Editing Scouting (section)

===Nonaligned and Scout-like organizations===
{{Main|Non-aligned Scouting and Scout-like organisations}}
[[File:Harcerki Związek Harcerstwa Rzeczypospolitej-Confédération Européenne de Scoutisme.jpg|thumb|right|Girl Guides from the Polish [[Scouting Association of the Republic (Poland)|ZHR]], an associate member of the [[Confederation of European Scouts|CES]]]]
The Scout Movement is a pluralist movement, not a unitary or hierarchical organization. Before the establishment of national Scout organizations, the Scout training and the Scout Movement were the purview of the world's youth and before the formation of international Scout organizations, several national Scout organizations had already formed in many countries.<ref name="chums">{{cite web |year=2006 |url=http://www.netpages.free-online.co.uk/sha/chums.htm |title=CHUMS |publisher=The Scout History Society |access-date=December 20, 2008}}</ref><ref name="The Italian Boy Scouts">{{cite web |year=2006 |url=http://www.netpages.free-online.co.uk/worldscouts/ital.htm |title=The Italian Boy Scouts (The Ragazzi Esploratori Italiani). |publisher=The Scout History Society |access-date=December 20, 2008}}</ref>

Alternative organization have formed since the origins of the Scout Movement.  Many early organizations were formed on religious, gender, ethnic or language lines or differed on the influence of militarism or pacifism. More recently formed alternate organizations often differ on social, political and/or organizational issues. Some believe that other Scout organizations have moved away from original intents and want to return to earlier, simpler, [[traditional scouting|traditional]] methods.<ref name="trad">{{cite web |year=2006 |url=http://www.inquiry.net/traditional/index.htm |title=Traditional Scouting |publisher=American Traditional Scouting |access-date=December 4, 2006}}</ref><ref name="bpscouts">{{cite web |year=2006 |url=http://www.traditionalscouting.co.uk/ |title=The Baden-Powell Scouts' Association |publisher=The Baden-Powell Scouts' Association |access-date=December 4, 2006}}</ref> Others do not want to follow all Scout principles or those of particular international organizations and their national member organizations but still desire to participate in Scout activities.<ref name="HJ">{{cite web|url=http://www.axishistory.com/index.php?id=3029|title=Hitlerjugend: An In-Depth History: HJ Organizational structure |last=Vercamer|first=Arvo L.|date=October 3, 2003|work=Youth Organizations|publisher=Axis History|access-date=January 17, 2009}}</ref>

In 2008, there were at least 539 independent Scout organizations around the world,<ref name="t97coed"/> Only 367 of them were members of WOSM or WAGGGS. About half of the remaining 172 Scout organizations are only local or national oriented. About 90 other national or regional Scout organizations have created other international Scout organizations:<ref name="t97coed"/>
* [[Order of World Scouts]], the first international Scout organisation, founded in 1911.
* [[International Union of Guides and Scouts of Europe]], an independent faith-based Scout organization founded in 1956.
* [[Confederation of European Scouts]], established in 1978.
* [[World Federation of Independent Scouts]], formed in Laubach, Germany, in 1996.
* [[World Organization of Independent Scouts]], mostly South-American, founded in 2010.

Some Scout-like organizations are also served by international organizations, many with religious elements, for example:
* [[Pathfinders (Seventh-day Adventist)|Pathfinders]] – A youth organization of the [[Seventh-day Adventist Church]], formed in 1950.
* [[Royal Rangers]] – A youth organization of the [[Assemblies of God]], formed in 1962.