Scouting and Guiding in Sweden Guiding and Scouting have been an active and respected part of Swedish society for almost a hundred years. Every third person of Sweden’s nine millions citizens is or has been a guide or scout! Today there are over 100 000 Girl Guides and Boy Scouts in Sweden. Outdoor life is essential for guides and scouts in Sweden and many activities take place in our beautiful nature. But outdoor life and our other activities are only methods to reach the goal of the Swedish Guide and Scout movement: to develop young people socially, intellectually, spiritually and physically. Another prominent feature of Swedish Guiding and Scouting is the long tradition of boys and girls working together. As early as 1960, the Boy Scout Association and the Girl Guide Association were united into one organisation. Today the terms Girl Guide and Boy Scout are no longer in use. Everyone is just called scouts. In Sweden today there are five scout associations: The Swedish Guide and Scout Association (SSF) The Guide and Scout Organization of the Mission Covenant Youth of Sweden (SMU-scout) The Swedish YMCA-YWCA Guide and Scout Association The Temperance Guide and Scout Association (NSF) The Salvation Army Guide and Scout Association (FA) Having scout associations with different profiles makes it easier for the Swedish Guide and Scout Movement to reach out to specific groups of people in society. Although the associations differ some in their interests, they organise many events together.
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Scouting and Guiding in SwedenFoto: Jonas Elmqvist

Guiding and Scouting have been an active and respected part of Swedish society for almost a hundred years. Every third person of Sweden’s nine millions citizens is or has been a guide or scout! Today there are over 100 000 Girl Guides and Boy Scouts in Sweden.

Outdoor life is essential for guides and scouts in Sweden and many activities take place in our beautiful nature. But outdoor life and our other activities are only methods to reach the goal of the Swedish Guide and Scout movement: to develop young people socially, intellectually, spiritually and physically.

Another prominent feature of Swedish Guiding and Scouting is the long tradition of boys and girls working together. As early as 1960, the Boy Scout Association and the Girl Guide Association were united into one organisation. Today the terms Girl Guide and Boy Scout are no longer in use. Everyone is just called scouts.

In Sweden today there are five scout associations:

The Swedish Guide and Scout Association (SSF)

The Guide and Scout Organization of the Mission Covenant Youth of Sweden (SMU-scout)

The Swedish YMCA-YWCA Guide and Scout Association

The Temperance Guide and Scout Association (NSF)

The Salvation Army Guide and Scout Association (FA)

Having scout associations with different profiles makes it easier for the Swedish Guide and Scout Movement to reach out to specific groups of people in society. Although the associations differ some in their interests, they organise many events together.