Archives

The archives of the Belgian scout and guide associations since 1910

Photo prise en 1957, lors du 100e anniversaire de la naissance de Baden-Powell et du 50e anniversaire du scoutisme, lors du grand rassemblement de toutes les fédérations de l’époque au stade des Trois Tilleuls à Boitsfort, en présence du roi Baudouin. (source : archives GCB, ARCA – Photo Belga)

The archives of the member associations of GSB are those of the current guide and scout associations and their predecessors. See the genealogical trees [CHBS, GSB/2007] of Guiding and Scouting in Belgium for more information about them.

The classification schemes of the paper archives of all the Belgian scout and guide associations can be compared [see comparison] and show what we keep. Some associations offer as well a classification scheme for their born-digital archives.

The archives are, in part, kept by the associations:

Federation Archives and location Archivists
FOS Open Scouting vzw Archives 1910-20xx kept at FOS Open Scouting Peter Vande Loock
archief@fos.be  
Scouts en Gidsen Vlaanderen vzw Archives 1916-1973 kept at KADOC (Documentation and Research Centre on Religion, Culture and Society) at the KULeuven Archives 1973 – today kept at Scouts en Gidsen Vlaanderen Christel Rogiers
archief@scoutsengidsenvlaanderen.be  
Scouts et Guides pluralistes de Belgique asbl Archives 1910-20xx kept at Scouts et Guides Pluralistes de Belgique asbl and FOS Open Scouting   Grégoire Dubois
archives@sgp.be
Peter Vande Loock
archief@fos.be
Les Scouts asbl Archives 1929-2007 kept at the State Archives of Belgium Géraldine Menard
documentation@lesscouts.be  
Guidess catholiques de Belgique asbl Archives 1915-2001 kept at ARCA (Archives du monde catholique) at the UCLouvain Sophie Wittemans
sophie.wittemans@chbs.be

Archives are also kept in some institutions, especially at the Centre Historique Belge du Scoutisme – Belgisch Historisch Centrum voor Scouting (CHBS – Brussels), the Scouts en Gidsen Museum (Leuven), CEGESOMA, ARCA, KADOC, city archives, church & episcopal archives, etc.

For paper archives prior to 1966, more detailed information is available in the publication Archives et Bibliothèques de Belgique/Archief en Bibliotheekwezen in België, Jeu de piste. Les archives des mouvements de jeunesse en Belgique.  Sporentocht. Het archief van de jeugdbewegingen in België, 2016, t. LXXXVII, 1-4 :

  • Luc Schokkaert, Vlaams Verbond van Katholieke Scouts en Meisjesgidsen (VVKSM), p. 95.
  • Thierry Scaillet, Fédération des Scouts Catholiques (FSC), pp. 217-226.
  • Thierry Scaillet, Peter Vande Loock, Sophie Wittemans, Boy-Scouts de Belgique – Boy Scouts van België (BSB), pp. 231-240.
  • Sophie Wittemans, Guides Catholiques de Belgique – Katholieke Meisjesgidsen van België, pp. 241-248.
  • Josette Vander Zanden & Sophie Wittemans, Girl Guides de Belgique – Girl Guides van België, pp. 249-253.

The publication can be obtained via the ABB or is available in libraries, etc.

For paper and digital archives since 1966, contact the archivists above.

Help us locating scout and guide archives

Scouting and Guiding groups, individuals, collectors, etc.  are also sometimes keeping archives related to scouting and guiding in Belgium. GSB is currently trying to set up a list of these other conservation locations.  If you know about archives and want to contribute to the list, please contact archives@gsb-wp-linux.azurewebsites.net  

Scout and guide vocabulary over time

GSB is also working on a vocabulary list or thesaurus, which should ease the comprehension of the scouting and guiding archives. In the meantime, please contact archives@gsb-wp-linux.azurewebsites.net in order to get help.