| The oldest Scout groups | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 1911 - First Dutch Girls Companions Society first Dutch Girl Guides (Dutch: Eerste Nederlandsche Meisjes Gezellen Vereeniging) | |||
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Various Scout Groups claim the title of oldest Scout group in their respective countries. As Scouting is a movement and not an organisation and developed rather than was constituted, there was initially no central organisation and there is no clear starting date. Due to the rapid growth of Scouting, there were many Scout groups before central organisations were established and therefore the earliest groups were only registered long after they had been formed. Some groups first met under the banner of other organisations, including the Boys' Brigade, Church Lads' Brigade, YMCA, churches or schools, and only later registered with central Scout organisations. Some maintained dual registrations. This makes it impossible to establish which groups started first. Today, national Scout associations often do not take a stance as to which was the first group in their country.