Hi,

Does anyone know if there is a Brownies unit in the Zurich Canton and where it is?
My family and i are moving over in April and i am trying to see if my elder daughter can continue some of her hobbies once we have moved.

Thanks!

I don't think they have Brownies as such unless there is a 'foreign' one (did see something about that last year sometime but don't know what came of it). The Swiss system of Pfadi (scouts) is mixed at all ages - the youngest are Biber (beavers) for 4-6 year olds, then Wolf cubs (7-11) and so on. It's very outdoorsy - certainly ours are out in the woods virtually all the time - and once they get to Wolf cubs and onwards they go camping on a regular basis with long hikes etc. So it might not be quite the same as she's used to but it is great!

Hester

Here's the link to the pfadi.

Maybe take a look at Jungwacht Blauring (Jubla)?
http://www.jubla.ch/ (the website is all in german though...)

We have brownies and guides at our (international) school

This is good to hear but it would be a lot more useful if we knew a little more about it. Where is 'our international school'? Are the groups open to outsiders? Who is the contact person?

I have sent you a PM :-)

It is not true that the scout troupes are always mixed (regardless of the age of the children). As far as I know the youngest ones (beavers) are usually mixed but after that many / most places run two separate groups for boys and girls. The camps are however often mixed.

But the organisation depends on the scouting group active in your area. In Zurich there is even a Seepfadi ("lake scouts" would be the literal translation).

I used to be an active scout for ages (brownie, scout, leader, camp leader, international camps I did it all ) so PM me if you need specific information.

Word of advice: the system is different. Scouting is a youth organisation which means its run by young people, therefore the leader of the brownies can be as young as 14 to 15 but will then be paired with more experienced (but nevertheless young) leaders. its not better or worse than the UK system but different. But you will soon realise that this will not be only thing which will be "different"

do you have the details of this group?
if so please can you forward it to me, as no one yet managed to answer my enquirey! lol many thanks

I answered it. I gave you the link to the Scout and Guide movement in Switzerland.

On the home page it says:

Brownies does not exist as such (apart from in packs linked to Schools etc).

It's mixed, as Scouts is in the U.K. and for younger members as it is in the rest of Europe.

I guess Switzerland is a bit more progressive than the U.K. in that respect.

You did not say where in Canton Zurich you were going to live so it is almost impossible to give you the details of a particular group in that area but suffice to say, most towns and villages have some Scouting presence.