Guiding and Scouting is a wonderful way to lear new things about nature, yourself, other people and your own living environment. You get to pick up new things by doing them yourself instead of reading about them in books. Scouting is all about doing things together: hiking, skiing, canoeing, sailing, practicing first aid, making crafts and honing your woodcraft skills in the great outdoors. Scouting is a hobby where each individual can truly make a difference!
Scouting is for everyone
Everyone is welcome to join Guiding and Scouting! There is no age limit. The essence of Scouting is engaging in a diverse assortment of activities together with others and interacting with a wide variety of people. Where you come from is not important. All you need is a willingness to get involved.
The Guides and Scouts of Finland is the largest youth organization in the country with a whopping 65,000 members. In addition to smaller events, Guides and Scouts hold large-scale events and camps. They provide an opportunity to meet your peers from all over Finland and the world. There are 38 million Guides and Scouts in 200 countries worldwide!
Scouting is about doing things together
Guides and Scouts operate in local groups (”lippukunta” in Finnish), which are situated around the country. The local groups are communities of children, youths and adults that work together to plan and implement various kinds of Guiding and Scouting activities. The different age groups within the local groups usually meet once a week at their designated premises.
The children’s groups are led by adults, but in the youth groups, the leaders are only a few years older than the group members. The local group itself is led by an adult with the help of a number of willing youths and adults. Every group leader is trained for his or her tasks.
Volunteering for Guides and Scouts
Guiding and Scouting is not just for children and youth, it is an excellent hobby for adults. Scouting as an adult is volunteering, but for most it is more than a hobby - a lifestyle.
What can volunteers do in scouting?
- help in organizing camps and weekend trips to the woods
- help in leading groups or lead groups (eg. once a week/ once in two weeks 3 hours)
- help with the support functions such as running the organization, baking for the Christmas sale, cooking at the weekend trip, organizing activities for the leaders, participating in the community effort, help to develop the local group’s communication channels or websites etc.
- participate in big projects such as development projects or big camps
What do volunteers get from scouting?
- possibility to support young people in their personal growth either working with them directly or indirectly by working in the support functions
- bunch of new friends and a community
- new experiences and wilderness skills
- support to work in their own role from peers, trainings and courses
- possibility for self-development in the long run
How can I join?
You can either
If you have any questions about joining or scouting, feel free to contact us!
Photo: Juha Nurmi
