The Kandersteg Connection
Your International Scouting Experience is not complete without a visit to Kandersteg International Scout Centre, the Permanent Mini Jamboree, and dream of Lord Baden Powell!
Kandersteg [International Scout Centre] has been in Joshua Dick’s DNA since his youth and continues throughout his adult life. Read on to find out how this piece of international Scouting history has impacted his life.
Kandersteg International Scout Centre (KISC) is in Switzerland in a beautiful and breathtaking Alpine setting. The Boy Scouts of America has two councils outside of the United States, one of which is Transatlantic Council (TAC). As a youth, I lived 18 years and grew up in Heidelberg, Germany as part of TAC and visited KISC many times. I recall learning how to ski and earning skiing merit badge and also learning valuable Scouting skills at KISC. I also participated in many Klondike Derbies and Order of the Arrow (OA) Chapter events there and earned my Brotherhood in the OA.
As a current member of BSA’s International Committee, I serve as BSA’s representative to KISC and was elected to a four-year term to the KISC Committee which is comprised of 20 Scouters from different countries. KISC was founded in 1923 and the KISC Committee is actively planning for its centennial celebration which will occur in 2023.
KISC is open year-round and has visitors from many countries and continents. Activities include skiing, snowboarding, hiking, curling, sledding, snowshoeing, igloo building, team building challenges, water parks, games, geocaching, climbing courses, International evenings, and New Year’s and holiday celebrations just to name a few.
There was huge excitement and energy from the recent 24th World Scout Jamboree in the United States. If you were fortunate to attend or even if unable to attend and want to experience International Scouting daily and year-round in an international setting with Scouts from all over the world, then KISC is where you need to make plans to visit. Not only can you participate in over 200 different activities, but you can also stay directly onsite in the Chalet or other buildings and campsites that belong to KISC. TAC continues to visit KISC holding its annual Klondike Derby and Camp Alpine events there.
Visitors can attend KISC either as part of a stateside based troop, or as an individual or as a family looking for somewhere to stay at a place that has a constant Scouting theme. For those interested in working on staff at KISC, also known as Pinkies, there are opportunities to volunteer and serve for three-month terms.
More information about KISC can be found at www.kisc.ch. Additionally, Because I serve as TAC’s International Representative, for additional insights on KISC feel free to reach out to me directly at senatorjsd@aol.com.
