Związek Harcerstwa Rzeczypospolitej (''Scouting Association of the Republic'', ZHR) is a Polish
Scouting
Scouting or the Scout Movement is a youth social movement, movement which became popularly established in the first decade of the twentieth century. It follows the Scout method of informal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activi ...
organization founded on 12 February 1989. At present, Związek Harcerstwa Rzeczypospolitej has over 17,500 members. At present, Związek Harcerstwa Rzeczypospolitej is an associate member of the
Confederation of European Scouts
The Confederation of European Scouts, called in French language, French and abbreviated as CES, was formed in Brussels, Belgium, on 12 November 1978 and is still based in Belgium. CES stresses the European dimension of the Scouting programme and ...
.
History
In 1956, after
Stalin's and
Bierut's death, the communist party youth movement ZMP OH was transformed and renamed to
ZHP, the same name the Polish Scouting association had before
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. After 1958 many pre-war instructors were removed from the new ZHP or marginalized, and the original oath, law, educational content and methods were changed. After
Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005.
In his you ...
's first pilgrimage to Poland in August 1980, some "non-conforming" instructors inside the ZHP created the
Andrzej Małkowski Circle of Scout Instructors (KIHAM), with the objective of restoring the original Scout ideals. After the 7th Congress of ZHP at the beginning of 1981 rejected all their motions and the
martial law
Martial law is the replacement of civilian government by military rule and the suspension of civilian legal processes for military powers. Martial law can continue for a specified amount of time, or indefinitely, and standard civil liberties ...
was imposed in December 1981, they went underground. The underground movement came to light in the fall of 1988. After they were unsuccessful in reforming the ZHP their way, the ZHR was founded.
Canada: ZHRwK
In June 1996, a new branch of ZHR (''Związek Harcerstwa Rzeczypospolitej w Kanadzie'') was established in Canada by Elżbieta Lyszkiewicz with the stated goal of continuing the traditions of Polish scouting for the Polish diaspora. ZHRwK remains in operation, holding annual summer camps in the
Madawaska Valley
The Township of Madawaska Valley is a township municipality in Renfrew County, Ontario, Canada. It was formed in 2001 through the amalgamation of the village of Barry's Bay and the townships of Radcliffe and Sherwood Jones & Burns.
The area is ...
of Southern Ontario, an area known to the Polish diaspora in Canada as ''Kaszuby''.
Organization
The association is divided into Girl Guide and Boy Scout Organizations which involve:
* Cub Scouts (7–10 years old)
* Boy and Girl Scouts (11–14 years old)
* Boy and Girl Wanderers (15–18 years old)
* Senior Boy and Girl Scouts (over 18).
ZHR is divided into 13 Districts. Each District consists of a girl scout company and a boy scout company. The companies consists of troops which consist of squads.
The logo of the ZHR and the Boy Scout Organization is a white
Fleur-de-Lis
The ''fleur-de-lis'', also spelled ''fleur-de-lys'' (plural ''fleurs-de-lis'' or ''fleurs-de-lys''), is a common heraldic charge in the (stylized) shape of a lily (in French, and mean and respectively). Most notably, the ''fleur-de-lis'' ...
with the Polish Flag. The logo of the Girl Guide Organization is a modified ZHR logo on a blue
trefoil
A trefoil () is a graphic form composed of the outline of three overlapping rings, used in architecture, Pagan and Christian symbolism, among other areas. The term is also applied to other symbols with a threefold shape. A similar shape with f ...
.
See also
*
History of the Scout movement in Poland
Notes
External links
*
*
Girl Scouts websiteBoy Scouts website
{{Scouting in Poland
Non-aligned Scouting organizations
Youth organisations based in Poland
Youth organizations established in 1989
Scouting and Guiding in Poland