Swiss Guide and Scout Movement
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The Swiss Guide and Scout Movement (Pfadibewegung Schweiz (PBS), Mouvement Scout de Suisse, Movimento Scaut Svizzero, Moviment Battasendas Svizra) is the national Scouting and Guiding association of Switzerland. Scouting was founded in Switzerland in 1912 and was among the charter members of WOSM in 1922 and among the founding members of WAGGGS in 1928. The originally separate Swiss Guide Federation and Swiss Scout Federation merged in 1987. The PBS has about 50,000 members in 700 local troops.
The Swiss Scout Movement is mixed at all levels. The only thing that still reminds of the old separation between Girl Guides and Boy Scouts is that some of the terms for different levels (in one or more of the three major languages spoken in Switzerland) are different.
The young age of Swiss leaders is a tradition. Even members of the district or national committees are rarely older than 30. The result is more freedom at the unit level, no discrimination, and a very important experience in leadership for young people.
Special Scout units include Sea Scouts around the major lakes and PTA Scouts for handicapped kids (PTA means "Scouts despite all" in German).
The mandatory parts of the Swiss uniform are the shirt, the tie, any kind of good hiking boots, a fire lighter and a Swiss army knife. Optional parts are belt, Scout jeans, hat, dagger, etc. A youth receives his/her tie and vulgo (Scout name) from his unit leader in an initiation ceremony.
Troops, patrols and packs meet every Saturday afternoon for 3-4 hours. Swiss Scouts spend 98% of their time outside in the woods or in the field, and inside three or four times a year, when the weather is clearly unbearable (temperature below -25 Celsius or snowstorm).
The Swiss Scout Movement is a member of J & S, a governmental institution which promotes sports among youths. Camps for youth in the 12-18 age range are subsidized by J & S, and also receive some basic material (tents, denim square units, ropes) from J & S for these occasions. J & S is also deeply involved in leader training, because unit leaders are basically special youth sport trainers.
As Switzerland is divided in four language areas, there's not too much documentation available from the National Office as a result. There is not a national Scouting handbook per se. There is a handbook on Scouting techniques which has become the de facto reference book distributed by the National Office. This book however is purely technical and does not handle the human and ethical aspects of Scouting.
Contents |
[edit] Program Sections
The different languages---Swiss German, French, and Italian---have different terms for different sections:
- Bienli/Wölfli (De), Lutin/Louveteau (Fr), Lupetti (It) (Brownies or Cubs) - ages 8 to 11
- Pfadi (De), Éclaireurs (Fr), Esploratori (It) (Scouts)- ages 11 to 15
- Pios (De), Pionniers (Fr), Pionieri (It) (Venturers) - ages 15 to 18
- Rover (De), Guide/Routier (Fr), Rover (It) - ages 18+
The age groups overlap because Swiss Scouts move a Scout to the next level according to his/her maturity, not his/her age.
[edit] Scout Motto
- Allzeit Bereit, Always Ready in Schwyzerdütsch
- Toujours Prêt, Always Ready in French
- Sempre Pronto, Always Ready in Italian
[edit] Scout Promise
Ich will mich fuer meine Gruppe einsetzen und mein bestes tun, nach dem Pfadigesetzt zu leben. Ich bitte Gott und euch alle, mir dabei zu helfen.
I promise to do my best to live by the Scout Law. I ask God and my friends to help me reach this goal.
[edit] Scout Law
- Ein Pfadfinder ist ehrlich gegenueber sich und andern
- Ein Pfadfinder steht zu seinem Glauben und achtet den Glauben anderer
- Ein Pfadfinder traegt sorge zur natur und allem leben
- Ein Pfadfinder hilft wo er kann
- Ein Pfadfinder ist ein guter kamerad
- Ein Pfadfinder nimmt sich zusammen
- Ein Pfadfinder kann sich in die gemeinschaft einfuegen
- Ein Pfadfinder uberwindet schwierigkeiten mit humor
- Ein Pfadfinder kann verzichten
- Ein Pfadfinder ist bereit, verantwortung zu tragen
- A Scout is honest towards him/herself and others
- A Scout stands to his/her belief and respests the belief of others
- A Scout takes care of nature and all living things
- A Scout helps whenever he/she can
- A Scout is a good companion
- A Scout keeps his/her self-control
- A Scout can integrate him/herself in the community
- A Scout overcomes difficulties with humor
- A Scout can renounce
- A Scout is ready and willing to take responsibility
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
Members of the European Scout Region |
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Full members: Albania | Austria | Belgium | Bosnia and Herzegovina | Bulgaria | Croatia | Cyprus | Czech Republic | Denmark | Estonia | Finland | France | Germany | Greece | Hungary | Iceland | Ireland | Israel | Italy | Latvia | Liechtenstein | Lithuania | Luxembourg | Republic of Macedonia | Malta | Monaco | Netherlands | Norway | Poland | Portugal | Romania | San Marino | Serbia and Montenegro | Slovakia | Slovenia | Spain | Sweden | Switzerland | Turkey | United Kingdom |
Members of the Europe Region of WAGGGS |
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Full members: Austria | Belarus | Belgium | Cyprus | Czech Republic | Denmark | Estonia | Finland | France | Germany | Greece | Iceland | Ireland | Israel | Italy | Latvia | Liechtenstein | Luxembourg | Malta | Monaco | Netherlands | Norway | Poland | Portugal | Romania | Slovakia | Slovenia | Spain | Sweden | Switzerland | Turkey | United Kingdom |