The Asociación de Guías y Scouts de Costa Rica celebrated 50 years of the union between the two movements with an official ceremony on 9 May 2026 in Heredia, which brought together the Movement's families and its global leadership. The celebration recalls the 1976 merger, when the Legislative Assembly brought the Girl Guides Association and the Scout Association together under a single law. That decision created the coeducational organisation that today is the largest youth volunteering network in Costa Rica. The merger turns 50, but the Movement in the country has a much longer history: more than 110 years of service to children and young people.
A delegation from the World Scout Bureau and the Interamerican Scout Committee joined the commemoration alongside representatives of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS), and alongside several partner organisations that have supported the Association's work over the years.
Fifty years on, and according to its own figures, the Association brings together more than 16,000 young people and adult volunteers, in groups across the country. Its contribution is recognised by the State: in 2011, the Legislative Assembly declared it a Meritorious Institution of the Nation (Benemérita de la Patria).
The ceremony highlighted the role of partnerships in the Association's growth. The presence of several partner organisations reflected a network of collaboration that multiplies the impact of volunteering and opens new opportunities for young people. At the same time, the Association is moving forward with the renewal of its Youth Programme, a process supported by the Interamerica Scout Region to keep offering a relevant, high-quality educational proposal.
The Chairperson of the Interamerican Scout Committee, José Vargas, addressed young people with a message about the future: "you are going to be the future, so let us begin building from today with the right attitude, with enthusiasm, with joy, but above all, with the passion of being Scouts and Guides."
The Regional Director for the Interamerica Scout Region, Diana Carrillo, highlighted the sense of fellowship that surrounded the celebration. "We feel part of this family," she said, recalling that young people in Costa Rica are part of a global movement of more than 60 million people in over 176 countries.
For the region, this half-century is more than a national milestone. The presence of global and regional leadership reaffirms a shared path: strengthening the Movement in Interamerica, connecting experiences between National Scout Organisations, and widening the reach of youth volunteering. The Association's journey shows how a strong national organisation makes the whole region stronger, and opens the way to keep growing together in service to communities.