insignes

Section badges

Section badges were officially introduced in 1973 after the merge of the four Scouts associations to Scouting Nederland although there were earlier signs of certain sections.

After 1920, when a new section started at the “Vereeniging de Nederlandsche Padvinders” (cub scouts, age 7 to 11), the scouts had a metal French lily on the front of the hat.
	The cub scouts, who are playing in the jungle, got a felt wolves head above the flap of the cap.
The Rover scouts (aged 18 till 21 – “Voortrekkers” as they were called in Holland), which started shortly after, had a metal badge on their hat with the letters V-T.
Cubs at a sea scouts group wore the same uniform as land scouts, so also a wolves head on their cap.
		The sea scouts had a dark blue ribbon around their cap (called “tok” in Dutch) with “ZEEVERKENNER” (“sea scout”) on it in golden letters. The “loodsen” (as Rover scouts were called in sea scout groups) had “LOODS” on it in golden letters. The Catholic Scouts used the same ribbons.

The Nederlands Padvindsters Gilde (Dutch Guides Association) didn’t have separate badges for all sections. You could recognize the section from the initiation-badge, besides the uniform:


*Brownies*		*Girl Scouts*		*Pioneers*

The only way to see the difference in sections at the Nederlandse Gidsen (Dutch Girl Guides) was the initiation-badge.

*Brownies*		*Girl Guides*		*Pioneers*

Before 1959	After 1959	Before 1959	After 1959

After the merge there was a sign for every section. This section badge is worn on the left breast pocket on the uniform blouse.


*Brownies*	*Cub scouts*	*Girl Scouts/* *Girl Guides*	*Scouts*	*Sea Scouts*


*Air Scouts*		*Venture Scouts*		*Rover Scouts/* *Pioneers*

Beavers

In 1985 a new section started, for both boys and girls in the age from 5 till 7 years, the “beavers”. They play their scouting programs in a house called “Hotsjitonia”.

Nowadays many groups have mixed sections with both boys and girls in it. For this reason Scouting Nederland started in 1991 with a mixed section for boys and girls in the age of 7 till 10 years, called the Esta’s.

For the same reason the girl scouts, girl guides and boy scouts became “Scouts” and the Venture Scouts became “Explorers”. The Rover Scouts and Pioneers were called “Jongerentak”.

Esta’s

Scouts

Dolphins

For boys and girls in the age from 7 till 10 years at land groups there were brownies, cubs and esta’s, but for the boys and girls at sea scout groups in the same age there wasn’t a specific section. Since 2001 the “dolphins” are the fourth section for this age.

In 2004 the V.V.S. (Vrienden van Scouting, Fellowship of former Scouts and Guides) became a member of Scouting Nederland. A new section was formed, called the Plus Scouts. Rover Scout units with specific interests and Scouts aged 22 and up are also a part of this section.

Plus-scouts

Scouting Nederland has modernised the scouting program in 2010. The sections for Brownies, Esta’s and Dolphins were cancelled. All scouts in the age from 7 till 10 years are called Cub scouts now. The remaining sections are using new badges.



*Beavers*	*Cub scouts*	*Scouts*	*Explorers*	*Roverscouts*
(5 – 7 years)	(7 – 10 years)	(10 – 14 years)	(14 – 17 years)	(17 – 21 years)

The museum is always interested in "old" Dutch scouting stuff.
Are you considering removing your old stuff, please contact us.