Kandersteg International Scout Centre
Encyclopedia
Kandersteg International Scout Centre (KISC) is an international Scout
centre in Kandersteg
, Switzerland. The centre provides lodges, chalets and campsites covering 17 hectare
s of land. It is open to Scouts year round, as well as to non-Scouts for most of the year. Annually, more than 11,000 young people from over 40 different countries visit the centre.
KISC is one of the three World Scout Centres of the World Organization of the Scout Movement
(WOSM).
In 1921 the Chief Scout of Switzerland, Walther von Bonstetten, visited Kandersteg
on holiday, and found an old empty chalet
. It was built in 1908, to house the construction workers on the Lötschberg Tunnel
. In 1913 when the tunnel had been finished, the chalet was left unused by the railway company. Von Bonstetten felt that this location could be the meeting place that Robert Baden-Powell
had in mind as permanent international meeting place where Scouts
from all over the world could come and meet together. Von Bonstetten wrote to him to let him know what he had found. The response was positive and in February 1923 the Scouts International Home Association was set up; on 12 April 1923 the chalet and adjacent land was bought for CHF
15,100, and the International Scout Centre came into existence. In 1930 Baden-Powell visited the site himself.
Up to current times, the site has continuously been augmented, with the first national room 'the Dutch room' in 1927, and additional land purchase in 1929. During World War II
, the centre was used to house French soldiers interned for the war. In the 1950s more property was purchased, including the woods by the river Kander, and the centre began to open also in the wintertime. They renamed the centre to its current name, Kandersteg International Scout Centre, in 1977. In the 1980s, new campsites were created, together with extra toilet facilities, although the centre went through a difficult time financially. In 1994, the International Scout Centre Foundation, Kandersteg was established, and work started on the chalet extension project which opened on 1 June 1996. On December 2002, the top floor of the New Chalet was finished, completing the chalet extension, followed by new bathroom renovations two years later. In 2009, the centre opened a new accommodation building named Kander-Lodge, purchased the neighbouring building Sunneblick, and fully renovated the ground floor of the Old Chalet.
The small, traditional Swiss
village
of Kandersteg (inhabitants approximately 1,200) is situated at 1,200 metres above sea level, 65 kilometres south of Bern, in the canton of Bern. Kandersteg is located near the Lötschenpass and the Gemmipass. The village is known for sightseeing and exploring the Swiss Alps
. Kandersteg can be reached by road and rail: it is situated on the main railway line from the north to Italy, and the station is served by fast trains.
The Centre is at the southern end of village. During high season, a regular bus runs from the local railway station to the Centre.
The central part of the centre is the chalet which consists of two parts, the Old Chalet and the New Chalet. This building houses the centre reception and offices, as well as facilities for guests. The completion of the extension in 1996 greatly increased it, with full central heating, modern sanitary with constant hot water, a souvenir shop, meeting rooms, postal service, public telephones, coffee bar, laundry, first aid room
and internet facilities. There are five fully equipped electric kitchens available for use.
The Chalet is open all year round and is run along much the same lines as most Youth Hostels, with an emphasis on community life and living together with other groups, who help to look after and clean the building. The Chalet is decorated with scarves and plaques from guests, as well as photos, posters and badges showing the world wide family of Scouting.
The Old Chalet provides accommodation for 172 people in 23 rooms, each with between 3 and 22 beds. Most rooms have tables and chairs, providing a living area. The rooms are named after National Scout Organizations or Scout Regions that have helped with renovating and decorating the room. The New Chalet provides new Staff accommodation, meeting rooms and upgraded accommodation for 27 people in nine 3-bedded bedrooms available outside the summer season.
The campsite can accommodate up to 1,400 persons on more than 60 different sites. On average during the summer, the site has around 750 guests at a time. While close to other groups, each group can be sure of their own campsite ensuring both an international atmosphere and privacy. The sites have running water nearby and there are toilets and showers with hot water close at hand, which the visiting groups help to look after during their stay. There is a shop open on the campsite during the summer and a campsite office that is open most of the time.
The campsite was originally wasteland
from the construction of the tunnel, so several sites are rocky. The railway runs close to some of the sites, so it can be noisy at times.
