Scouting appeared in England during the first years of the 20th century. Very shortly afterwards, Scouting crossed the borders of the British Empire, for which it had been designed, and expanded to the whole world.

   Thus it reached countries of long Catholic tradition where, besides scouting initiatives of non denominational or multi-denominational types, some scout initiatives were openly Catholic. In particular, this happened in Belgium, Italy and France.

   We may rightly consider French Father Jacques Sevin , Belgian Professor Jean Corbisier and Italian Lord Mario di Carpegna as founders of the Catholic scouting organisations, respectively called "Scouts de France", "Baden Powell Belgian Boy Scouts", "Associazione Scout Catolica Italiana" (A.S.C.I.). Their involvement also gave birth to the "International Office of Catholic Scouts", the aim of which is to become a referential point for all Catholic scouts.

   Sevin, Corbisier and Carpegna successfully adapted an educational method, founded in an Anglo-Saxon and Protestant environment, to the Catholic environment of their countries. Baden Powell said: "Our programme aims at four purposes: education of character, manual skills, physical health, service to others". The founders of Catholic scouting added a more obvious fifth aim: "Christian education".