Next July, 500 Polish scouts from the Zwiazek Harcerstwa Polskiego (Polish Scouting Association) will travel to participate in the International Scouting Jamboree in West Virginia. The U.S. Embassy is partnering with the association by providing information sessions to the group ahead of their trip. Alison Behling, a West Virginia native and scout, led a discussion with a group of 30 scout leaders recently about scouting in the U.S. and life in West Virginia and the United States. Future sessions will be held in the fall and next spring prior to their departure.
Scouting is an important aspect of both American and Polish cultures, teaching youth in both countries about leadership, volunteerism, and being active, engaged citizens. There are about 160,000 Polish scouts and the Polish Scouting Association is the largest scouting organization in Poland. The association is celebrating their 100th anniversary this year which coincides with the U.S. Embassy’s Sto Lat Razem campaign highlighting the close ties that connect our two countries and the role the U.S. played in Poland regaining its independence 100 years ago. The 2019 World Scout Jamboree will be the first held in the United States in 52 years (1967, Idaho).
