Polish Scouting Research Articles

Activities of the Emergency Service of Boy-Scouts and Girl-Scouts of the Małopolska District in the Scope of Assistance for War Refugees from Ukraine in the Light of Messages From the Scout Headquarters and Scouts Reports

ObjectivesThe main purpose of the article is to show examples of help from the Polish authorities and society for Ukrainian war refugees by using the example of the activity of the Emergency Service of Boy-Scouts and Girl-Scouts (PHiH) of the Polish Scouting Association (ZHR) after the Russian aggression against Ukraine, undertaken on February 24, 2022.MethodsThe source basis for the study is documents regarding the activities of the Emergency Service of Boy-Scouts and Girl-Scouts and reports on the service on the Polish-Ukrainian border, available on the ZHR websites, the Facebook social network, and messages from the PHiH Staff of the Małopolska District of the ZHR. Due to the current development of events, the author has adopted a descriptive model focused on describing the current situation in Ukraine.ResultsThe author described the activities of the PHiH in the Małopolska District of the ZHR, showing various aspects of the scout service for war refugees. In the face of war refugees in need of help, Polish scout organisations, including Małopolska District of the ZHR joined the auxiliary service in Krakow and on the border with Ukraine, the activities of the ZHR result from the Law and the Scout Promise.ConclusionsThe result of the article is a description of the service of PHiH scouts and scouts for Ukrainian war refugees and its examples. It is an important contribution to attempts to describe the Russian-Ukrainian war in its various aspects, and its content fits into its context.

Postępowanie z aktami historycznymi w Związku Harcerstwa Polskiego na przykładzie zbioru Komisji Historycznej Hufca ZHP Poznań-Wilda im. Jana Kasprowicza

The article investigates the registry and archival processes employed in the Polish Scouting and Guiding Association. The article analyses registry and archival rules of conduct of the Polish Scouting and Guiding Association, as well as the functions and character of its Historical Commissions, with particular emphasis on the activity of the Historical Commission operating at the Jan Kasprowicz Poznań-Wilda District of the Polish Scouting and Guiding Association. Presenting the contents of the fond and the promotional activities undertaken by the Historical Commission warrants the thesis that the Commission is a specific type of social archive in the registry and archival structure of the Polish Scouting and Guiding Association, whose main task is curating grade A historical memorabilia.

THE IMPACT OF GOVERNMENT POLITICAL DECISIONS ON ACCESS TO RECREATIONAL FACILITIES DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND THE LEISURE PREFERENCES OF YOUNG PEOPLE

Purpose. Determining the impact of government policy in the field of applicable restrictions on access to recreational facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic on leisure behaviours (on the example of physical activity and the use of social media) of young people attending secondary schools and higher education facilities in Kraków (Poland).Method. The main research method used in the research process was a diagnostic online targeted population survey using the questionnaire technique. The research was conducted between 29 January and 26 March 2021 on a sample of secondary school and university students in Kraków (with particular emphasis on students from the University of Physical Education in Kraków). The survey resulted in 1,714 correctly completed questionnaires. An auxiliary research method was using focus group interviews conducted via the Internet.Findings. Government policies regarding the restrictions introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic affected the leisure activities of young people. They were generally less physically active than prior to the pandemic. In addition, the restrictions affected the selected forms of physical activity in free time – young people preferred mainly walks and hiking. At the same time, most of the respondents indicated spending more time on social media than they did before the pandemic. They used it to maintain social contacts with family and friends, as well as for entertainment, educational and professional purposes.Research conclusions and limitations. The empirical research concerns only secondary school and university students from Kraków and covers only the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in Poland.Practical implications. The results of the research can be used by decision-making institutions in the scope of introducing restrictions on the functioning of the State (e.g. the Ministry of Health), as they indicate consequences of specific restrictions. The article may also be helpful for institutions organising leisure time, such as the Society for the Promotion of Physical Culture, the Polish Scouting Association, sports and recreation centres or local cultural centres. It will enable them to adapt their offer to leisure behaviours preferred by young people during lockdowns.Originality. The study of leisure behaviours relates to the situation of the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, making it novel and not previously studied or analysed.Type of paper. Article presenting the results of an empirical study.

