General
An esta-unit is called an Estar and consists of 22-30
boys and girls and 5 or 6 leaders.
Theme
As mentioned on the previous page, the story on which
the Esta's is called "The Child with the Long Hat" and
was written especially for Scouting Nederland (the national
Dutch Scouting Association). The story follows three children,
Hilde-Rosemarijn, Deng and Jeroen who want
to have an adventure and therefore stay up after 12 o'clock.
They hope, because there is a legend in their town about a Child
with a long hat that visits the children that are still awake
so late, that there wish will come true. And indeed the child
comes and they are taken by the Child to a special house. There
they can chose from different clothes, and what they to chose
to wear they'll become. Hilde-Rosemarijn choses a long
dress and a crown and becomes the queen of the Land of Esta, Jeroen
becomes a pirate and Deng becomes head chef. After a long
adventure they find each other back and on a pirate ship they
sail back to their home town.
Activities
Most activities from an Estar take place in the land
of Esta. How these adventures start, differs between units. Most
start on the stage in the mysterious house. Because of the specific
rule that "what you wear, you will become" every activity
is indirectly embedded into the theme.
Esta-activities do not differ from the activities of welpen
or kabouter-units: the basic scouting techniques (hiking,
first aid) are covered and the units like to play games. When
on camp, usually a theme not connected to the Land of Esta is
used.