# Organisation of Bulgarian Scouts

The Organisation of Bulgarian Scouts (Bulgarian Организация на българските скаути, Organizatsia na Bulgarskite Skauty), the primary national Scouting organization of Bulgaria, became a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement in 1999; work towards World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts membership recognition remains unclear. The coeducational Organisation of Bulgarian Scouts had 2,109 members as of 2011 and 304 members as of 2021.

## History

The Organization of Bulgarian Young Scouts (Организацията на българските младежи разузнавачи - ОБМР) was founded in 1923 from three first scouts in Varna, Sofia and Samokov. In the second half of 1924, ОБМР was recognized and admitted as a member of the World Bureau of Boy Scouts, based in London. In 1940, with a brief letter to the International Scout Office in London, the leaders of the ОБМР reported on their self-dissolution, forced by the Ministry of War, General Hristo Lukov.
Scouting was outlawed after the war as well, when communists controlled Bulgaria.

### Rebirth

Scouting resumed in 1989 when the Berlin Wall was taken down, but it did not meet WOSM requirements for membership until 1995. The negative legacy of the Communist youth organizations contributed to slow growth of the Scouting movement, as it left the Scouts ill-equipped and without experienced leadership or established programs.
The Organisation of Bulgarian Scouts was accepted into the World Organization of the Scout Movement on January 17, 1999 as its 151st member and given an official welcome to WOSM at the World Scout Conference in South Africa on July 25, 1999. There are 57 Scout groups spread through Bulgaria, including in 20 of the largest cities and towns, with a membership of approximately 2,000. Sea Scouts are present in the city of Silistra, located on the Danube River, and on the Black Sea. The organization is volunteer-run. The Organisation of Bulgarian Scouts is open to both males and females. Bulgarian Scouts are well-publicized in their country and active in community development, including participating in projects related to reforestation and the Bulgarian Red Cross. They have an annual national Jamboree.
The Bulgarian noun for a single Scout is Скаут.

## Program

* Cubs are 7 to 11 years of age
* Scouts are 12 to 18
* Rovers are 18 to 35

## Ideals
### Motto

Scouts—"Be Prepared"
Sea Scouts—"Love the Sea"

### Scout Law
## Emblem

The membership badge of Organisation of Bulgarian Scouts incorporates the Cyrillic letters О-Б-С (O-B-S).

## National Scout camps

| Year | Name | Place | Dates |
| 1998 | Drastar | Silistra | |
| 1999 | | Koprivshtitsa | |
| 2000 | Sredets | Sofia | |
| 2001 | Dunav | Silistra | |
| 2001 | | Sofia | |
| 2002 | Kamchiya | | |
| 2003 | Odesos | | |
| 2004 | Orlovo Gnezdo | Zemen | |
| 2005 | Asenevtci | Asenovgrad | |
| 2006 | Antola | Popovo | |
| 2007 | Struma | Zemen | 05-15.08.2007 |
| 2008 | Vetren | Silistra | 03-12.08.2008 |
| 2009 | Sekvoya | Popovo | 01-11.08.2009 |
| 2010 | Shumen - Sarceto na Bulgaria | Shumen | 13-22.08.2010 |
| 2011 | Shumen - 100 godini skautstvo v Bulgaria | Shumen | 14-22.08.2011 |
| 2012 | Kaylaka | Pleven | 01-10.08.2012 |
| 2014 | | Shumen | 07-16.08.2014 |
| 2024 | Planinata na Orfei | Smolyan | |