Jerzy Majkowski – a Polish neurologist and neurophysiologist

IntroductionJerzy Majkowski was a Polish neurologist who made significant contributions to the field of neuroscience. Majkowski was a renowned physician and researcher who specialized in studying and treating movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease and dystonia. Throughout his career, he was known for his innovative approaches to diagnosing and treating these complex conditions, and he was widely respected by his peers for his deep understanding of the brain and its functions.AimThe purpose of our work is to introduce the reader to the person of Jerzy Majkowski.Material and methodsThe work is based on the available literature. The search process resulted in the detection of relevant articles using valid keywords on electronic databases, including Embase, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library. Subsequently, 10 were identified as eligible for our review.Results and discussionJerzy ‘Czarny’ Majkowski, a Polish neurologist and neurophysiologist. During World War II, he joined the Polish Scouting Association, where he participated in the underground activities of the organization under the pseudonym Czarny. After the war, he studied medicine at Warsaw University and graduated in 1952. Majkowski was interested in epilepsy, electroencephalography, and neurophysiology and put forward several hypotheses based on his research. He was the author of about 500 scientific publications and edited 14 books. He was also the editor of several journals, including Epileptologia and the Journal of Epileptology.ConclusionsMajkowski’s work has helped to advance our understanding of neurological disorders, and his legacy continues to inspire future generations of scientists and physicians.

Udział łódzkiego harcerstwa w plebiscycie i powstaniach śląskich 1920-1921

The outbreak of the first Silesian Uprising in 1919 was a spontaneous phenomenon that got out of the control of then formal decision-makers on the Polish side, at the same time it surprised the German side. Scouts from the entire independent Republic of Poland – including Lodz, participated in subsequent events in Upper Silesia. The author based his considerations on articles from the scouting press of the time, a few internal documents of the Polish Scouting and Guiding Association (ZHP) and memories. As a result of the source analysis, it was able to present a picture of the strong support provided by the Lodz scouting in the Silesian uprisings and the plebiscite in years 1920–1921. The activities of the scout instructors delegated to Silesia, noted in the memories, show that their work was distant from the mission of the ZHP and was purely propaganda.

What can scouting do for a young man in the 21st century?

The global scouting movement is over 100 years old, therefore the reason for conducting preliminary research among scouts was to search for an answer to the question: What can scouting give to a young person today? The authors reconstructed the key values from the beginning of the scouting movement in the world, and then compared their evolution in Polish scouting in the period of People's Republic of Poland. The researchers were interested in whether the period of political transformation in Poland and the programmatic and methodological changes in the scout movement are present in the consciousness of its current members as still valid in relation to the fundamental principles of scouting. The results of Aleksander Kamiński's research from the 1970s, which sought an answer to the above question, were compared. The results obtained in 2022 from research conducted in the qualitative paradigm are surprising.

Zastosowanie klucza kodowego jako narzędzia analizy etyki komunikacyjnej (na podstawie dyskusji o wyborze naczelnika ZHP)

The article presents the problem of contemporary communication ethics, in the perspective of communication in the Polish Scouting and Guiding Association. The research material comes from fanpage Z24 on Facebook, therefore, the specificity of the Internet language is included in the study. On the basis of a review of the literature related to communication ethics 34 indicators of ethical language are extracted, formed in the key code. To prove the scientific value of key code in the analysis of communication ethics the content of Z24 was described from the perspective of 14 determinants. It was found that aspects of communication on the Z24 are both ethical (use of polite phrases, expressing kindness, using factual arguments and respecting communication partners as equal) and unethical (manifestations of hatred, mockery and insult, using personal arguments, vulgarizing statements). A two-fold “us-them” opposition was also identified: 1) members and people from outside the organization, and 2) people from inside the organization representing different views.

