Coed and Respect in Germany

In a personal mail Norman said:
< ... Curious also on two other points ...
Now, I *did* read that answers to personal mails shouldn't be made on the
list, but as Norman said he worked with Dutch Scouts for six years and has
been often to Germany at this time, I guess he knows the answers anyway and
as there's been a lot of discussion about Coeducation and Respect recently,
there might be the one or other in the list interested in it.

I started as Cub-scout in a mixed group, there were singlesexed sixes and
patrols, which worked very close together and as a child I never saw a
problem in that. Now I am leader in a group were even the sixes and
patrols are mixed. And there is only one single problem: the girls are
not as keen in cycling as the boys are. And I can very well cope with that.
There are some girls- or boys-only groups in Germany, but in my humble
opinion they are a small minority.

The next point was Respect and use of "Mr. Soandso". You probably know that
the German language has two forms of "you"; there is a polite form which
always goes with the Mrs. or Mr. X and which children have to use when
aproaching adults except their parents and relatives. Then there is the
familiar form going with the first name, which is used between children,
close friends and relatives. As all scouts are brothers, there is no
question that the familiar you and first name is used among them. New
members find it strange at the begining that they are allowed to call an
adult by his first or scout name, but they very soon get used to it and you
will never hear an Mrs. or Mr. at a German scout camp. The youngest cub
will adress the chief scout as Manfred or Wolf. Whether that adds to the
childrens respect for a leader or not, I don't know. But it definitly gives
a feeling of belonging together. Respect has to be earned by the leaders
behaviour and example!
I'd like to know whether the one or other is interested in getting to know
more about scouting on this side of the big lake. I will apreciate
suggestions.

Gut Pfad! YIS Rabe

It's all my opinion and don't tell my boss that I said it!

• Messages sorted by: [ date ][ thread ][ subject ][ author ]
• Next message
• Previous message