The ScoutNet.de FAQ
Every year in january and february we get plenty of mails form guides and scouts all over the world
who have selected Germany as country to busy themselve with in preparation of the Thinking-Day.
This page is a modest start to collect these questions and -more important- answers. They are in no
way complete, so if you don't find what you need, please don't hesitate to contact us again.
Have a great Thinking-Day!
- Q: What is the organisation of Scouting/Guiding in Germany?
- A: Member of WAGGGS and WOSM are RDP and RdP respectively.
BdP and VCP are member of both RDP and RdP, whereas PSG is member of RDP and DPSG of RdP.
The German member of ISGF is VDAPG.
- Q: What does RDP, RdP, BdP, DPSG, PSG, VDAPG and VCP stand for?
- A:
- RDP: Ring Deutscher Pfadfinderinnenverbände (German Guide Federation)
- RdP: Ring Deutscher Pfadfinderverbände (German Scout Federation)
- BdP: Bund der Pfadfinderinnen und Pfadfinder (Guide and Scout Union)
- DPSG: Deutsche Pfadfinderschaft St. Georg (German Saint George Scouting)
- PSG: Pfadfinderinnenschaft St. Georg (Guiding Saint George)
- VDAPG: Verband Deutscher Altpfadfindergilden (German Association of former Scouts)
- VCP: Verband christlicher Pfadfinderinnen und Pfadfinder(Christian Guide and Scout Associaton)
- Q: What are your structures in the group, which sections do you have?
- A: The smallest unit is called Stamm. There are usually 3 sections:
- Wölflinge (Brownies/Cubs) 7-11 years old
6-8 Wölflinge form a Rudel (sixer), the Rudel build a Meute (pack) - Pfadfinderinnen and Pfadfinder (Guides/Scouts) 11-15 years old
(sometimes split into Jungpfadfinder(innen) and Pfadfinder(innen))
6-8 Pfadfinder(innen) form a Sippe (patrol), the Sippen build a Gilde or Trupp (troop) - Ranger and Rover (Rangers/Ventures) 16+
6 or more Ranger/Rover meet in a Runde.
- Wölflinge (Brownies/Cubs) 7-11 years old
- Q: What are the words of the promise in Germany?
- A: The promise (Das Pfadfinderversprechen):
Ich verspreche mein bestes zu tun, nach dem Pfadfindergesetz zu leben;
Ich bitte Gott und meine Freunde, mir dabei zu helfen.
- Q: Is there a special enrolment ceremony?
- A: No, we don't have a special "enrolment ceremony".
- Q: What is a food you cook while camping?
- A: Chili con carne
- Q: What kind of activities do you do in your troop?
- A: Last meeting we played a parlour game and casted lead (Bleigiessen), a custom for new-year
- Q: What are your favorite Girl Scout Cookies? Do you sell them too?
- A: No, we don't sell Cookies
- Q: Do you have a favorite game? How do you play it?
- A: We have some but no favorite
- Q: What kinds of games the scouts play and what kind of gateways do the scouts use.
- A: I don't know what using gateways is, I'm sorry?
- Q: I am looking for information on the german rank system, if there are any merit badges available to earn.
- A: There's no such thing as merit badges and exams.
- Q: Where can I swoop patches?
- A: http://www.pfadfinder.org/bamberg/04/05/en/swap.htm
- Q: What kind of leadership postions do the scouts have available to them.
- A:
- Q: What fundraising activities do you do?
- A:
- Q: I will be coming to Germany and would like to get in contact with Scouts/Guides in A-town.
- A: The place to search for local contacts is http://archiv.scoutnet.de.
If groups in your target area are online, there is a good chance to find them here.
Enter the name of the wanted town (German spelling! i.e. "München" not "Munich", "Köln" not "Cologne") and press "Suchen".
A surprisingly good point to start searching is the good old telephone-book. With Deutsche Telekom having it made online you can browse it at http://www.telefonbuch.de. (English and French versions available.)
As "name or keyword" try "pfadfinder", "bdp", "dpsg", "psg", "vdapg" or "vcp". Make sure to have the German spelling of the place at hand, if possible enter area or zip code as well.
- Q: We were asked to find a traditional German song together with a translation in English and the origin of the Song. Till now I have found it difficult to find a German song, which is traditional.
- A: A collection of German Scout/Guide songs with words and guitar chords is available at http://www.scoutnet.de/lieder. Other places to search for German songs are:
- Q: I would like to find a traditional German game, or else some kind of game which is very popular in Germany and if possible, one which is easy for our seven year old Brownie girls to learn.
- A: http://www.fen-net.de/pfadfinder/index/spiele.html
- Q: Can you please hand me a picture of a Brownie in the German uniform? It is also part of the presentation, to dress a doll in a Brownie Uniform.
- A: On http://www.ruesthaus.de/kleidung/kluft/ are fotos of the DPSG-uniform. The sections differ only in the colour of neckerchief and badge.
On http://www.scoutnet.de/foto/1296.html is a foto of the BdP-uniform. Cubs/Brownies (and their leaders) wear yellow neckerchiefs, Scouts/Guides and Ranger/Rover blue-and-yellow neckerchiefs.
On http://www.fahrtenbedarf.de/cgi-bin/shop/iboshop.cgi?show10991010,584174928221735 is a foto of the VCP-uniform. The basis color of the neckerchief is blue. Cubs/Brownies wear orange, Scouts/Guides a green, Ranger/Rover a bordeaux-red and adults a purple border.
- Q: What does your uniform look like? What are your colors?
- A: The color is beige and we have - at rovers - a red scarf ... you can have a look at http://www.pfadfinder.org/bamberg/04/05/gif/pfad.jpg
- Q: We are planning a thinking day event. Could you please mail me some information on Girl Guides in Germany to use for this event.
- A: If you need further information, could you please specify your request.
- Q: Do you sleep in tents?
- A: Yes, we do.
- Q: If you do, do boys and girls sleep in same tents?
- A: Sometimes yes, sometimes no.
- Q: Do you know what a sauna is?
- A: Yes, we know what a sauna is. We have them in Germany as well.
- Q: Have you ever been in one?
- A: Yes, I think most German have been in a sauna.
- Q: What kind of field trips or camps do you go to?
- A: We have several kinds of camps: we go camping with a small troup, the whole group (tribe) or more groups together. We take part in international camps too.
- Q: In what age do young people become patrol leaders or cub scout leaders?
- A: Normally you can become a leader in the age of 18.