Belarusian Republican Scout Association (BRSA) becomes a member of World Scouting.
The World Organization of the Scout Movement is happy to announce that Belarusian Republican Scout Association (BRSA has become the 161st Member Organization with effect from 5 September 2010.
Scouting in Belarus was first seen in 1909 when the first Belarusian Scout groups were created. However during the soviet regime its development was stopped. The revival of Scouting in Belarus as from 1989 benefited from the positive impact of the Operation of Solidarity with the Children of Chernobyl, an operation that was launched by the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM ) and UNESCO in 1990. Thanks to exchanges with Belgian, French and Luxembourg Scouts many other Scout groups were formed. In the years following this, Scouting in Belarus steadily albeit discretely developed and flourished.
The membership of BRSA totals 1200, comprising 12% Cub Scouts, 44% Scouts, 40% Rovers and 4% adult leaders, and is spread across the country but predominantly in Minsk and in the Grodno area.
In the past years the Association has become well structured and now has a clear and transparent democratic decision-making process. Although it benefits from governmental support the Association remains fully independent and has developed many good relationships with other youth organizations, the Orthodox Church and local authorities. It has maintained contact with Scout Associations in other countries and in May 2001 Belarus hosted the 1st Eurasia Regional Scout Conference. The Association has also recently participated in the 2nd Baltic Jamboree that took place this summer in Lithuania.
The new application for membership of WOSM was recommended by the World Scout Committee to all Member Organizations of WOSM and has now been accepted. Belarus is now the 161st country where Scouting is internationally recognized. We therefore join today in congratulating our brother and sister Scouts in Belarus in their successful re-admission into the World Scouting family and look forward to working with them in the future.
Located in eastern Europe, nestled in between Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania and Latvia, lies the Republic of Belarus. With a population of 9.85 million the inhabitants are 80% native Belarusians, with sizable minorities of Russians, Poles and Ukranians.
