Norwegian Guide and Scout Association

The Norwegian Guide and Scout Association (Norwegian: Norges Speiderforbund, NSF) is a Norwegian Scouting and Guiding association founded in its present form in 1978, when the Norwegian Boy Scout Organization (founded in 1911 and among the charter members of the World Organization of the Scout Movement in 1922) and the Norwegian Girl Guide Organization (founded in 1921 and an early member of World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts) merged.
NSF is a member of Speidernes Fellesorganisasjon, the national Scouting and Guiding federation of Norway. NSF is also a member of WOSM and WAGGGS.
Scouting's main purpose is to develop young members into independent, self sufficient and responsible adults. This is achieved using a training program with outdoor recreation and practical activities, teamwork in small groups (patrol system), and by actively using the "learning by doing" method.
Program of the Norges speiderforbund is structured into five themes:
The program is structured to provide members with progression to continually meet new challenges. The methods are very much based on practical aspects and mastery over theory. As might be expected in Norway, outdoor activities is emphasized, with much of the program centered around classical themes like first aid, camping, pioneering, field cooking, woodcraft and hiking.
To be adapted to the individual member's level of development, the program is divided up into age groups by grade (division varies):
Thanks to Norway's economical and constitutional ties to Britain, Norway was among the early nations where scouting emerged. The first scouting activity took place in 1909, and in 1910, the 1st Christiania Scout group was established in the then named Christiania (later Oslo) as Norway's first official Scout group. In early 1911 the 2nd Christiania was founded. These two initial scout troops founded the Norwegian Boy-Scout association (Norsk Speidergutt-Forbund) in February of the same year, marking the official beginning of the Scout Movement in Norway.
In 1916, the head of the Danish Girl Guides (Dansk Pikespejerforbund) was invited by Queen Maud to Christiania to give a lecture on girl guiding. This resulted in a working committee to establish scouting for girls, but an association failed to form. The Norwegian branch of YWCA had however taken up the challenge, starting several scouting groups for girls. On 3 November 1920, a number of these groups formed the Norwegian YWCA-scouts (Norges KFUK-speidere). The association's oldest squad, Trondheim 1 had been established back in 1915 in Trondheim.
Girl scouting groups had however emerged in Norway in connection to the established boy-scout groups, well before the initiative by the Queen. An article on boy scouting in Stavanger Aftenblad from back in 1910 stated that scout work has already spread to the girls. These independent girl scouting groups eventually merged into the Norwegian girl scouts association (Norsk Speiderpikeforbund). The official foundation date was set to 1 July 1921.
In 1922, the Norwegian scouting associations gained recognition by the World Bureau in 1922, as a founding member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement. Several religious associations like the YMCA, Methodist Church and Salvation Army started their own scouting groups.
During the Second World War Norway was occupied, and with their international ties and obvious militarily useful skills, the collaborator government fared the scouts could become a center for resistance work. All forms of scouting were banned in September 1941. The funds, equipment, banners and even uniform details were to be turned over to authorities. Scout leaders spirited away what they could, but many groups lost much of their equipment and funds. The youth wing of collaborator political party Nasjonal Samling was the only allowed scout-like activity allowed. After the war, scouting was quickly taken up again.
The 14th World Scout Jamboree in 1975 took place in Norway.
On April 23, 1978 unit Norsk Speidergutt-Forbund (NSF) og Norsk Speiderpikeforbund (NSPF) merged to form the Norges speiderforbund (NSF) for both girls and boys, while the YMCA/YWCA, Methodist and Salvation Army groups elected to remain separate, though they often participate and cooperate with the NSF-groups and participate in their jamborees.
In 1985, Dr. Gisle Johnson was awarded the Bronze Wolf, the only distinction of the World Organization of the Scout Movement, awarded by the World Scout Committee for exceptional services to world Scouting.
In its original form, Christianity was a central pillar of scouting. Both the Scout law and Scout pledge reflect this. All members organizations of the World Organization of the Scout Movement are required to have a spiritual aspect. As the association viewed itself as a Christian organization based on Christian values, several non-religious groups applying for membership in the Norwegian Guide and Scout Association had been rejected.
