Like a scout - forever

The exhibition is the aftermath of many museum meetings with scouts who belonged to the Rozwadowski scout troop just after the war. Thanks to their commitment, accounts, photographs and documents they kept over the years, an exhibition was created that chronicles the history of the Rozwadowski organization, starting from the 1930s until the dissolution of the troop in 1961. The exhibition includes more than 100 photographs from camps, bivouacs, meetings, interest circles, artistic performances, parades and rallies that filled scouting life. The photographs are supplemented by excerpts from the original scouting chronicle, groundbreaking documents for Rozwadów’s scouting, and ID cards of some scouts.

Eighty-five years ago scouting was founded in Rozwadów….

The history of Rozwadów’s scouting begins in nearby Nisk: a scouting troop was established in the local Junior High School in1918, bringing together young people from all over the area in its ranks. It was here that young Rozwadów residents first encountered scouting. Since 1929, a troop of “Eagles” was active in Rozwadów, which included students from Rozwadów and Charzewice. The number of volunteers quickly increased and in 1930 the 1st Scout Troop named after Colonel Lisa-Kula was established. Until 1934, gatherings were held in a private house, then the scouting room was moved to the common room in the local elementary school. Also in 1934, female students of a junior high school in Rozwadów and Charzewice, living in Rozwadów, established a Girl Scout troop, organizationally belonging to the Girl Scout Troop in Jarosław. Until the outbreak of World War II, there were two scout teams and one bunch of scouts in Rozwadów.

The successful development of the scout organization was interrupted by the war. From the very first days, under penalty of death, the occupier banned all independent associations and unions.

August 2, 1944. Rozwadów was liberated from German occupation, and already by the end of that year, in response to an appeal from the Rzeszow Scouting Headquarters, which had been operating since October, three scouting teams and two scout troops were formed at local schools.

Gatherings were held in the courthouse, and meetings, meetings and day-care activities were organized there By the end of 1944, seven Hufflepuffs were active in the area of the Rzeszow Scouting Troop, including Tarnobrzeski, with its headquarters in Rozwadów.

Although scouting was reactivated, however, its numerous pre-war and wartime members soon proved to be a threat to the new authorities. There were arrests of people associated with the Polish underground (this was the fate of, among others, the commander of the Rozwadów scouting troop, phm Wladyslaw Pilat, who was arrested by the Secret Police in 1947 and sentenced to many years in prison).

In the spring of 1950, the Polish Scouting Association ceased to exist as an independent organization, after a decision by the state authorities incorporated it into the structures of the Union of Polish Youth, an organization modeled on the Soviet Komsomol. Only the Scout Organization remained, limited in its activities to elementary schools. The symbols and even the appearance of the uniform changed, with the characteristic cross and lily from which the cross and lily disappeared, while a new badge appeared, modeled on the ZMP sign, the so-called “czuwajka.

The instructors from Rozwadow did not join in the new work, the Hufce actually ceased to exist here. This Scout Organization, truncated in its shape, operated from then on in the local elementary school, but did not enjoy much popularity. This situation continued for several years, but this essentially new initiative was unable to compete with the idea, which was still remembered.

In 1956, at a convention of scouting activists in Lodz, the symbolism and organizational structures of the Polish Scouting Association were restored. Scouting returned to Rozwadów for the second time. Youth again had the opportunity to participate in summer and winter camps, field rallies, bivouacs, sports competitions, anniversary academies and celebrations were organized, and a “scout orchestra” was formed. In 1958, the entire building of the “Sokol” was transferred to the needs of young people, which henceforth became the Scout House. In the same year, a decision was made to strengthen cooperation with neighboring scouts in the framework of the “Lasowiak Alliance,” which included scouts from Rozwadów, Stalowa Wola, Nisk and Rudnik.

A significant structural change took place in 1961, when, by decision of the ZHP Headquarters, all deputies operating in non-county towns were incorporated into County Hufflepuffs. Thus, the Rozwadów troop was liquidated and, as a Strain, became part of the Tarnobrzeg ZHP troop, with a distinguished Rozwadów instructor, hh phm Zbigniew Krupa, as its commander.

After 1990, Polish scouting, like the country as a whole, regained its proper shape and its history. Subsequent conventions enacted a new text of the Scout Promise and Law, as well as statutes.

Curators: Aneta Garanty, Aneta Jonaszek

The exhibition realized thanks to the help of former druhs from the Rozwadowski scout troop.