“[...][T]hecreationofatypeofBoyScoutgroupshadbeenwithoutrelevancefortheexten-
sivetaskofthecommonstrengtheningoftheyouth.Unfortunately,atschoolsinTurkey,the
harmoniceducationofthebodyoftheyouthhasbeenofsecondimportancesofar,even
thoughtheextremelystalwartinspectorofgymnastics,SelimSırrıBey,hadstruggledfor
yearstoeducateabodyofusefulgymnasticsinstructors.”¹⁰²ThustheOGDhadtobeestablishedasanationwideorganizationinorderto
raisethelevelofphysicalfitnessandthepreparationforthefuturedeployment
ofyoungboysonthefronts.ForHoff,theGermanmodelhadtobeadaptedtothe
localcustoms:
“Themainideawasthecommonelevationofpeople’spower[Volkskraft]andtherebyalso
ofmilitarypower[Wehrkraft].ThroughTurnenandfree-standingexercisesaccordingtothe
GermanandtheSwedishsystemcommonearlierinthecountry,throughappliedexercisein
thefieldsuchasrunning,jumping,climbing[...]bysurveillance,orientation,givingasta-
tusreport[...]bodyandspiritarefostered,orderandsubordinationaretaught.[...]Howev-
er,theQuranoffersplentyofpillarsforthemaininstructionsintheyouthassociation.Iput
stressonthecooperationwiththehighesttheologicalpositionoftheSheik-ül-Islamaswell
asoftheQadis(thehighestclergymenintheprovinces)andallhocas[thelocalvillage
Imams,G.G.],andthereIreceivedawarmwelcomeandcommentssuchas‘Whatyou
wanttoputintopracticenowtheprophethaswantedfromthebeginning.[...]’”¹⁰³ThereligiousaspectofmobilizingtheyouthhadbeensomethingnewforHoff
becauseinGermany,thechurchandmanyChristianBoyScoutgroupshadop-
posedtheBJDafteritsfoundationin1911.¹⁰⁴IntheOttomanlands,Hoffmade
useofthereligiousaffiliationoftheruralpopulationsinceitwasthemain
groupidentity.IntermsofnationalismintheGermansense,Hoffcouldnot
havesucceededintheOttomanstate.FromhisreferencetothesupportofOtto-
manMuslimimamsitalsobecomesclearthatHoffwasmainlyfocusedonMus-
limyouth.ErolAkcanʼsdoubtswhethertheOGDwereexclusionistinitschoice
ofmembersorevenfolloweda(Turkish)nationalistroutethereforecanbedis-
proved.¹⁰⁵IntheOttomanBoyScoutmovement,alreadyinMay 191 4thegroups
Hoff,“DieosmanischeJugendorganisation,” 12 5.
Hoff,“DieosmanischeJugendorganisation,” 12 7.
Saul,“DerKampfumdieJugendzwischenVolksschuleundKaserne,” 115.
Forthis‘presumptionofinnocence’oftheOGDmovementseeAkcan,İttihatveTerakkiFır-
kası’nın,2 82 – 28 3.HowevertherewereclearreferencestotheTurkishnessofitsmembersinits
publications,seeSabriYetkin,“İttihatveTerakki’ninParamiliterGençlikÖrgütleri:Osmanlı
GençDernekleriveBunlarınYayınOrganlarındakiMilliyetçiSöylemler”[TheParamilitaryOr-
ganizationsoftheCommitteeforUnionandProgress:NationalistDiscoursesinthePublications
oftheOGD],inTarihveMilliyetcilik:BirinciUlusalTarihKongresi;Bildiriler.Ed.MersinÜniver-
124 3German-Ottoman/TurkishCooperationintheMobilizationofYouth