On the other side of the river Kander is the Kander Lodge, facing the Chalet. It has eighteen simple 2-bed rooms with shared bathrooms. The building has a kitchen, dining room, living room and a meeting room. The building was originally erected in nearby Mitholz village, and in the last decades used as office and exhibition space for the Lötschberg Base Tunnel
. In 2008, after the tunnel was opened, the lodge was moved from Mitholz to it current site in Kandersteg.
Purchased in 2009, the Sunneblick is an old chalet with the same history as the Old Chalet and the Kander-Lodge. Originally it was an accommodation building for workers on the train tunnel in Frutigen
. In the first quarter of the 20th century Sunneblick was moved from Frutigen to Kandersteg, to be the direct neighbour of the Old Chalet. The Sunneblick has 47 beds, a dinning/play/meeting/room, a fully equipped kitchen and a sitting room. It is available for use by a single group at a time or can be rented as individual rooms.
The Ueschinen Hut is situated in the Ueschinen Valley, at a height of 1,890 metres, and about two to three hours walk away from the centre. It is usually open from May to October. During the summer it is used mainly as a base for climbing and hiking activities, but it may be used by groups during the year, if weather allows. The hut is actually half of a cowshed, so sometimes it's a bit noisy at night. It can sleep up to 30 people and has a fully equipped kitchen with wood stove, a general living and eating room and a special toilet – there is no electricity and no shower.
with 2,500 Rover Scouts from 23 countries in 1931. After the war, in 1953, the 5th World Scout Moot was back in Kandersteg with 4,000 Rovers from 22 countries, and in 1992 again in the 9th World Scout Moot saw nearly 2,500 people from over 50 countries.
In 1979, the site hosted the Camp Kristall, with 1,700 scouts from 42 countries. The camp is one of those that replaced the cancelled 15th World Scout Jamboree
that year. In the 1980s, the Transatlantic Council of the BSA
used Kandersteg for annual or even more camps. In 2007, the centre played host to KanderJam, 'The Alpine Link to the 21st World Scout Jamboree
' which brought over 2,000 people from all over the world in celebration of the 100th anniversary of scouting
. The year after that, in 2008, the centre ran the first ever World Scout Winter Games
.
The activity programme offered by the Centre is based on three themes of International Friendship, High Adventure and Eco Adventure, designed to help guests learn, develop and have lots of fun. In the Summer. they offer, within the three themes, a fixed weekly In Camp programme including International Campfire
, Pioneering Competition and BBQ, as well as a wide range of daily activities such as trails, nature workshops, hiking
, rock climbing
, crafts
, mountain biking
, paragliding
, river rafting
and trips to various parts of Switzerland. In the winter, the programme offers a range of alpine snow activities such as downhill
or cross country
skiing
and snowboarding
. There are also a variety of other activities in and around Kandersteg, like sledging
, curling
, Ice skating
, snow shoeing and caving
.
Throughout the year, they offer programme activities for groups. The exact possibilities will depend on when you visit and options vary with each season. By participating in the programme, guests can work towards the award that exists for each of the themes. These are designed to bring together guests of all ages, nationalities and culture, while encouraging them to experience, learn about and appreciate the alpine environment.
, thanks to the support of Kenneth Macintosh. He was followed by the Austrian Michael Muerwald and Robert Agg from 1982, Marc Lombard in 1984, by Aidan Jones in 1992, John Moffat in 1996, Miriam Hertzberg in 2002 and in 2005 by Mark Knippenberg
.
In 2010 the structure of the Director's position was changed and replaced with 2 roles: General Director and Operational Director. Jens Sheeran started as the first Operational Director in November 2010 and Myriam Heidelberger started as General Director in March 2011.
The directors are assisted by an international team of volunteer staff staying from three months to several years. Volunteer staff are recruited in various numbers according to the time of year to assist with the running of the centre's facilities and the programme offered. These staff members are known as pinkies due to their uniform of pink t-shirts and sweatshirts. They also wear a Neckerchief
to represent their scouting background. There are three conditions that must be met in order to be accepted on the staff: you have to be over 18 years of age on the day you start work, to be able to communicate in English, and be a member of WOSM
or WAGGGS
.
Scouting
Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement with the stated aim of supporting young people in their physical, mental and spiritual development, that they may play constructive roles in society....
centre in Kandersteg
Kandersteg
Kandersteg is a municipality in the Frutigen-Niedersimmental administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. It is located along the valley of the River Kander, west of the Jungfrau massif. It is noted for its spectacular mountain scenery and sylvan alpine landscapes. Tourism is a...
