Scoutinggroups are usually split up in several agegroups. In
most agegroups there are three types of units a scoutinggroup
can have: one for boys, one for girls and one mixed unit. These
units are in Dutch normally referred to as speltakken. On
this page will describe how agegroups in the Netherlands are build
up most of the time. There are always exceptions to these rules,
like mixed welpen-groups or bever-groups only for
boys.
The youngest agegroup is called bevers (beaverscouts).
Bevers are usually between 4 and 7 years old and are mixed.
They play in a fantasy-house called Hotsjitonia (no translation
possible) in which every room is different and even the animals
can talk. Leaders take the names of one of the inhabitants of
the house, the head-leader is often called Lange Doener,
which is the name of the owner of the house.
Click here to find examples of programs
for bevers (beaverscouts).
The welpen (cubscouts) is the group for boys between
7 and 11 years. They play in "the jungle", with the
characters from Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Books. Leaders of a welpen-speltak
(cubscout-unit) take the name of one of these characters. Often
the head-leader is called Akela, like the leader of the wolfpack
in the book.
Click here to find examples of programs
for welpen (cubscouts).
Kabouters are girls between 7 and 11 years and can therefore
be compared with the brownies. There programs take place in a
fantasyland called Bambilië. Bambilië
has many different villages and cities, each with it's own special
attributes. Leaders of a kabouter-speltak (brownies-unit)
take a name that is adapted from the names of one of the towns
in Bambilië.
Click here to find examples of programs
for kabouters (brownies).
Esta's (not translatible) are the mixed unit for children
between 7 and 11 years. They are a relatively new unit, and there
programs are based upon a book written by Simone Schnell in 1991:
"Het kind met de Hoge Hoed" (the child with the
High Hat). This child lets people chose magical clothes on a stage
and whatever these people chose to wear they become (like a princess
or a pirate) in an adventure that takes place in the Land of Esta.
Names for leaders of these groups always start with an 'e' and
use the real name of the leader as foundation.
Click here to find examples of programs for
esta's.
The next agegroup is that between 11 and 14 years. This agegroup
does not have a story as the basis of their programs, Mixed units
are referred to as Scouts, girl-units are called Padvindsters
(guides) and boy-units Verkenners (boyscouts).
Click here to find out more about this agegroup
and it's activities.
If you're between 14 and 17 years old, you're called an explorer
(if you're in a mixed unit), a sherpa (if you're in
a girl-unit) or a rowan (if you're in a boy-unit). These
units used to have an abbrevation and their registration number
as their name. For instance: RA 335, which means Rowan Afdeling
(rowan unit) number 335. Some units still use these names,
others use their groupname.
Click here to find out more about this
agegroup and it's activities.
From 18 and up, you can join a stam. These are almost
always mixed groups, or they should be ;-). Often members
of these units are leaders of one of the younger units. A stam
sometimes has an advisor, and hardly ever a leader.
Click here to find out more about this agegroup
and it's activities.