decade (1927-37) to help promote the ethos of Republican civic duty and citizenship. He saw the Scouts as a modernizing influence to help attract young people. The KMT wanted to modernize China and saw the Scouts as helpful in building a base of dedicated young citizens. A Girl Guide movement was also organized which must have been a little shocking for traditionalist Chinese. A major impediment for Chaing and the KMT was traditionalism in the countryside and villages. Chaing hoped Scouting could help in this effort by helping to transform the younger generation. The General Association was formally established in Nanking (1934) and became a member of the International Scout Conference (1937). The registered membership reached 570,000 boys (1941) in the midst of World War II, making it one of the largest Scouting movement around the world. Scouts played an active role in the Second Sino-Japanese War from (1937-45). All Scouting activities bruptly ceased when the Peoples Army won the Chinese Civil War (1949). The Communists banned Scouting. Chinese Scouts reorganized on Formosa (Taiwan) where the Republic of China (ROC) found refuge (1950). in 1950 after the ROC government was relocated to Taipei,