The coeducational Organization of the Scout Movement of Kazakhstan ( kz, Скауттык Қoзғaлыс Ұіымы Қазақстан, ''Skawttık Qozğalıs Uiımı Qazaqstan''; russian: Организация Скаутского Движения Казахстана, ''Organizatsiya Skautskogo Dvizheniya Kazakhstana'') was officially founded in 1992, and received
World Organization of the Scout Movement
The World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM ) is the largest international Scouting organization. WOSM has 173 members. These members are recognized national Scout organizations, which collectively have around 43 million participants. WOSM ...
recognition on January 16, 2008.
In 2011, it had 1,223 members.
History
As far as is known,
Scouting was not introduced to the region during the
khanate period of the pre-Soviet era.
In 1990 a conference (or Congress) of people interested in Scouting was held in
Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 millio ...
.
Viktor Deimund (now the President of the Scout Movement of Kazakhstan) represented
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country located mainly in Central Asia and partly in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the north and west, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan to the southeast, Uzbeki ...
at the Congress. The Congress established the ''Association of Russian Scouting Renaissance''. The homegrown Scout troops within Kazakhstan joined the membership of the
Ural Scout Region.
Viktor Deimund and
Oleg Mozheyko organized the first Scout Troops in Kazakhstan in 1991. Republic-wide newspapers published the first articles on the work of
Pavlodar
Pavlodar ( ; ) is a city in northeastern Kazakhstan and the capital of Pavlodar Region. It is located 450 km northeast of the national capital Astana and 405 km southeast of the Russian city of Omsk along the Irtysh River. , the cit ...
Scout troops. Shortly thereafter, hundreds of letters came to Pavlodar from people asking for help to create Scout units. Pavlodar Scout leaders published and sent out Scouting literature, and Scout troops were created in different cities and parts of Kazakhstan.
On December 28, 1992, the Organization of the Scout Movement of Kazakhstan was registered in the Ministry of Justice, and in 1993 Scout leader training courses were made available. An All-Republic Camp (
National Jamboree) "Jasybay's Arrow" was held in the summer at
Jasybay, a national camp near
Bayanaul National Park,
Pavlodar Province
Pavlodar Region ( kk, Павлодар облысы, translit=Pavlodar oblysy; russian: Павлодарская область, translit=Pavlodarskaya oblast) is a region of Kazakhstan. The population of the region was and ; the latest official ...
, named for a
Kazakh mythic hero. 1994 saw both the publication of handbook "Scouting for Everybody" and the participation of Kazakhstan Scouts in a
World Scout Committee
The World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM ) is the largest international Scouting organization. WOSM has 173 members. These members are recognized national Scout organizations, which collectively have around 43 million participants. WOSM ...
Informative Council on Scouting in
Crimea
Crimea, crh, Къырым, Qırım, grc, Κιμμερία / Ταυρική, translit=Kimmería / Taurikḗ ( ) is a peninsula in Ukraine, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, that has been occupied by Russia since 2014. It has a pop ...
. During the council, President Deimund discussed the development of Scouting in Kazakhstan with Doctor
Jacques Moreillon
Jacques Moreillon (born 1939) served as Director General of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) until 1988 and as Secretary General of the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) from November 1, 1988 to March 31, 2004.
M ...
, the
Secretary General
Secretary is a title often used in organizations to indicate a person having a certain amount of authority, power, or importance in the organization. Secretaries announce important events and communicate to the organization. The term is derived ...
of WOSM. Leaders of Kazakh Scouts took part in the international seminar "Scouting: Youth without Borders" in
Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria t ...
. In 1995, Kazakhstan's Scouts were represented at the 18th
World Scout Jamboree
The World Scout Jamboree is a Scouting jamboree of the World Organization of the Scout Movement, typically attended by several tens of thousands of Scouts from around the world, aged 14 to 17.
The first World Scout Jamboree was organized by Th ...
in the Netherlands by a small group.
Since 1994 the Organization of the Scout Movement of Kazakhstan has received financial and organizational support from the German Scout Association
Bund der Pfadfinderinnen und Pfadfinder
The Bund der Pfadfinderinnen und Pfadfinder (BdP) (German Association of Guides and Scouts) is the largest non-denominational, co-educational Scout and Guide association in Germany. Through its membership in the Ring deutscher Pfadfinderverbän ...
(BdP), with which they share an exchange program. 20 Guides and Scouts from the BdP travelled to Kazakhstan for the National Camp in 2002. Every year Guides and Scouts from the OSMK and BdP meet each other in camps or training courses either in Germany or Kazakhstan, helping and learning from each other. In 2006 8 Guides and Scouts from the BdP travelled to Kazakhstan for the National Camp.
In 1999, Kazakhstan held the First International Scout Camp "Kakharman-99", and in 2003 held WINGS2003, a subcamp for 10 to 14-year-olds. On October 5, 2004, the
Internet Access and Training Program (IATP) brought together 20 Scouts from Kazakhstan and
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan (, ; uz, Ozbekiston, italic=yes / , ; russian: Узбекистан), officially the Republic of Uzbekistan ( uz, Ozbekiston Respublikasi, italic=yes / ; russian: Республика Узбекистан), is a doubly landlocked co ...
for a two-hour online discussion of their activities from the IATP access sites in five cities in Kazakhstan and three in Uzbekistan, aimed to bring together representatives of the Scouting movements from these countries to promote friendship and cooperation. Scouts from Kazakhstan named as their main challenge a lack of funds, and the difficulty of building a successful fundraising operation.