With an increasingly secular society and rising number of immigrant youth with religious background other than Christianity in post-war Norway, the 1st paragraph of the Norwegian Scouts law requiring Christian faith became contentious. It was rewritten in 1978 to a non-denominational "A Scout is open to God and His Word", but this too was seen as excluding for the increasingly non-religious member mass. Based on changes to the British Girl Guide pledge a few years earlier, the paragraph was changed again in 2016, to "A scout will seek their own belief, and respect that of others". In 2018 the scouts pledge was changed accordingly.
As of 2015, NSF had 18,500 members, organised in 29 districts and 6 corps with 450 local groups.
The main activities of the Norges speiderforbund takes place in work units (see age groups above) in Scout groups. The meetings are regular, often weekly, and with several trips a year. Most Scout groups offer their members a camp of about one week's duration each summer.
NSF also have some events on the regional and federation level. At the federal level there's national jamboree, held every four years. The last Norwegian national Jamboree was held in Bodø in 2017, as the 2021 national Jamboree could not be held due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
At an international level, NSF along with Norges KFUK-KFUM-speidere are due to host Roverway in 2024. The motto of this event is ‘North of the Ordinary’.
Regional competitions are where patrols compete in Scouting skills. The best patrols in each region qualify for the Norwegian Scouting Championships. Each national Scouting championship and region banner competition lasts a weekend. Some typical exercises during these events are the orienteering, the pioneering, circular track with nature study, citizenship and first aid.
As part of the Norges Speiderforbund of Community Involvement, the Scout campaign has been held every year since 2004. This is a fundraiser that goes to NRC projects.
NSF is divided up into 29 circuits. Groups include members of the same circuit. The circles are the link between the Federation and groups.
Asker og Bærum krets
Aust-Agder krets
Follo krets
Finmark krets (Non Activity)
Fredrikstad krets
Glåmdal krets
Grenland krets
Gudbrandsdal krets
Hedmark krets
Helgeland krets
Hordaland krins
Hålogaland krets
Nedre Buskerud krets
Nord-Troms krets
Nord-Trøndelag krets
Oslospeiderne
Romerike krets
Romsdal og Nordmøre krets
Ryvarden krets
Salten krets
Sogn og Fjordane krets
Sunnmøre krets
Sørlandet krets
Sør-Trøndelag krets
Tele-Busk krets
Vesterlen krets
Vestfold krets
Vestoppland krets
Østre Østfold krets
Øvre Buskerud krets
Every four years there is a week-long national jamboree for all NSF members, and usually also participants from other nations. Between national jamborees there are usually circuit camps every four years, and group camps every two years. The following regions have hosted national jamborees:
1914 Christiania (Oslo)
1916 Bergen
1920 Trondheim
1924 Hamar
1928 Åndalsnes
1932 Mandal
1936 Jeløya
1940 Tromsø (Cancelled due to WW2)
1948 Mandal
1952 Verdalsøra
1956 Voss
1960 Brunlanes
1964 Bodø
1968 Lillehammer
1972 Røros
1976 Åndalsnes
1923 Brandbu
1925 Stabekk
1929 Steinkjersannan
1933 Jørstadmoen
1937 Mandal
1948 Borre
1953 Olberg
1957 Rømoen
1961 Ringerike
1965 Følling
1969 Kongsted (in Fredrikstad Municipality)
1973 Alvdal
1978 Ulven in Os Municipality
1981 Åsnes, where the uniform and plaid neckerchief of the new organization was introduced.
1985 Notodden, noted for an event of extreme flooding, putting much of the campsite under water during the camp.
1989 Skaugum
1993 Eidskog (Ingelsrud)
1997 Austrått (at Austråttborgen)
2001 Urban 2001 (Fredrikstad)
2005 Fri:05 (Ingelsrud/Eidskog)
2009 Utopia (Åndalsnes)
2013 Stavanger 2013 (Stavanger/Hafrsfjord)
2017 Nord 2017 Bodø
2021 Agenda 2021, held as a distributed camp of 100 smaller camps due to the COVID-19 pandemic
The Norwegian scouts translated to English:
I promise, to the best of my ability, to seek my own belief, to help others and to live according to the Guide and Scout Law.
Alltid Beredt: Always Prepared.