Mercedes celebrates a century of scouting history

The city of Mercedes holds a significant history in the scouting movement, with activities dating back to 1915. According to historical records from the magazine El Baqueano, Mercedes and Junín were among the first cities in the province of Buenos Aires to incorporate scout patrols, primarily within schools linked to Irish communities.

Historically, the movement was divided by gender. In many private Catholic schools, young women participated as Guides and later supervised the 'Lobatos' category for younger children. A notable milestone occurred in 1990 when the San Vicente de Paul group became one of the first nine groups in Argentina to adopt a mixed-gender model.

Other local historical groups include the San Mamerto Esquiú Scout Group (No. 90), which operated at the Casa del Niño between 1957 and 1960, and the San José Obrero Scout Group (No. 83), founded in 1955 by Clemente Estevez. The date of September 5th is officially recognized as Scout Day following a 1939 national resolution.