Scout Rally at Birmingham and Imperial Scout Exhibition 1913: Polish scouts

ABSTRACT Scout Rally at Birmingham and Imperial Scout Exhibition organised in July of 1913 by the Boy Scouts Association constituted educational propaganda of the British Empire. The term “imperial”, which was used in the British press, reflects the ideological meaning of this outsized event which gathered scouts from the United Kingdom and its dominions, and much smaller groups of scouts from Europe, including quite numerous groups from Poland. In the eyes of Poles, British “imperialism” or “patriotism” confronted as an ideal compared to Russian and German rule, and their attitudes were enthusiastically Anglomaniacal. This is the psychological key to understand the attractiveness of performing on the British arena for the representation of the young generation of Poles who were invited. For Polish scouts, the Scout Rally in Birmingham was an opportunity to demonstrate not only their skills but also patriotism as a function of political presence. This is how the Polish press understood these things, and which after the British – what needs to be emphasised – paid the most attention to the events in Birmingham. The most important Polish dailies publishing in Cracow, Warsaw, Poznań, and Lvov (now Lviv) closely followed the course of the rally, which was given the rank of success by a two-sentence depeche from London and a lengthy letter published in the Czas daily paper. The object of interest for the author of the article is the book written by the founder of Polish scouting, Andrzej Małkowski, which constitutes a noteworthy record of observations made by him during the Scout Rally as well as those made by other organisers of the Polish delegation’s trip and of letters from journalists who accompanied this delegation and sent their correspondence to the Polish press from Birmingham, London, and Paris. Only one journalist broke out from apologetic opinions about the excellent performance of Polish scouts, who noticed shortcomings in performance and wrote about them. The article introduces the content of these letters and interprets and compares them. The opinion about the triumphant rally in Birmingham rooted firmly in Polish public opinion, constituting an important element of the founding myth of Polish scouting, which in the history of this movement is worth noting.

TEACHING ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE: A CASE STUDY FROM POLAND

This article presents a detailed history of the development of a particular immersion program to teach English to young Polish students. The program draws support from two organizations, the Kościuszko Foundation and the Polish Scouting Organization. Kościuszko Foundation is dedicated to strengthening the ties between the United States and Poland as well as to increase knowledge of Poland’s history and culture in the United States. The cooperation of these two organizations developed an experience of immersion in language and cultural exchange. Both the teachers and the students in this program benefited from the opportunity to engage in a number of different types of language activities and cultural events through a summer camp experience. This program is, of course, unique, but the elements of context, culture and immersion could be used in other programs to develop English skills and knowledge in the context American culture.

Zofia Florczak i jej spuścizna w zbiorach specjalnych Książnicy Pedagogicznej im. A. Parczewskiego w Kaliszu

The article aims to commemorate Zofia Florczak (1912-1996), a teacher with a Ph.D. in Polish philology, a scoutmaster, the last chief of the Polish Scouting Association for Girls before it was taken over and dissolved by the communist authorities. In 1954 she started working at the Institute of Literary Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences, the Laboratory of Theoretical Poetics and Literary Language. She is the author of studies of the history of female scouting, researcher of the history of linguistics, and the author of valuable works in this field. The aim of the paper is also to present the legacy of Z. Florczak, preserved in the special collection of the Alfons Parczewski Pedagogical Library in Kalisz. Her heritage consists of workshop materials, notes, typescripts of her works, correspondence, as well as other materials related to her interests and scientific activity.

Sport masowy na Ziemi Gdańskiej w latach 1945–1989

After the Second World War, physical culture in Poland undoubtedly became an instrument for strengthening the position of communist authorities in public. However, despite the unfavourable political aspects, participation in mass sport has definitely contributed to the integration of local community, followed by collective social initiatives. The rebuilding of structures of physical culture in Pomerania proceeded differently in comparison to other areas of our country. Several factors contributed to this, including economic, social and demographic changes that took place after the end of warfares, which were closely related to the process of settling and developing the Regained Territories. The Society of Physical Culture Propagation had the most important role in the dissemination of physical culture. It was followed by: Provincial Sports, Tourism and Leisure Center named Balt-Tourist, with its counterparts at the lower organizational level, The Municipal Sport, Tourism and Recreation Centers of Gdańsk, Gdynia and Sopot, which often organized Saturday and Sunday leisure time as well as The Polish Tourist – Sightseeing Society, while among youth organizations the Polish Scouting Association. The term “mass sport” was a product of the PRL period, to a large extent its existence was a fiction, along with the progressing ideologisation of physical culture, based on the Soviet model. At the same time, the proposed activities were a form of spending free time and the possibility of joint family activities, integration of the local community.

