It existed alongside the Pioneer Organization, which was geared towards younger children who were expected to join the SSM in their teens.

[1] It was created as a successor to the Czechoslovak Union of Youth, which ceased to exist in the wake of the invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968.

It provided both physical and ideological education to the youth of Czechoslovakia, and membership was highly encouraged for career-minded young people.

Recruitment was intense, especially in educational institutions, to the point that many of the organization's members were unenthusiastic about the communist cause, leading some to complain that even beatniks were allowed to join its ranks.

[2] The SSM was organized on national, regional, and local levels and operated a large number of educational, art, and sporting facilities.