Tuvalu Scout Association

Tuvalu Scout Association
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Country	Tuvalu
Founded	1975
Membership	450
Chief Scout	Sir Iakoba Italeli
Chief Commissioner	Tonuu Taani
National Secretary	Susana Taafaki
Affiliation	The Scout Association

Scouting in Tuvalu was first introduced in 1914, while known as the Gilbert and Ellice Islands. Scouting operated as branch of the Scout Association (UK) in the early years. The Gilbert and Ellice Scout Association was founded in 1927, and joined the World Organization of the Scout Movement in 1933. The Gilbert and Ellice Islands were separated administratively in the 1970s to become the independent Commonwealth nations of Tuvalu and Kiribati, and their Scouting movements took different paths.

File:Gilbert and Ellice Scout Association.png

The membership badge of the Gilbert and Ellice Scout Association featured a sea turtle, a symbol in use since the Ellice Islands were a colonial branch of The Scout Association.

Activities

The Tuvalu Scout Association was founded in 1975 again as a branch of the British Scout Association, but fell dormant in 1979. Scouting in Tuvalu was revived in 2004. The association had about 450 members in 2004.

In 2011-2012 Andy Browning and Jay Thompson, Scout Ambassadors for the UK Scout Association, stayed on Funafuti and provided assistance to the Scouts of Tuvalu.

The development work included a Scout camp on Niutao and working with the Scouts attending Motufoua Secondary School, which is located on Vaitupu.

Girl Guides Association of Tuvalu

The Girl Guides Association of Tuvalu is a former member of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, but membership was withdrawn in 2005. Because the islands of Tuvalu have a small number of young people, Tuvaluan Scouts carry out activities in conjunction with the Girl Guides.