From the Editors

The title subject matter of this Issue 27 of our quarterly “Perspectives on Culture” is likely to direct the Reader’s intuition toward philosophical re­flection. And rightly so. The basic dictionary definition of “identity” pro­vides one meaning of the term signifying a state of being identical, and further, implies the facts, features, and personal information allowing one to identify a person. However, a deeper, humanistic and social definition refers to the area of self-awareness, but also a sense of unity with the com­munity, and the elements that determine it. These elements are especially culture, values, and finally, the community itself as seen in the metaphysi­cal dimension, i.e., high moral and religious ideals. Two authors–philosophers, Agata Płazińska, and Piotr Duchliński from the Ignatianum Uni­versity, propose their reflections on the metaphysical and culture-building nature of self-sacrifice as represented by the lives and deaths of Edith Stein and Simone Weil, and the meaning of self‑sacrifice in the name of higher values. In our culture, such value might lie in giving one’s life for another human being. It is a kind of sacrifice which can be described as an abso­lute one. Contrary to the present crisis in metaphysics and axiology, such “absolute acts” are essential and indelible elements of identity in our cul­ture. In the second text, Fr. Mariusz Szram from the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin goes back many centuries, to the time of the Fathers of the Church, to explore the theological reflection on creating a monu­mental cohesion of Semitic and Hellenic thought, defining the identity of Christianity. Two other interesting analyses in our title section are Chris­tian Identity of a Teacher of Early Education in the Contemporary World by Ewelina Kurowicka-Roman (KUL JPII) and Shaping the National Identity of the Youth in the Polish Scouting Association (ZHP) by Kamil Roman (also from the Catholic University of Lublin).

Shaping the National Identity of the Youth in the Polish Scouting Association (ZHP)

Studies on patriotism and national identity occupy a special place in the social sciences related to the comprehensive and integral develop­ment of the human person. The shaping of national identity in Poland is particularly important due to the recently celebrated 100th anni­versary of independence. An important role in this process has been played by social organizations, whose members take care of maintain­ing and cultivating the Polish tradition. One of such organizations has been the Polish Scouting Association (ZHP), founded in 1918. The aim of the paper is to show the positive role of ZHP in building national identity and shaping the patriotic attitudes of contemporary youth. This goal will be verified through a systematic review of litera­ture related to identity, patriotism and patriotic education. The article also contains an overview of initiatives related to shaping the patriotic identity in the Polish Scouting Association.

