The Association of Polish Scouting in Lithuania (Polish: Związek Harcerstwa Polskiego na Litwie, ZHPnL) is one of the largest and most dynamic Polish organizations in Lithuania. The Scout and Guide Law and Promise serve as the basis for the education work carried out by our young leaders and instructors. Scouts and guides pursue their vocation: to serve God, the Homeland and the Neighbour. Most of our troops come from Vilnius and Vilnius region — the area inhabited by the indigenous Polish minority.
The Polish Scouting and Guiding Association in Lithuania encompasses Guide organization (girl scouts) and Scout organization (boy scouts), as well as Brownies and Cub Scouts. ZHPnL now has more than 600 members.
ZHPnL aims at national counsciousness-raising of the Polish youth living in Lithuania and at bringing them up as responsible and active citizens of Lithuania. Scouts and guides participate in many social and charity campaigns: they take care of the unkempt graves on Vilnius cemeteries and graves of Polish soldiers, raise funds for the renovation of monuments on the oldest Vilnius cemetary – Rossa.
Scouts and guides visit orphanages and old people‘s homes, in collaboration with the House of Polish Culture in Vilnius organize Children‘s Day activities, cooperate with Vilnius Charitable Society and distribute parcels for those in need. Together with Lithuanian scouts we organize the Bethlehem Light of Peace programme.
Besides the daily work, every year we organize summer and winter camps, take part in campaigns in Poland and other countries, coorganize scout conferences in Lithuania and abroad.