, Switzerland. The centre provides lodges, chalets and campsites covering 17 hectare
Hectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
s of land. It is open to Scouts year round, as well as to non-Scouts for most of the year. Annually, more than 11,000 young people from over 40 different countries visit the centre.
KISC is one of the three World Scout Centres of the World Organization of the Scout Movement
World Organization of the Scout Movement
The World Organization of the Scout Movement is the Non-governmental international organization which governs most national Scout Organizations, with 31 million members. WOSM was established in 1920, and has its headquarters at Geneva, Switzerland...
(WOSM).
History
Kandersteg
Kandersteg is a municipality in the Frutigen-Niedersimmental administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. It is located along the valley of the River Kander, west of the Jungfrau massif. It is noted for its spectacular mountain scenery and sylvan alpine landscapes. Tourism is a...
on holiday, and found an old empty chalet
Chalet
A chalet , also called Swiss chalet, is a type of building or house, native to the Alpine region, made of wood, with a heavy, gently sloping roof with wide, well-supported eaves set at right angles to the front of the house.-Definition and origin:...
. It was built in 1908, to house the construction workers on the Lötschberg Tunnel
Lötschberg Tunnel
The Lötschberg Tunnel is a long railway tunnel on the Lötschberg Line, which connects Spiez and Brig at the northern end of the Simplon Tunnel cutting through the Alps of Switzerland. Its ends are at the towns of Kandersteg in the Canton of Berne and Goppenstein in the Canton of...
. In 1913 when the tunnel had been finished, the chalet was left unused by the railway company. Von Bonstetten felt that this location could be the meeting place that Robert Baden-Powell
Robert Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell
Robert Stephenson Smyth Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell, Bt, OM, GCMG, GCVO, KCB , also known as B-P or Lord Baden-Powell, was a lieutenant-general in the British Army, writer, and founder of the Scout Movement....
had in mind as permanent international meeting place where Scouts
Scouting
Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement with the stated aim of supporting young people in their physical, mental and spiritual development, that they may play constructive roles in society....
from all over the world could come and meet together. Von Bonstetten wrote to him to let him know what he had found. The response was positive and in February 1923 the Scouts International Home Association was set up; on 12 April 1923 the chalet and adjacent land was bought for CHF
Swiss franc
The franc is the currency and legal tender of Switzerland and Liechtenstein; it is also legal tender in the Italian exclave Campione d'Italia. Although not formally legal tender in the German exclave Büsingen , it is in wide daily use there...
15,100, and the International Scout Centre came into existence. In 1930 Baden-Powell visited the site himself.
Up to current times, the site has continuously been augmented, with the first national room 'the Dutch room' in 1927, and additional land purchase in 1929. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the centre was used to house French soldiers interned for the war. In the 1950s more property was purchased, including the woods by the river Kander, and the centre began to open also in the wintertime. They renamed the centre to its current name, Kandersteg International Scout Centre, in 1977. In the 1980s, new campsites were created, together with extra toilet facilities, although the centre went through a difficult time financially. In 1994, the International Scout Centre Foundation, Kandersteg was established, and work started on the chalet extension project which opened on 1 June 1996. On December 2002, the top floor of the New Chalet was finished, completing the chalet extension, followed by new bathroom renovations two years later. In 2009, the centre opened a new accommodation building named Kander-Lodge, purchased the neighbouring building Sunneblick, and fully renovated the ground floor of the Old Chalet.
Location
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
of Kandersteg (inhabitants approximately 1,200) is situated at 1,200 metres above sea level, 65 kilometres south of Bern, in the canton of Bern. Kandersteg is located near the Lötschenpass and the Gemmipass. The village is known for sightseeing and exploring the Swiss Alps
Swiss Alps
The Swiss Alps are the portion of the Alps mountain range that lies within Switzerland. Because of their central position within the entire Alpine range, they are also known as the Central Alps....
. Kandersteg can be reached by road and rail: it is situated on the main railway line from the north to Italy, and the station is served by fast trains.
The Centre is at the southern end of village. During high season, a regular bus runs from the local railway station to the Centre.
