Wendy Posted January 13, 2006 Share Posted January 13, 2006 Back in Australia my two eldest boys had a great time in the scouting movement, do the scouts exist here as well ?. Ive a 12 year old who would love to join. My eldest went to the international jamboree in Oz in 1998 but cannot remember if there were any french scouts there. I'm in the Pyrenees Orientale. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RogerW Posted January 13, 2006 Share Posted January 13, 2006 There's a lot of links to information on French scouting organisations on:http://inter.scoutnet.org/units_fr.htmlHope this helps,Roger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
battypuss1 Posted January 13, 2006 Share Posted January 13, 2006 There are tons of scouting groups. My daughters joined for a year. Word of warning, be prepared for EXTREME snobbery, considerable outlay on uniform and fees, plus camps in the middle of nowhere with inadequate backup; my daughters caught bronchitis twice. Maybe we were unlucky.Only a couple of little thugs appeared to enjoy themselves in their group (about 40 kids), the rest were there because their parents obviously considered it a Good Catholic Pastime that got them extra marks at church.Be prepared for it not to be the same enjoyable experience as in England and make absolutely sure your son is wearing the latest trainers and speaks 100% fluent French, at least if you are in Normandy. www.scoutsdefrance.com will tell you all you need to know, otherwise ask at your local Mairie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daniel Posted January 13, 2006 Share Posted January 13, 2006 Avoid the scouts d'Europe (catholic traditionalists). Try the protestants (Eclaireurs Unionistes : http://www.eeudf.org/). But I must say that my (huguenot) view is not neutral on this matter ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wendy Posted January 13, 2006 Author Share Posted January 13, 2006 Hmmmm, think we'll give it a rest for now on the scouting thing as my son already puts up with alot of that sort of treatment at his school as it is. Never knew that the scouts here are a catholic thing though...and Im RC ! I thought the church had to keep its nose out of things here. Anyway, we're considering handball now (I cannot believe that this is such a huge sport here). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babnik Posted January 14, 2006 Share Posted January 14, 2006 I can vouch for handball. Have been playing it for a long time now, and it's great fun. You say : 'I can't believe that this is a huge sport here', perhaps what you should say, 'Why isn't it big in the UK?' It's the second most popular team sport in Europe after football. Huge in Germany and Scandinavia, but very popular just about everywhere else except the UK. I don't know where you are, but the clubs around here look after the kids very well, and there isn't any snobbery that I can see!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miki Posted January 15, 2006 Share Posted January 15, 2006 [quote user="daniel"]Avoid the scouts d'Europe (catholictraditionalists). Try the protestants (Eclaireurs Unionistes :http://www.eeudf.org/). But I must say that my (huguenot) view is notneutral on this matter ![/quote]Daniel, (and wen)The scouting movement in the UK in my experience, is more or less,traditional C of E. When in the UK, our boys were expected to go to Church on Sunday,dressed in Scout (or Cub) uniform. It is I guess a way of teaching thekids a righteous way ? To kids, it is the being in the group thatcounts the most, not I suspect, the religious leaning of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tourangelle Posted January 17, 2006 Share Posted January 17, 2006 [quote user="wen"]Hmmmm, think we'll give it a rest for now on thescouting thing as my son already puts up with alot of that sort oftreatment at his school as it is. Never knew that the scouts here are acatholic thing though...and Im RC ! I thought the church had to keepits nose out of things here. Anyway, we're considering handball now (Icannot believe that this is such a huge sport here).[/quote]It is not that it is a catholic thing, it is just that they have theword scout, but éclaireur just means scout too, so scouts andscouts. Religious belief being entirely up to the individual,there are numerous catholic and other groups which are entirelyunconnected with the state like secours catholique[:)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missy Posted January 17, 2006 Share Posted January 17, 2006 I remember my brothers wanting to join the : Eclaireurs de France. Have you tried that on a google?... I think they are the main scout type organisation though not sure of which religious inclination... Does that matter if the kids are having a wonderful time meeting other kids of their own age travelling etc... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miki Posted January 17, 2006 Share Posted January 17, 2006 Not sure how legal it all is but we had a skoot (French pronunciation!!) chap once tell us it is obligatory to feed and water any skoot mob that knock on your door.We had several give us a knock when we were in the DooDon and ithappened year after year, wonder if it passed on from troop to troop,or like the old travellers secret messages, spotting broken branchesetc meaning, knock here, they are good for Cola and Chips plus a showerin the camping block !Much to some of our guests delight, we have had an average of one troopeach year here in Brittany that camp next to the pines (well Leylandito be precise) and Tina gives them lots to drink plus bread and theobligatory pile of Chips !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daniel Posted January 18, 2006 Share Posted January 18, 2006 As far as I know, all french scout organisations are directly related to a church (catholic, protestant or jewish). Miki, there is no such law ! But this may be a local tradition I'm not aware of. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miki Posted January 18, 2006 Share Posted January 18, 2006 Crafty old Akela whispers eh (Ooops that's cubs innit ?, so whatever aScout leader is called anyway) Not sure about local tradition, it hashappened in 3, not anywhere close to each other regions, that we areaware of !Ah well, can't begrudge the poor scruufy looking urchins, sorry I meant skoots, that pass by us every year on their annual long march. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teamedup Posted January 18, 2006 Share Posted January 18, 2006 Daniel really? this is what it says on their web sit opening. Nouveau mouvement de scoutisme, né de la fusion des Scouts de France et des Guidesde France, catholique et ouvert à tous : communiqué et actualité du jeune Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owens88 Posted January 18, 2006 Share Posted January 18, 2006 All Scouting is bound to 'some' religion (unfortunately in my view !). An aspirant leader cannot declare themselves Atheist for example.For example I am sure there will be a Muslim troop somewhere in France. Here in East Mids UK our Troop has exchanged nights with a Sikh Troop in the past. However France does seem prone to creating its own rules.....John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daniel Posted January 18, 2006 Share Posted January 18, 2006 My daughter used to be an éclaireuse and she enjoyed it. Religion was not a problem as they were also "ouverts à tous". I have to say however that I was a bit scared by the lack of adult "coaching". She now goes to a "colonie de vacances" every summer and I find it much safer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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