|
Hungary’s First 12-sided coin Marks the Centennial of the Hungarian Scout Association For the 100th anniversary of the Hungarian Scout Association, the Magyar Nemzeti Bank (National Bank of Hungary) is issuing a commemorative coin with a matching 100 forint denomination. The official logo of the organization – a lily with the Hungarian holy crown – is depicted on the obverse. In the difficult times after the World War II, scouting was banned, later permitted again and merged with the pioneer movement. But the spirit of scouting was continued secretly, and in 1989 the Hungarian Scout Association was formed anew officially. Today, the Hungarian Scout Association is living its life, openly to everyone who accepts its principles. The bank chose the face value of 100 forint to symbolize the 100 years. The coin is made of 75% copper and 25% nickel and is in the shape of a dodecagon, making the it first Hungarian coin ever made with twelve sides. It weighs 10 grams and measures 30mm. It is the design of Zoltán Tóth The issue limit for this proof verion is 10,000 in proof. The first scout groups in Hungary were formed in 1910, only two years after Lord Robert Stevenson Smyth Baden-Powell officially declared the foundation of the scout movement on January 28, 1908 in Great Britain. The Hungarian Scout Association was founded on December 28, 1912 in the reformed church on Kálvin square in Budapest. There have always been Hungarian Scouts from this point on. World War I halted the development, but after the war, scouting started to bloom again. The Hungarian Scout Association now has eight successor organizations which cooperate with each other, and organize camps and events together. A statement from the National Bank reflected on the role of scouting: “The world around us is changing, new generations grow up and there are completely different winds blowing nowadays than in the beginning of the 1900’s. But scouting, with its innovative ideas is still the same in the approach of teaching youth the concept of belonging to a community by doing. Scouting is a voluntary, apolitical, youth-educational movement. Its goal is to form a society made up of viable, committed, responsible, healthy citizens. As scouting crosses all borders, it makes this movement explicitly suitable for strengthening the ties between people. At the very beginning, the founder, Baden-Powell said 'I had a good idea, communities were formed. Now we became a movement, and if we don’t pay attention, we will become an organization.' For the support of the leaders working in the movement and for the representation of the participating young people country-based organizations were formed – which we now call Scout Associations.” |