Chalet
The central part of the centre is the chalet which consists of two parts, the Old Chalet and the New Chalet. This building houses the centre reception and offices, as well as facilities for guests. The completion of the extension in 1996 greatly increased it, with full central heating, modern sanitary with constant hot water, a souvenir shop, meeting rooms, postal service, public telephones, coffee bar, laundry, first aid room
First aid room
A first aid room or medical room is a room in an establishment to which someone who is injured or taken ill on the premises can be taken for first aid and to await the arrival of professional emergency medical services.A first aid room should be clearly signposted, easily accessible and contain:*...
and internet facilities. There are five fully equipped electric kitchens available for use.
The Chalet is open all year round and is run along much the same lines as most Youth Hostels, with an emphasis on community life and living together with other groups, who help to look after and clean the building. The Chalet is decorated with scarves and plaques from guests, as well as photos, posters and badges showing the world wide family of Scouting.
The Old Chalet provides accommodation for 172 people in 23 rooms, each with between 3 and 22 beds. Most rooms have tables and chairs, providing a living area. The rooms are named after National Scout Organizations or Scout Regions that have helped with renovating and decorating the room. The New Chalet provides new Staff accommodation, meeting rooms and upgraded accommodation for 27 people in nine 3-bedded bedrooms available outside the summer season.
Campsite
The campsite was originally wasteland
Brownfield land
Brownfield sites are abandoned or underused industrial and commercial facilities available for re-use. Expansion or redevelopment of such a facility may be complicated by real or perceived environmental contaminations. Cf. Waste...
from the construction of the tunnel, so several sites are rocky. The railway runs close to some of the sites, so it can be noisy at times.
Four buildings
The Tower was originally the power station when the railway was built and now has two parts: the tower itself and the Lötschberghaus (sleeping building). In total there is accommodation for 57 people - four rooms with 12 beds in the Lötschberghaus and a newly renovated room with nine beds in the tower. Facilities include full toilet and shower facilities for boys and girls, a fully equipped electric kitchen and a big living room with an open fireplace and balcony.On the other side of the river Kander is the Kander Lodge, facing the Chalet. It has eighteen simple 2-bed rooms with shared bathrooms. The building has a kitchen, dining room, living room and a meeting room. The building was originally erected in nearby Mitholz village, and in the last decades used as office and exhibition space for the Lötschberg Base Tunnel
Lötschberg Base Tunnel
The Lötschberg Base Tunnel is a railway tunnel on the BLS Lötschbergbahn's Lötschberg Line cutting through the Alps of Switzerland some below the existing Lötschberg Tunnel. It is currently the world's longest land tunnel and accommodates passenger and freight trains. It runs between Frutigen,...
. In 2008, after the tunnel was opened, the lodge was moved from Mitholz to it current site in Kandersteg.
Purchased in 2009, the Sunneblick is an old chalet with the same history as the Old Chalet and the Kander-Lodge. Originally it was an accommodation building for workers on the train tunnel in Frutigen
Frutigen
Frutigen is a municipality in the Bernese Oberland in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. It is the capital of the Frutigen-Niedersimmental administrative district.-History:...
. In the first quarter of the 20th century Sunneblick was moved from Frutigen to Kandersteg, to be the direct neighbour of the Old Chalet. The Sunneblick has 47 beds, a dinning/play/meeting/room, a fully equipped kitchen and a sitting room. It is available for use by a single group at a time or can be rented as individual rooms.
The Ueschinen Hut is situated in the Ueschinen Valley, at a height of 1,890 metres, and about two to three hours walk away from the centre. It is usually open from May to October. During the summer it is used mainly as a base for climbing and hiking activities, but it may be used by groups during the year, if weather allows. The hut is actually half of a cowshed, so sometimes it's a bit noisy at night. It can sleep up to 30 people and has a fully equipped kitchen with wood stove, a general living and eating room and a special toilet – there is no electricity and no shower.
Camps and activities
The site has a history of course and camps, starting with the 50th Gilwell Scout course organized in 1926, and the 1st World Scout MootWorld Scout Moot
The World Scout Moot is a gathering of older Scouts, mainly Rover Scouts, ages 18–26 from all over the world...
with 2,500 Rover Scouts from 23 countries in 1931. After the war, in 1953, the 5th World Scout Moot was back in Kandersteg with 4,000 Rovers from 22 countries, and in 1992 again in the 9th World Scout Moot saw nearly 2,500 people from over 50 countries.