Harcerstwo na emigracji wobec końca odwilży października ’56 w krajowym ZHP

Od chwili nawiązania kurtuazyjnych stosunków na linii Warszawa – Londyn w marcu 1957 roku, poprzez wymianę korespondencji pomiędzy przedstawicielami władz krajowego ZHP, a przedstawicielem Naczelnictwa ZHP poza granicami Kraju (ZHPpgK) relacje te miały charakter dwojaki. Oficjalne, które ze względu na ostrożność władz ZHPpgK nie zostały nigdy doprowadzone do jakiegoś formalnego sposobu współpracy (umowa, uchwała itp.) oraz nieoficjalnie, o których wiemy jeszcze stosunkowo niedużo. O ile dotychczasowe wyniki badań na ten temat starałem się ogłosić w wydanej ostatnio książce pt. Z tymi co zostali… Harcerskie relacja Warszawa – Londyn (1945–1990) [Warszawa 2016], to publikacja ta – przedstawiające ustalenia dotyczące lat 1957–1959 – ma charakter uzupełniający.Istotną rolę w opisywanym tu okresie odegrały także ówczesne władze światowego skautingu, które w 1957 roku, a potem dwa lata później starały się wzmocnić swoimi działaniami „siłę” argumentów stojących po stronie władz ZHPpgK. Zaproszenie na dwa kolejne światowe zloty skautingu (Jamboree) delegacji Polaków z ZHPpgK, było tego realnym potwierdzeniem i przypuszczalnie próbą naprawienia swoich decyzji sprzed lat wobec harcerstwa działającego wśród Polaków na emigracji. Ostatecznie, w kwietniu 1959 roku w nowo uchwalonym statucie krajowego ZHP (podczas II Zjazdu Walnego ZHP) pojawił się zapis, że organizacja ta rozwija swoją działalność na obszarze Polskiej Rzeczypospolitej Ludowej oraz, że „współdziała z młodzieżą Polonii zagranicznej”. Był to zapis biegunowo odmienny od tego, który został uchwalony w grudniu 1956 roku na tzw. Zjeździe Łódzkim, tj. że „ZHP wyciąga braterską dłoń do Polaków harcerzy żyjących poza granicami naszej Ojczyzny”. Po dwóch latach „koegzystencji” w zupełnie odmiennych warunkach dwóch organizacji o tej samej nazwie nie było już mowy ani o deklarowanym braterstwie, ani o fakcie istnienia w świecie organizacji, która nadal była pełnoprawnym spadkobiercą przedwojennej organizacji na gruncie legalizmu. Zmiany, które dokonały się wtedy w krajowym ZHP zamknęły w sposób formalny kolejny etap społecznej odwilży, która po Październiku ’56 dotknęła także krajowego harcerstwa. Władze ZHP działającego poza granicami kraju (związane z emigracyjnym rządem w Londynie) poprzez swoją nieugiętą postawę w stawianych ocenach wydarzeń zachodzących w Polsce mogły mieć satysfakcję, że był to – jak często podkreślano – etap w kierunku odrodzenia, a w żadnym wypadku odbudowa ZHP.

Upbringing Towards the “Highest” Values in the Activities and Program of “Eleusis” During the Period of National Captivity

The turn of the 19th and 20th centuries brought an unprecedented number of youth organizations and movements in Galicia, which can be divided into three basic groups: the sports-tourism-gymnastic movement, the military movement and the ethical-revival movement. One of them was “Eleusis” movement initiated by Wincenty Lutosławski (1863–1954), a well-known philosopher, member of the Academy of Skills, and also the brother of Kazimierz Lutosławski, the legendary creator of the Scout Cross. “Eleusis” existed in the years 1903–1920, its aim was to prepare young Poles for the struggle for independence by educating their morals. “Eleusis” rejected violence and armed struggle. “Eleusis” was a strictly Catholic organization – a kind of secular order. However, it never received the official blessing of the Catholic Church. Many Eleusis members later joined the ranks of the Polish scouts and it is thanks to the Eleusian spirit that Polish scouting has the rule of alcohol and tobacco abstinence in its Scouting Law. Whereas, the meaning and influence of scouts on Polish youth is undisputed today.

The Łódź Congress and the Revival of the Polish Scouting and Guiding Association in 1956

The “post-October” revival, so visible in the Polish society at the end of 1956, was clearly marked by the scouting group. The group had already shown some impatience and radicalism, as issues related to scouting had been waiting for solutions on the part of the authorities for a long time. The congress in Łódź reactivated scouting. At the same time, it showed that everything that was happening inside the organization was nothing but a reflection of the processes taking place in society. The so-called October revolution did not have much in common with a real revolution, the October transformation would be a better term, as only a slight correction of the political system took place. ZHP was still limited by the system and greatly influenced by politics. That is why the “freedom”, regained in Łódź, turned out to be an illusion.

Morskie czasopisma Związku Harcerstwa Polskiego w okresie II Rzeczypospolitej

The article discusses the following maritime magazines belonging to The Polish Scouting and Guiding Association: “Wilk Morski”, “O hej”, “Wiatr od Morza”, “Żeglarz”. The main problems of scouting article writing with a focus on sea sailing have been presented herein.

