100 years of Lëtzebuerger Guiden a Scouten: A celebration of community!

100 years of Lëtzebuerger Guiden a Scouten: A celebration of community!

Today the “Lëtzebuerger Guiden a Scouten” in Petingen celebrates its 100th anniversary. The celebrations are an important milestone for the largest scout association in Luxembourg, which today has around 5,000 members, including around 60 to 70 active members in the local section and a large number of groups across the country. These anniversary celebrations include a “séance académique” and an honorary wine event, followed by games and animation in the park of Pétange.

The “Lëtzebuerger Guiden a Scouten”, originally emerging from a Catholic environment, has developed over the years into a co-educational organization that welcomes both boys and girls and remains connected to Christian values. Group leader Claire Dording, who has been active in scouting since she was eight, has led the group in Petingen since 2016. During school time, the children meet once a week, on Saturdays from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., to take part in various activities such as games, crafts and social projects.

An eventful story

The origins of the Petinger Scouts go back to 1925, when they were founded as part of the “Jünglingsverein”. The first “section master” was Maurice Gillain, and they were assisted by chaplain Lucien Schaak. During the period between the world wars, the Scouts took an active part in social events, such as the celebrations of the 100th anniversary of Luxembourg's independence in 1939. The club experienced tragic turns during the Nazi occupation when it was forced to disband. Many members joined the Resistance.

After the war, the Scouts experienced an upswing and the number of members stabilized between 60 and 100. In 1945 the Guiden section “Ste Cecile” was founded, and the work was long separated between boys' and girls' groups. An important merger took place in 1991 at the "Chefdach", which was completed in 1994, and since then the group has been called "St. Francis of Assisi". There were extensive discussions about the role of the church and the direction of the association, with the religious component becoming less important, but the social idea remaining central.

Current activities and engagement

Today, the Lëtzebuerger Guiden a Scouten are not only involved in leisure activities, such as monthly games or special events such as group camping in Mersch, but also through charitable projects. They carry out monthly waste paper collections in which around 30 to 35 tonnes are collected. In this way they show their commitment to the environment and promote the community spirit among the members.

Throughout the early years of its history, the Scout movement has focused on supporting young people through practical experiences in nature. The organization is a member of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts and the World Organization of the Scout Movement, which makes it internationally networked and aligned with the global loyalties of the Scout Movement.

The future of the Lëtzebuerger Guiden a Scouten looks promising. With a clear framework for children and young people of different ages, divided into age groups from 6 to 23 years, the association remains an important part of social life in Luxembourg, which impresses with continuous development and socially committed projects.