CORPO NACIONAL DE ESCUTAS (C.N.E.)-ESCUTISMO CATOLICO PORTUGUES

Corpo Nacional de Escutas is a non-formal organization of youth education, nonprofit, non-political and non-governmental based on a “learning by doing” system. Through activities that are designed, developed and implemented by the project method and team work, the goal is to have scouts working on the following development areas: character, affective, intellectual, physical, social and spiritual. Currently, with over 72.000 scouts in 1.100 local groups on the national territory, the autonomous regions of the Azores and Madeira, Geneva and Macau, CNE is the largest Portuguese scout association, as well as the biggest Portuguese youth association. Our associates are distributed by feminine and masculine gender in identical proportions. In our Groups and intermediate structures we have over 16 thousand Cub scouts (6-10 years old), about 19 thousand Scouts (10-14 years old) and 15 thousand Pioneers (14-18 years old), over 7 thousand Rovers (18-22 years old) and more than 14 thousand Leaders. The effective number of CNE member has continually grown, which considering the decrease of our birthrate, reveals the acceptance of Scouting in the Portuguese society. The activities developed may vary according to the level at which we are working. At local level (local group) we talk about educational opportunities for young people that can happen in our privileged learning space – nature – or indoor. According to the age range, as examples, activities may involve building using wood and rope as tools, learning games, workshops, and trainings, exploring lands using maps, hikes or community service (reconstruction of infrastructures, collecting food or cleaning waste…). Above all, those are intended to reflect the challenges that young people find during their life cycle, preparing them for an active citizenship, relationships, environmental sustainability and integral personal development. At the regional /national levels the activities developed are more connected with project management and administrative management once the main goal is to keep the organization working, providing services in several areas: - Youth programme (adult professionals and volunteers which work on the quality of our educational proposal. They create tools, documents, trainings, and opportunities in this field for youth members) - Communication (throughout the association and internal communication. Also external relations) - International Relations (with all the partners in World Organization of the Scout Movement spread trouhout the world) - Finace and Management (accounting department, administrative services, partnership ageeements with other organizations.) - Adult management (training system for adult leaders, voluntary management services)