Odradzanie się harcerstwa polskiego po 1956 r. i próby włączenia go w struktury systemu wychowawczego szkoły

The Polish scouting movement, which wrote such a beautiful page of history during the Second World War, after 1945 found itself in an extremely difficult situation. The aims and the forms of educational influence of ZHP (poi. abbr. Związek Harcerstwa Polskiego - Polish Scouting Association) proved unacceptable by the government of a totalitarian state, which the Polish People’s Republic (Polska Rzeczpospolita Ludowa - PRL) was. As a result, ZHP was originally marginalized, and then, for several years, had been completely dissolved. The reconstruction of the scouting movement started at the end of 1956, on the wave of a political thaw. Such actions led, in the years 1956-1958, to a formal recreation of ZHP, however, since then, this organization was entirely subject to PZPR (Polish communist party). Consequently, following 1958, ZHP was incorporated into the structure of a communist youth movement in Poland. Moreover, in accordance with the rules of the socialist political system and the principles of a planned economy, the scouting movement was „delegated” to work in school. Since then, in compliance with the guidelines of the Central Committee of PZPR, the activity of the Polish Scouting Association (ZHP) was to become an integral element of the school's educational programme. It meant that the scouting movement was supposed to actively participate in shaping of socialist attitudes in children and youth, according to the main task of the Polish school which was reformed in 1961. Unexpectedly, the party authorities and educational authorities were confronted with the opposition of ZHP leadership that they controlled. ZHP, for a long time, resolutely rejected the suggestion about a necessity to strengthen the ties of this organization and school. In reality, in early 1960s, the scouting movement defended the remnants of its autonomy, struggling against becoming one of the tools for shaping a young generation of Poles through ideologized Polish school. The practice showed that the arguments of scouts did not have any significance for communist authorities as they consequently kept on achieving their own goals.

Sport in the county of Kremenets in the light of “Życie Krzemienieckie” magazine (1932–1939)

The aim of the study was to present the sports movement in the county of Kremenets in the light of “Życie Krzemienieckie” [“Life of Kremenets”] magazine. „Życie Krzemienieckie” was a social magazine published mainly as a monthly in the years 1932–1939. In addition to social, economic and cultural issues it also addressed subjects related to the sports movement, mainly in the community of the county of Kremenets. The issue of sport was actually discussed in every issue of the magazine. In terms of sporting activities it dealt with matters connected with sports infrastructure, personnel training, organization and management of sport, school sports and athletic competition. An important role in terms of sports movement conditions in the county of Kremenets was played by local sport management structures, including: County Committee for Physical Education and Military Training and Municipal Committee for Physical Education and Military Training. On the territory of the county of Kremenets a huge role as regards the development of sports infrastructure, personnel training or organization of sports events was attributed to the Union of Social Organizations. Articles, materials and coverage mainly related to winter sports, sports games, water sports, and gliding. Sport was practised in the activities of social organizations, such as the Volhynian Association of Rural Youth, Polish Scouting and Guiding Association and the Shooting Association.

The Young Educator in Tourism – a Case Study of Teenage Instructors of the Polish Scouting and Guiding Association

Purpose. The article deals with the issues of youth participation in the organization of tourist events on the example of the work of teenage instructors of The Polish Scouting and Guiding Association (ZHP). The purpose of this article is to answer the questions: who are the teenage educators, what kind of experience do they have, what is their motivation to perform such a role, do they see the results of their work? The main axis of research is to verify the hypothesis concerning the phenomenon of self-education among respondents. Method. This article regarded the author’s own qualitative research based on case study analysis. The study was conducted during scouting camps of the 2016 Summer Scout Action. Four instructors participated in the study. Findings. The interviewees, despite their young age, already have considerable experience working with children, and their participation in tourist trips, organizing leisure time within the ZHP organization stimulates them to further develop and is a source of pleasure and inspiration. The process of self-education among participants in the study - young ZHP instructors, was also observed: they are able to indicate their achievements and fields to continue working on themselves, they have strong internal motivation to achieve more goals. On the basis of the obtained research results, a model of becoming a conscious educator was constructed. Research and conclusions limitations. The case study analysis is based only on a selected piece of reality. The results cannot be generalized to the whole population. Practical implications. Thanks to the results of research, it is worth recognizing and using the effects of participation of young people in organizing tourist events in tourist practice. Originality. The presented views of the participants in the survey are an important voice in the discussion on the educational role of tourism. The originality of the research results concerns a new perspective of the analysis of self-education within or through tourism. Type of paper. This article is based on case study analysis.