When they returned to Braga, they gathered a group of eleven like-minded individuals to discuss the opportunity and the possibility of the creating a group of Catholic Scouts in Portugal. On May 27, 1923, the Braga local authorities approved the "Corpo de Scouts Catolicos Portugueses". The next November, the Portuguese Government ratified the movement and approved the Statutes. The Corpo Nacional de Escutas was founded, the name being changed later. Although the CNE was incorporated in the city of Braga, a year later it was given nationwide authorization. The first national meeting was held in Braga in 1925, with Manuel Vieira de Matos as General Director, and Jose Maria de Queirós e Lencastre as National Commissioner.