At mova, there will be participants from Switzerland and nine other countries, namely the U.S., the UK, Italy, Belgium, Serbia, Poland, Czechia, Finland, and Sweden. On top of that, there are Rovers from all around the world. To make their integration process smoother, we have asked our social media followers: what should international scouts and guides get ready for, so as not to get too shocked at mova? We received some curious answers.
According to the answers, we, the Swiss scouts, like to play games with funny names, such as Bibedibibedipap, Rüeblizupfe, Gourdeball and Spacabrasc. We already have four national languages, so it will not be too much of a problem if there will be a few more at mova.
The Swiss scouts love to cook bread and raclette cheese on the fire, eat a lot of fondue and have the best chocolate in the world (preferably inside a fire-cooked banana).
The scout s and guides culture of Switzerland has several unique features. Everybody wears a uniform and a scarf – so far, so good. We call each other not by our first names, but by our scout names (totems). And to be given a scout name is not always a pleasant experience. If you hear strange noises at night, it might well be that somebody is being tortured – sorry – baptized.
During the day we sometimes make strange noises. Each group has its own group call, and the goal is of course to shout it louder than everybody else. Funnily enough, instead of thanking God or anyone else before our meals some scouts and guides thank a certain Mama Mutschi.
One should not forget warm and rainproof clothing. Thunderstorms, occasional snowfall and mud belong to a Swiss summer camp as much as deet.
You can look forward to many new friendships, camaraderie, an incredible atmosphere and, of course, the 1st of August. But you should also get ready for a lot of curious faces that want to know more about you. It would be great if you learned the Swiss anthem by heart, so that at least somebody will be able to sing it.
We cannot wait to hear more about the curiosities of your scouting culture! See you in Goms valley!