Iran Scout Organization

Iran Scout Organization (Persian: سازمان پیشاهنگی ایران, Sazman-e Pishahengi-ye Iran) was founded in 1925 under the rule of Reza Shah Pahlavi. Currently Iran is one of 29 countries where Scouting exists (be it embryonic or widespread) but where there is no National Scout Organization which is a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement at the present time. Scouting in Iran was founded by volunteers and established by Sir Mirza Ahmad Aminzadeh in 1925, and formally developed in 1928 as a department of the Ministry of Education, which at the time engendered a lack of public support. It was first recognized as a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement that year. Despite obstacles, Aminzadeh continued his work, followed by Seyed Reza Akhavi. The first 15-day leadership classes were held at Camp Manzariyeh at Bahonar in May 1935. Forty leaders from Tehran and forty-four from other cities participated. During that summer, Scouting laws and Promises were formulated. Gradually, Scouting expanded across the country, but was suddenly suppressed when in August 1941 Britain and the USSR invaded Iran, arrested Reza Shah and sent him into exile during World War II. In 1943, the government again became interested in Scouting movement. The Ministry of Culture was put in direct control of Scouting, working with new plans and focus. in October, 1943, an American expert, Mr. Gibson, was invited to Iran to manage Scouting and the Physical Education Organization. However, during the next eleven years, only one or two small groups were functioning. Later notables of Iranian Scouting Ebrahim Sadri, Jalil Ketabi and others were active in this difficult period, and their interest and effort would assist in Scouting's full rebirth on December 3, 1952. In 1953 Dr. Hossein Banai, recently returned from university in the United States with degrees in Psychology and Physical Education, became the commissioner of the Iran Scout Organization (سازمان پیش آهنگی ایران). Dr.