Union of Pioneers of Yugoslavia also known as Tito's Pioneers was the pioneer movement of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Its members, basically all children of age seven and older, attended an annual ceremony and wore uniforms. The uniforms consisted of red scarves as well as navy blue hats called Titovka. These hats were sometimes white, and bore a red star on the front. A white shirt was often worn with the Pioneer scarf and the Titovka, although this varied depending on which part of Yugoslavia the particular pioneer was from. Boys often wore navy blue shorts or pants, and girls wore skirts in the same colour, along with white stockings and black shoes. On special occasions, such as a visit from Josip Broz Tito, Pioniri sometimes wore traditional costumes from their native regions of Yugoslavia. The organization was founded on December 27, 1942. It was a substructure within the League of Communist Youth of Yugoslavia. It published Male novine. The organization was divided into younger pioneers and older pioneers. Unlike other pioneer movements the full military salute was used, honoring the children and youth who fought as part of the Yugoslav Partisans of the Second World War.
Typically, the induction ceremony took place in school for children aged 7 in the autumn of their first year in school, as part of the Republic Day celebrations. Following the ceremony, the children would be given a red Pioneer Booklet, similar to a communist party membership booklet. The booklet was signed by the "President of the Pioneer Committee", a senior pioneer and served as evidence of membership. The youngest generation that undertook it was born in 1982, which occurred during the 1989–1990 school year. The text of Yugoslav Pioneer pledge may have varied slightly from one school to another. Reconstructed from imperfect recollections, in Serbo-Croatian : In Slovene: In English: Across the former-Yugoslav territory, many remember their days as Pioneers, and as a result, it is not uncommon to hear people refer to themselves as "Titov pionir", meaning "Tito's Pioneer".
Function
The social function of becoming a pioneer in communist countries was similar to that of First Communion in Roman Catholic Church. In both cases, a child at the critical age of around seven is initiated as a member of a group within which the individuals share certain values and culture. This early initiation increases the likelihood that, once the child becomes an adult, it will identify with the group. Children were high on Tito's agenda. Everything was invested for them – from education to their careers. Children were taught to be responsible and respectful, were asked to study hard and were considered the future generations of the nation. The hat is still used today.