In 1979, the site hosted the Camp Kristall, with 1,700 scouts from 42 countries. The camp is one of those that replaced the cancelled 15th World Scout Jamboree
15th World Scout Jamboree (cancelled)
The 15th World Scout Jamboree was scheduled to be held in July 1979 and was to be hosted by Iran at Nishapur, but was cancelled due to political instability....
that year. In the 1980s, the Transatlantic Council of the BSA
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
used Kandersteg for annual or even more camps. In 2007, the centre played host to KanderJam, 'The Alpine Link to the 21st World Scout Jamboree
21st World Scout Jamboree
The 21st World Scout Jamboree was held in July and August 2007, and formed a part of the Scouting 2007 Centenary celebrations of the world Scout Movement. The event was hosted by the United Kingdom, as 2007 marked the 100th anniversary of the founding of Scouting on Brownsea Island.The event was...
' which brought over 2,000 people from all over the world in celebration of the 100th anniversary of scouting
Scouting 2007 Centenary
The Scouting 2007 Centenary comprised celebrations around the world in which Scouts celebrated 100 years of the world Scout movement. The original celebrations were focused on the United Kingdom, such as the camp on Brownsea Island, the birthplace of Scouting, and the 21st World Scout Jamboree in...
. The year after that, in 2008, the centre ran the first ever World Scout Winter Games
World Scout Winter Games
The World Scout Winter Games is an international winter sports event for Scouts.-First World Scout Winter Games:The First World Scout Winter Games was held at Kandersteg International Scout Centre between 2008-02-28 and 2008-03-03. Nine teams, representing eight countries participated...
.
The activity programme offered by the Centre is based on three themes of International Friendship, High Adventure and Eco Adventure, designed to help guests learn, develop and have lots of fun. In the Summer. they offer, within the three themes, a fixed weekly In Camp programme including International Campfire
Campfire
A campfire is a fire lit at a campsite, to serve the following functions: light, warmth, a beacon, a bug and/or apex predator deterrent, to cook, and for a psychological sense of security. In established campgrounds they are usually in a fire ring for safety. Campfires are a popular feature of...
, Pioneering Competition and BBQ, as well as a wide range of daily activities such as trails, nature workshops, hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
, rock climbing
Climbing
Climbing is the activity of using one's hands and feet to ascend a steep object. It is done both for recreation and professionally, as part of activities such as maintenance of a structure, or military operations.Climbing activities include:* Bouldering: Ascending boulders or small...
, crafts
Arts and crafts
Arts and crafts comprise a whole host of activities and hobbies that are related to making things with one's hands and skill. These can be sub-divided into handicrafts or "traditional crafts" and "the rest"...
, mountain biking
Mountain biking
Mountain biking is a sport which consists of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, using specially adapted mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain.Mountain biking can...
, paragliding
Paragliding
Paragliding is the recreational and competitive adventure sport of flying paragliders: lightweight, free-flying, foot-launched glider aircraft with no rigid primary structure...
, river rafting
Rafting
Rafting or white water rafting is a challenging recreational outdoor activity using an inflatable raft to navigate a river or other bodies of water. This is usually done on white water or different degrees of rough water, in order to thrill and excite the raft passengers. The development of this...
and trips to various parts of Switzerland. In the winter, the programme offers a range of alpine snow activities such as downhill
Downhill
Downhill is an alpine skiing discipline. The rules for the Downhill were originally developed by Sir Arnold Lunn for the 1921 British National Ski Championships....
or cross country
Cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a winter sport in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles...
skiing
Skiing
Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
and snowboarding
Snowboarding
Snowboarding is a sport that involves descending a slope that is covered with snow on a snowboard attached to a rider's feet using a special boot set onto mounted binding. The development of snowboarding was inspired by skateboarding, sledding, surfing and skiing. It was developed in the U.S.A...
. There are also a variety of other activities in and around Kandersteg, like sledging
Sledding
Sledding , sledging , sleding or tobogganing is a common activity in wintry areas, similar to sliding, but in a prone or seated position requiring a device or vehicle generically known in the US as a sled or in other countries as a sledge or toboggan...
, curling
Curling
Curling is a sport in which players slide stones across a sheet of ice towards a target area. It is related to bowls, boule and shuffleboard. Two teams, each of four players, take turns sliding heavy, polished granite stones, also called "rocks", across the ice curling sheet towards the house, a...
