The YMCA Scouts – the Green Scouts started in Skive in 1922. The YMCA Scouts are affiliated with the Danish National Church and part of the purpose is to introduce members to the Christian message. The uniform is a green shirt with a red scarf.
The start and the first years
Skive Trop was started on April 11, 1922 on the initiative of painter Johannes Jepsen together with 6 young men who had a background in the YMCA’s UA. They had held their meetings at Rønn’s saddlery in Nørregade and now had the courage to become scouts.
The purpose was: Spreading the Kingdom of God among boys. Through K.F.U.M., under the influence of Christian men and by their example, the boys, in accordance with our Scout Law and Promise, are brought up to spiritual and
and physical health, and to true Christian manhood.
The first troop meeting was held on April 20 with 7 participants. Already after a year the troop ran into problems, the founder left and shortly after his successor left. 2 patrol leaders kept the troop alive until September 1923, when a new leader joined. By the summer of 1925, the troop was up to 20 members. Until 1930, it was difficult to have a permanent leader and to increase the number of members, but in 1931 the troop had 49 scouts, and a wolf pack of 11 boys from 9 to 12 years old could be started. The growth continued. In the 10th anniversary year 1932, there were 80 scouts, including 25 wolf cubs, the scouts had premises together with the rest of the YMCA on Nordbanevej and in 1932 the trophy hut in Jegstrup was inaugurated.
In 1934, the department was divided into 2 troops. In the 15th anniversary year, there were 120 YMCA scouts and 2 flags that were donated to the department were inaugurated.
In 1938, Skive and Nykøbing were separated from the 6th Jutland Division and formed a new division called the Vestlimfjord Division.
During the war, work continued. Patrol activities, summer camps and national camps were organized as best they could. The scouts trained for the readiness badge, participated in the Finland collection and took part in New Year parades together with the city’s other scout corps. The oldest scouts formed the Scouts’ Auxiliary Corps, which worked as telephone operators, orderlies, etc. during air alarms.
10. january 1944, the Germans seized the YMCA building on Nordbanevej and patrol meetings had to be held privately or in the YMCA’s premises.
After the war – Skivehus group
For the first many years, it was exclusively boys. It wasn’t until 1978 that girls joined. From 1990, a beaver pack was created for the very youngest from kindergarten age.
The group has been in several places. For many years on Holstebrovej, from 1979 to 2005 both on Holstebrovej and in Resen, and from 2005 in Resen, where there are good opportunities for outdoor activities.
In Resen, the scouts were first housed in “Scout Castle”, which was located next to Resen Daycare. In 2014, several of the outdoor activities were moved to Friluftshuset (Resen Multipark) and in 2016 the indoor activities were moved from Spejderborgen to “Hulen”, located in the Multihuset at Resen School. In 2020, the scouts were given the opportunity to do activities at the scout hut at Vindevej 48B.
Organization
Skivehus Group is a group in Vestlimfjord District under the YMCA Scouts in Denmark. In the Vestlimfjord district are also Bruddal (Højslev), Roslev, Spøttrup, Flyndersø, Balling, Jenle (Breum) and Hem groups and 2 groups on Mors.
YMCA Scouts in Denmark
Closely related to the Inner Mission, the Danish branch of the YMCA, the Christian Association for Young Men, was founded in 1878. It was this association’s general secretary, Gunnar Engberg, who brought Baden Powell’s book “Scouting for Boys” to Denmark in 1909. His enthusiasm was aroused by the book and he introduced the term “scouting” among his acquaintances. Soon there was a lively debate in the YMCA about the possibilities of starting a YMCA scout corps.
The following year in 1910, the YMCA Scouts in Denmark was founded in Copenhagen by mechanical inspector Jens Grane and quickly grew to become large and nationwide. Attempts to merge with the Danish Scout Corps and later FDF failed.
The YMCA follows Baden Powell’s organizational structure where 6-8 scouts form a patrol led by a slightly older scout. 4-5 patrols form a troop led by an adult, after which a certain number of troops form first a group and then a division, also led by adults. Together, all the country’s YMCA divisions make up the YMCA’s scout corps.
The YMCA Scouts’ Corps Camp has been held every five years at different locations in Denmark. The most recent corps camp was held at Skive in 2010.
Since 2012, the corps has participated in the Scouts’ Camp. The Scouts is an umbrella organization representing the five Danish scout corps; The Danish Scout Corps, YMCA Scouts, The Green Girl Scouts, Danish Baptist Scout Corps and Danish Scout Corps South Schleswig
Toldstrup – a well-known green scout from Skive.
In the anniversary book “25 green scout years” Jens Toldstrup (Anton I. Jensen) writes in 1947: After a year and a half as a soldier, I came to the city in the fall of 1937. Even though as a soldier you didn’t miss good comradeship, it was still like a new experience to put on the green uniform again and join the Scout comradeship.
My scouting time in Skive was something of an experiment. I tried to transplant the strict discipline that I had come to know in the army into the voluntary boys’ work, and I dare say that this attempt had a highly successful outcome – I discovered that boys have no desire to submit to the valence, laxity and lack of transfer of responsibility that characterizes and for many years has characterized society’s education of the Danish youth.
I believe this experience is the best thing I brought back from Skive, and if I were to express a wish in connection with the anniversary, it would be that the scouts who in the future will leave the department in Skive will be of the quality that puts duty and responsibility above personal discretion.
Toldstrup
Sources :
- 25 green scouting years in Skive 1922-1947. Published by the YMCA Scouts in Skive 1947
- Vær Beredt – features of the history of the YMCA scouts in Skive 1922 – 1947. Henrik Fibæk Jensen. Skivebogen 1987
- https://kfumspejderneskive.gruppesite.dk/