With the 1991 breakup of the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
, it was suggested that the
Türkiye İzcilik Federasyonu assist in the creation of Scouting movements in the Turkic
Central Asia
Central Asia, also known as Middle Asia, is a subregion, region of Asia that stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to western China and Mongolia in the east, and from Afghanistan and Iran in the south to Russia in the north. It includes t ...
n republics of Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan,, pronounced or the Kyrgyz Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Asia. Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the south, and the People's Republic of China to the ea ...
,
Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan ( or ; tk, Türkmenistan / Түркменистан, ) is a country located in Central Asia, bordered by Kazakhstan to the northwest, Uzbekistan to the north, east and northeast, Afghanistan to the southeast, Iran to the sout ...
and
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan (, ; uz, Ozbekiston, italic=yes / , ; russian: Узбекистан), officially the Republic of Uzbekistan ( uz, Ozbekiston Respublikasi, italic=yes / ; russian: Республика Узбекистан), is a doubly landlocked co ...
, but it is uncertain if this plan ever materialized.
WOSM recognition
In October 2007, the
World Scout Bureau
The World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM ) is the largest international Scouting organization. WOSM has 173 members. These members are recognized national Scout organizations, which collectively have around 43 million participants. WOSM ...
received an application for membership in WOSM from the OSMK. In accordance with the requirements of the WOSM Constitution, the
World Scout Committee
The World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM ) is the largest international Scouting organization. WOSM has 173 members. These members are recognized national Scout organizations, which collectively have around 43 million participants. WOSM ...
considered this application at its meeting from September 28 to 30, 2007, and recommended that it be accepted. The OSMK was declared a WOSM member on January 16, 2008. In becoming a member of WOSM, OSMK will become a member of the
Eurasia Scout Region, if it so desires.
If Kazakhstan had chosen not to become a member of the Eurasia Region, they would have been eligible to join the
European Region
The European Union created a Committee of the Regions to represent Regions of Europe as the layer of EU government administration directly below the nation-state level. The committee has its headquarters in Brussels.
Reasons given for this incl ...
, as
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
was responsible for the support of OSMK. The WOSM constitution contains no obligation for National Scout Organizations to join the regions, but it is strongly expected.
In October 2023, OMSK will join the
Asia Pacific Region Asia Pacific Region can refer to:
* Asia-Pacific
* WOSM-Asia-Pacific Region
* WAGGGS-Asia Pacific Region
* Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation
The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC ) is an inter-governmental forum for 21 member economy, e ...
, as the Eurasian region will be dissolved.
Program and ideals
Kazakhstan Scouts are expected to hold spiritual values and national loyalty, but the organization does not discriminate by faith or ethnic origin. Scouts are also expected to live up to the Scout Oath and Law and to serve their communities, which they accomplish through such activities as working with handicapped children and cleaning natural areas. The program's goal is to strengthen character and promote healthy minds, bodies and spirits in participants.
The OSMK presently has no property except a headquarters. OSMK favors youth membership and youth involvement through an active strategy to recruit youth members. The adult policy aims at supporting leadership and
recruitment of
volunteers
Volunteering is a voluntary act of an individual or group freely giving time and labor for community service. Many volunteers are specifically trained in the areas they work, such as medicine, education, or emergency rescue. Others serve ...
.
OSMK is open to girls and boys, women and men, in four age sections:
*Junior Scouts-ages 7 to 10
*Scouts-ages 11 to 14
*Senior Scouts-ages 15 to 17
*Scout leaders are over 18
The
Scout Motto
The Scout Motto of the Scout movement is, in English, "Be Prepared", with most international branches of the group using a close translation of that phrase. These mottoes have been used by millions of Scouts around the world since 1907. Most of ...
is ''Dayyin Bol'', translating as ''Be Prepared'' in
Kazakh, and ''Bud' Gotov'', translating likewise in Russian. The noun for a single Scout is ''Скаут'' in both languages. Kazakh Scouts wear a dark green uniform.
The membership badge of the Organization of the Scout Movement of Kazakhstan incorporates elements of the
flag of Kazakhstan
The flag of Kazakhstan or Kazakh flag ( kk, Қазақстан туы, ; russian: Флаг Казахстана, translit=Flag Kazakhstana) was adopted on 4 June 1992, replacing the flag of the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic. The flag was de ...
set inside the
Rub El Hizb
The Rub-el-Hizb ( ar, ربع الحزب, '), also known as the Islamic Star, is an Islamic symbol. It is in the shape of an octagram, represented as two overlapping squares. It has been found on a number of emblems and flags. The main purpose of ...
(۞).
The National Council, composed of eleven members, includes seven women and four men. OSMK has three regularly employed professional staff. The Council Chairman is Victor Georgievich Deimund, and the International Commissioner is Mrs. Ainur Shaikhimova Abylayevna.
Scout Oath
On my honor, I promise that I will do my best, to do my duty to God and the Motherland, to help other people and to obey the Scout Law.
Scout Law
*A Scout is devoted to the Motherland.
*A Scout is honest and truthful.
*A Scout's duty is to help others.
*A Scout is a friend to all and a brother to every other Scout.
*A Scout is courteous.
*A Scout is a friend to nature.
*A Scout obeys orders of his parents and leaders without question.
*A Scout is thrifty and he respects others property.
*A Scout smiles and never gives up.
*A Scout is diligent and persevering.
*A Scout is restrained.
*A Scout is clean in thought, word and deed.
References
Article distilled from information provided by former OSMK International Commissioner Oleg Mozheyko.
External links
Official website
*http://www.scoutingmagazine.org/issues/0011/a-kaza.html
*https://web.archive.org/web/20050215204955/http://wings2003.org.uk/Kazakhstan/startup.htm
WOSM Circular N° 29/2007{{WOSM, eurasian
1992 establishments in Kazakhstan
Youth organizations established in 1992
Scouting and Guiding in Kazakhstan
World Organization of the Scout Movement member organizations