Swiss Guide and Scout Movement

Swiss Guide and Scout Movement
Country Switzerland
Founded 1912
Membership 45,000
Affiliation World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, World Organization of the Scout Movement
Website
Swiss Guide and Scout Movement
The historical membership badge of the Schweizer Pfadfinderbund incorporates the national colors.

The Swiss Guide and Scout Movement (SGSM) (Pfadibewegung Schweiz (PBS), Mouvement Scout de Suisse (MSdS), Movimento Scaut Svizzero (MSS), Moviment Battasendas Svizra (MBS)) is the national Scouting and Guiding association of Switzerland. Scouting was founded in Switzerland in 1912 and was among the charter members of the World Organization of the Scout Movement in 1922 and among the founding members of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts in 1928. The originally separate Swiss Guide Federation (Bund Schweizerischer Pfadfinderinnen (BSP)) and Swiss Scout Federation (Schweizerische Pfadfinderbund (SPB)) merged in 1987. The SGSM has 45,000 members in 600 local groups (as of 2010).[1]

The Swiss Guide and 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.

The mandatory parts of the Swiss uniform are the shirt, the neckerchief, 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 neckerchief and vulgo (Scout name) from his unit leader in an initiation ceremony.

The Swiss Guide and Scout Movement is a member of Jugend und Sport ("Youth and Sports"), a governmental institution affiliated with the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sports, which promotes sports among youth. Camps for youth in the 5-20 age range are subsidized by J+S, and also receive some basic material (wool blankets, denim square units, ropes, spades, etc.) from J+S for these occasions. J+S is also deeply involved in leader training, because unit leaders are basically special youth sport trainers.

Program

Sections

The association is divided in five sections according to age. The different languages---Swiss German, French, and Italian---use different terms for sections:[1]

Special Scout units include Sea Scouts around the major lakes and Extension Scouting for handicapped kids.

Scout Motto

There are different mottos for each section

Scout Promise

(With the help of God,) with your help and happily I promise to do my best:

Scout Law

Guides and Scouts, we wish:

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Swiss Guide and Scout Movement - About us". Swiss Guide and Scout Movement. Retrieved 2010-01-03.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Swiss Guide and Scout Movement-The Promise and Law". Swiss Guide and Scout Movement. Archived from the original on 2007-02-05. Retrieved 2007-02-07.

External links