Welcome!

On this English part of the site the 120 members of the OPV-Schoonoord want to welcome both the British as well as the international public on their site.

Please note that all the links in the left frame will take you to the Dutch parts of this site. Translating them and keeping them up to date is a lot of work. So we have made a summary on this page.

History

At the end of the nineteen twenties two scout groups where founded in the village of Oosterbeek, near Arnhem. One for Boys in september 1926, and one for Girls in the spring of 1927. At the end of World War II both groups resumed their activities and a third catholic group, the "Bernulphus" was founded.

From 1994 both the boys (OPV) and the girls (Schoonoord) formed one group the OPV-Schoonoord. Right now, our group has nearly 120 members.

Sections

*) Once you're a Rover you can become leader of one of the other sections. Leaders wear de same color uniform as the younger members of their section.

Activities

Most of the activities take place during the section-meetings on friday or saturday at one of our buildings. The boys are located at "Trappershorst", the girls at "de Beukelaar", the Bevers and the Rovers at "Trappershof". The youngest sections mostly plotter or play games outside in the woods, the older sections are doing real scouting things like hiking and pioniering.

A couple of times a year there are weekends. At the end of the season the sections will go on camp during 5 day's somewhere in the Netherlands. Once in the four years our Boy-Scouts & Girl-Guides visit an international camp in England. That's why all our members have at least been once to England. You'll read more about it in the "international"-paragraph...

The Rovers organize a two-day hike in the Ardennes, "Ardennen Oriëntatie Tocht" (AOT). About hundred Scouts 18+ from all over Holland will come at Whitsuntide to the Ardennes, to walk this hike using their own compass and a map that we have manipulated.

We're also selling drinks and saucages during the "Airborne Wandeltocht". This walking tour is a memorial to what has happend near Oosterbeek and Arnhem at the end of WO II. Many Scouts participate in the hike. A part of the proceedings goes to charity.

Headquarters

The OPV-Schoonoord group is the lucky owner of three buildings in the forests around Oosterbeek.

• "De Beukelaar" was the headquarters of the formal Schoonoord group. It was founded in 1952, and extended in 1976 / 1977 because of the 50 year jubilee. In September 1995 it was set on fire by some guys. There was not much left of the building, but in september 1996 the reconstruction was completed. It's a modern building with all the features needed for a pleasant stay.
• "Trappershorst" was the main headquarters of the formal OPV. It was founded in 1957 and modernized in the spring of 2000. A severe fire demolished almost half the building in 2008. Recontruction took exactly one year. The picture shown above was taken just after reconstruction was completed.
• "Trappershof" was the second headquarters of the formal OPV. It was founded in 1976, when a second cubs-troop was needed because of the number of members. Now a day's it's used by the Rovers and the Beavers. In januari 1998 the west part of the building damaged because of a fire. After a few months work the complete building could be used again and the reopening followed in September.

In the neighbourhood there are a lot of things to do, from shopping in Oosterbeek to visiting the zoo in Arnhem or from visiting the Airborne Museum to the National Park "de Hooge Veluwe". So many other scoutsgroups stay in our buildings during their summer-camps. If you're interested you may send us an e-mail.

International

Visiting an international Scouts camp is a great experience. That's why our goup gives every member the chance to visit an international camp once by going to England once in the four years.

Until now the Boy-Scouts have visited:

• 1979 - Martlet 79 (England)
• 1983 - Sherwood 83 (England)
• 1987 - Friendship Cleveland (England)
• 1991 - Charnwood 91 (England)
• 1994 - Chamboree 94 (England)
• 1998 - Sherwood 98 (England)
• 2002 - Cumbaree 2002 (England)
• 2006 - Nailer06 (England)
• 2010 - Red Rose (England)

And the Girl-Guides:

• 1977 - Buckmorepark Chatham (England)
• 1981 - Adelboden (Switzerland)
• 1987 - Friendship Cleveland (England)
• 1998 - Sherwood 98 (England)
• 2002 - Chamboree 2002 (England)
• 2006 - Norjam 2006 (England)
• 2010 - Red Rose (England)

Both our Girl-guides and Boy-scouts will visit an international scouts camp in England in 2010 again. Perhaps that's where we'll meet again!