On 25 November, the Latvian Central Organisation of Scouts and Guides (LSGCO) marks 35 years since scouting and guiding were revived in Latvia after the Soviet occupation, as well as the merger of these movements into a single organisation. This is a significant event in the history of Latvia's youth organisations and non-formal education, demonstrated by the ability of scouting and guiding to live on through generations and challenges, continuing to develop well-rounded young people and keeping their values alive.
"The values of scouts and guides, which have helped countless young people around the world for more than 100 years to find their own paths in life and to help others, are still alive today. And it is our task, as scout and guide leaders, to pass them on in the modern world using modern methods, without losing what makes scouting and guiding unique."
(Jēkabs Vanags, Chair of the LSGCO Board)
The scouts and guides will mark the anniversary at their headquarters – the Quality of Life Design Institute "Viskaļi", where a photo evening will be held along with the sharing of memories. Before the celebrations, representatives of the organisation's board will join an event at SIA "Kurbads", where on this notable day a special company "heroes" vehicle will be unveiled with a Latvian consecration ritual, dedicated to the first scout president, General Kārlis Gopers.
Scouting in Latvia – a tradition passed through the generations
The scout movement took shape in Latvia at the beginning of the 20th century, and in 1921 the Latvian Central Organisation of Scouts was founded under the leadership of General Kārlis Goppers. Until 1940, scouting was a significant youth movement with more than 8000 members, an extensive camping movement and international recognition.
After the Soviet occupation, scout activity in Latvia was banned, but it continued in exile in Europe, North America and elsewhere in the world. Latvian scouts and guides in exile kept the tradition alive for more than 50 years, passing it from one generation to the next.
With the beginning of the Awakening, the joint efforts of Latvians abroad and local initiatives made it possible to revive the movement in Latvia in 1990, uniting the scouts and guides in one shared organisation – LSGCO. Since then, the organisation has continued to develop young people on the basis of the scout and guide law and the values of the promise.
Ever alert
Today, scouts and guides educate and develop children and young people with the help of a variety of non-formal education methods. LSGCO has more than 20 units (in Latvia and beyond) and more than 700 members, and it is a member organisation of both the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) and the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS).
"When I joined the scouts, I didn't know what to expect. But gradually everything became clearer – every task, every mistake and even the tea break during a session, where we simply sit together and laugh. Here I am learning to be calmer, to understand myself and others, and I like the feeling that with every small step I am becoming braver. Here I really am learning to grow by doing."
(Oto Saks, member of the 119th Kandava Scout and Guide Unit)
The scout and guide programme is based on non-formal education methods that foster leadership, personal development, social responsibility, cooperation skills and active work for the good of society among children and young people. Outdoor life is an integral part of the programme, because it is precisely by taking part in various activities in the open air that children and young people acquire a range of practical skills and develop as individuals.
Each year LSGCO organises several large camps that bring together children and young people from all over Latvia. One of the most significant is the winter camp "Baltais Vilks", intended for older scouts and guides, which challenges young people both physically and emotionally by camping outdoors in winter conditions. For the youngest participants, a camp for cub scouts and brownies is held, creating a positive first experience of the scouting environment. Unit camps also take place every year – each unit organises these independently.
The aim – to make the world a better place
The values of scouts and guides have remained unchanged since scouting was founded, and one of the most important of them, to help one's neighbour at every moment, is still upheld today.
"We often say that young people are our future, but in truth they are our present – the ones who are already shaping Latvia's character and tomorrow's story today. What we give them here and now – security, trust, the chance to grow – becomes a strength that carries our country forward. In the scout and guide movement we see how young people learn to love their land through deeds, not just words, and that is the greatest proof that our work really does change the world."
(Zane Grošteine-Balode, Deputy Chair of the LSGCO Board)
At the start of the war in Ukraine, LSGCO members actively supported Ukrainian refugees at refugee centres and also ran activities for Ukrainian young people. The organisation regularly provides support at large-scale events too, for example by helping to organise and coordinate the procession of the 2025 Latvian School Youth Song and Dance Celebration. Likewise, cooperation with the "Namejs" foundation has become an annual good deed, running the camp "Mazais Namejs" for the children of veterans of international military missions.
In their everyday work, scouts and guides use non-formal education methods to encourage young people to be active, responsible citizens of Latvia who care about the society around them, thereby ensuring that the values of the movement and of Latvia continue to live on through the generations.