The ''Associazione Italiana Guide e Scouts d'Europa Cattolici'' (translation: Italian Association Catholic Guides and Scouts of Europe, AIGSEC), better known as ''Federazione dello Scautismo Europeo'' (Federation of European Scouting, FSE) or ''Scouts d'Europa'' (Scouts of Europe), is a

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

Scouting Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement employing the Scout method, a program of informal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activities, including camping, woodcraft, aquatics, hiking, backpacking ...

and Guiding association in

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

. Formed in 1976, AIGSEC includes 20,105 members, 203 local groups and 1,361 units, making it the second-largest organisation of that kind in the country, second only to the ''

Associazione Guide e Scouts Cattolici Italiani The ''Associazione Guide e Scouts Cattolici Italiani'' ( en, Association of Italian Catholic Guides and Scouts, italic=yes, link=yes, AGESCI) is a Catholic Scouting and Guiding association in Italy. It is coeducational and has 183,925 members, ...

'' (AGESCI), born by the merger of the ''

Associazione Scouts Cattolici Italiani The ''Associazione Scouts Cattolici Italiani'' (Association of Italian Catholic Scouts, ASCI) was a Catholic Scouting association active in Italy from 1916 to 1974, while being suspended under Fascism. In 1974, after a long debate, ASCI was merged ...

'' (ASCI) with the ''

Associazione Guide Italiane The ''Associazione Guide Italiane'' (Association of Italian Guides, AGI) was a Catholic Girl Scouting association active in Italy, founded in 1943. In 1974, AGI merged with the ''Associazione Scouts Cattolici Italiani'' (ASCI), its male counterpa ...

'' (AGI) in 1974. AIGSEC was founded two years later by former leaders of ASCI and AGI, along with some disgruntled members of AGESCI. AIGSEC is the second-largest member of the

International Union of Guides and Scouts of Europe The International Union of the Guides and Scouts of Europe - Federation of Scouts of Europe (Union Internationale des Guides et Scouts d’Europe, UIGSE; also known as ''Union Internationale des Guides et Scouts d'Europe – Fédération du Scou ...

or European Scouting Federation (UIGSE–FSE), an organisation launched in 1956.

References

{{Reflist

External links

Official website
Scouting and Guiding in Italy Youth organizations established in 1976 1976 establishments in Italy