Baptist Scouting

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Signet of the Baptist Scouting Society

The Baptist Scout Association (BPS) is a German Christian scout association .

According to its own information, around 1,750 people are organized in 52 tribes in the BPS . The BPS is part of the community youth work of the Federation of Evangelical Free Churches in Germany Kdö.R. and until April 2009 was also the scout work of the Association of Free Protestant Congregations in Germany Kdö.R. The community youth organization (GJW) is a recognized sponsor of free youth care.

Scout work with the Baptist Scouting Society

The BPS is committed to the principles of the scout movement, which was founded by Robert Baden-Powell . As a Christian scouting body, the work is based on the Christian missionary mandate , with the faith in Jesus Christ conveyed through the Bible .

The BPS program distinguishes between six age groups:

  • Beaver (5-7 years)
  • Wolves (7-10 years)
  • Young scout (also: Jupfis; 10–13 years)
  • Boy Scout (13-17 years)
  • Rover (17-25 years)
  • Elderhood (also: old scout; from 25 years), takes on responsibility beyond the boy scout age.

The second to fourth age levels represent the actual core structure. Like many Protestant scout associations in Germany, the BPS knows the cross scout work as a special form of adult work.

history

In 1986, the founders of today's BPS oriented themselves conceptually to the scouting traditions of the Christian Scouting Society . At that time they were not aware that there had been a Baptist Scouting Association (BP) initiated by the Gelsenkirchen Baptist preacher Karl August Hahne in 1932 , which had its roots partly in the Baptist Youth Association , but also in the work of the Christian Association of Young People . After strong growth, the boy scouts dissolved their association in 1934 in order to prevent the "cooperative integration", that is, the transfer of the boy scout groups to the Hitler Youth as ordered by Reich law . The work continued in secret until the outbreak of war in 1939.

From 1948 onwards, Baptist scout groups were formed again in various places, which joined together in 1958 to form the Ring Association of Free Church Scouts (RFP) within the Christian Scouting Association. During this time the RFP participated in many international camps in Europe. At the same time, a so-called "young man's work" was set up from 1953 by the community youth organization. Efforts from outside to integrate the boy scouts into this young man's work led to the fragmentation from 1962 and finally to the dissolution of the ring community at the end of the 1960s. It was not until 1986 that the union was re-established as the "Baptist Scouting Society" (BPS).

The Baptist Scouting Society in its current form emerged in February 1986 from a joint decision by the child labor ( Jungschar ) of the Reutlingen community - known at the time as the journey group - and the Jungschar in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen . Since the members wanted to stay together even beyond the youthful age (between 6 and 14 years), they initially limited the scouting work to the age of 14 and over. Soon after, they expanded the program to include younger ages.

Since May 1995 the Baptist Scouting Society has been a member of the community youth work of the Federation of Evangelical Free Churches in Germany Kdö.R. represented. In 1999 there were first contacts with the Federation of Free Evangelical Churches (FeG). Just one year later, the Baptist Scouting Union became the official scouting work of the FeG. On March 12, 2004, the BPS became a department of the community youth service. In 2008 the FeG decided to set up an independent scout work, separate from the BPS; The groups should be separated by April 2009, whereby the groups working in the municipalities belonging to the FeG were free to decide whether they should remain in the BPS or join the new boy scout work of the FeG. With the founding ceremony of the Scouting of the Free Evangelical Congregations (PdF) over Pentecost 2009, the cooperation with the Baptist Scouting, concluded in 2000, came to an end.

Promises & Laws

beaver

Beaver Law and Promise

The beaver stands by his friends and helps as best he can.

Wolves

Wölflingsgesetz

  1. The wolf follows the experienced wolf.
  2. The wolf lends a hand.

Wölflings Promise

I want to listen to God's word and live by it. I want to help anytime and do my best. I want to obey the Wölfling Law.

Young scouts

Young Scout Law

  1. The boy scout speaks the truth.
  2. The boy scout is loyal.
  3. The boy scout is helpful.
  4. The boy scout is polite.
  5. The boy scout is obedient.
  6. The young scout is frugal.
  7. The young scout protects plants and animals.

Young Scout Promise

I want to listen to God's word and live by it. I want to help anytime and do my best. I want to obey the Young Boy Scout Law.

Boy Scouts, Rover and Parenthood

Boy Scout Law

  1. The Boy Scout speaks the truth.
  2. The boy scout is loyal.
  3. The boy scout is helpful.
  4. The Boy Scout is kind to all people.
  5. The Boy Scout is polite and courteous.
  6. The scout protects plants and animals.
  7. The boy scout is obedient.
  8. The boy scout does not avoid difficulties.
  9. The boy scout is frugal.
  10. The Boy Scout keeps himself pure in thoughts, words and deeds.

Boy Scout Promise

Trusting in God, I promise: I want to listen to God's word and orient my life accordingly.

I want to help my fellow human beings at all times and act responsibly in the community in which I live. I want to obey the Boy Scout Law.

Association structure

The Baptist Scouting Society is a member of the Forum for Christian Scouts (FCP).

Organizationally, BPS Germany is divided into five regions: Coast, North, Central, South-West, South-East.

International contacts

International contacts exist primarily with the Baptist scout associations in Scandinavia . Even if there was no Baptist scouting work in Germany between 1962 and 1986, it did exist in other European countries such as Denmark , Norway , Sweden and Finland . In 1987, one year after its re-establishment, the BPS experienced its first international tent camp at the "Nordisk Baptistspeiderleir" (Nordic / Scandinavian camp of Baptist scouts) on the island of Tromøy in Norway. In the period that followed, other joint camps took place in Germany and Scandinavia.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Founding ceremony of the Scouting Association of the Free Evangelical Congregations, accessed on May 15, 2013