In 1971 around twenty local groups refused to conform and chose to stay with the former unitary pedagogy.

As a response, the staff was cut following the drama of Perros-Guirec, in which four sailing scouts, members of a small group not recognized by the State or a federation drowned.

This episode led to tighter control by the State and the adoption of several quality charters by different scout movements.

A year later, the movement signed the Message to Families with the Conférence Française de Scoutisme.

For the occasion of the Jubilee of the year 2000, SUF drew 12,000 young people together for national days at Lyon in the park of Lacroix-Laval.