Red Falcons
Red Falcons was the name of various socialist or communist youth organizations, popular in Europe and the United States, especially between the first and second world wars, but still in existence today. The first such group was founded in the early 20th century by Anton Afritsch, a socialist educator from Austria, under the name "Rote Falkon." The origin of the name is unclear; one possible explanation is that the Falcon is a bird of prey with no imperial links (the eagle was the symbol of the German empire, adopted later by the Nazis.) It is red to symbolise socialism.
They were structured in a manner analogous to that of Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, and had their own distinct uniforms. The American Red Falcons had two divisions, the "Young Falcons" (sometimes called "Red Sparks"), ages 8-11; and the "Red Falcons" proper, ages 11-15.[1] They were led by older mentors recruited from the ranks of the Young People's Socialist League (YPSL).[2]
Right-wing observers accused some of these groups of acting as "private armies" taking orders from Moscow, but this may have been either paranoia or fear-mongering.