, Ice skating
Ice skating
Ice skating is moving on ice by using ice skates. It can be done for a variety of reasons, including leisure, traveling, and various sports. Ice skating occurs both on specially prepared indoor and outdoor tracks, as well as on naturally occurring bodies of frozen water, such as lakes and...
, snow shoeing and caving
Caving
Caving—also occasionally known as spelunking in the United States and potholing in the United Kingdom—is the recreational pastime of exploring wild cave systems...
.
Throughout the year, they offer programme activities for groups. The exact possibilities will depend on when you visit and options vary with each season. By participating in the programme, guests can work towards the award that exists for each of the themes. These are designed to bring together guests of all ages, nationalities and culture, while encouraging them to experience, learn about and appreciate the alpine environment.
Staff
In 1973, Kurt Metz was appointed as the first full time DirectorExecutive director
Executive director is a term sometimes applied to the chief executive officer or managing director of an organization, company, or corporation. It is widely used in North American non-profit organizations, though in recent decades many U.S. nonprofits have adopted the title "President/CEO"...
, thanks to the support of Kenneth Macintosh. He was followed by the Austrian Michael Muerwald and Robert Agg from 1982, Marc Lombard in 1984, by Aidan Jones in 1992, John Moffat in 1996, Miriam Hertzberg in 2002 and in 2005 by Mark Knippenberg
Mark Knippenberg
Mark Knippenberg was the Director at Kandersteg International Scout Centre . from November 2005 until Autumn 2010. Mark first worked at KISC as Deputy Director for Guest Services in 2001 to 2003 when he then took on the role of Deputy Director for Internal Services until 2005...
.
In 2010 the structure of the Director's position was changed and replaced with 2 roles: General Director and Operational Director. Jens Sheeran started as the first Operational Director in November 2010 and Myriam Heidelberger started as General Director in March 2011.
The directors are assisted by an international team of volunteer staff staying from three months to several years. Volunteer staff are recruited in various numbers according to the time of year to assist with the running of the centre's facilities and the programme offered. These staff members are known as pinkies due to their uniform of pink t-shirts and sweatshirts. They also wear a Neckerchief
Neckerchief
A neckerchief, necker or less commonly scarf is a type of neckwear associated with Scouts, cowboys and sailors. It consists of a triangular piece of cloth or a rectangular piece folded into a triangle. The long edge is rolled towards the point, leaving a portion unrolled...
to represent their scouting background. There are three conditions that must be met in order to be accepted on the staff: you have to be over 18 years of age on the day you start work, to be able to communicate in English, and be a member of WOSM
World Organization of the Scout Movement
The World Organization of the Scout Movement is the Non-governmental international organization which governs most national Scout Organizations, with 31 million members. WOSM was established in 1920, and has its headquarters at Geneva, Switzerland...
or WAGGGS
World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts
The World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts is a global association supporting the female-oriented and female-only Scouting organizations in 145 countries. It was established in 1928 and has its headquarters in London, England. It is the counterpart of the World Organization of the Scout...
.
See also
- Brownsea IslandBrownsea Island Scout campThe Brownsea Island Scout camp was a boys camping event on Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour, southern England, organised by Lieutenant-General Baden-Powell to test his ideas for the book Scouting for Boys. Boys from different social backgrounds participated from 1 August to 8 August 1907 in...
, off PoolePoolePoole is a large coastal town and seaport in the county of Dorset, on the south coast of England. The town is east of Dorchester, and Bournemouth adjoins Poole to the east. The Borough of Poole was made a unitary authority in 1997, gaining administrative independence from Dorset County Council...
, United Kingdom - Gilwell ParkGilwell ParkGilwell Park is a camp site and activity centre for Scouting groups, as well as a training and conference centre for Scout Leaders. The 44 hectare site is in Sewardstonebury, Epping Forest, close to Chingford, London....
, in LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, United Kingdom - Our ChaletOur ChaletOur Chalet is an international Girl Guide/Girl Scout centre and one of four World Centres of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts . The others are Our Cabaña, Sangam, and Pax Lodge. Our Chalet is just outside of Adelboden, in the Bernese Oberland of Switzerland. Located in the...
, in nearby AdelbodenAdelbodenAdelboden is a municipality in the Frutigen-Niedersimmental administrative district in the Bernese Oberland in Switzerland.-Geography:Adelboden lies in the west of the Berner Oberland, at the end of the valley of the Engstlige river, which flows in Frutigen into the Kander river.Adelboden is a...
, Switzerland