The Studentenstam De Delftsche Zwervers (Delft Rovers Student crew) is a student society in Delft, The Netherlands. It meets weekly on Thursday evening, in the rearmost tower of the monumental Kruithuis, a former gunpowder ammunition dump designed in 1660 by Pieter Post. The members are from Delft University of Technology and other higher education institutions.
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History
On 1920-10-11 the Delftsche Zwervers were founded as a Rover crew for students. The society succeeded the (Delftsche) Studentenclub voor Oud-Padvinders, (Delft Student club for former Scouts) which had been formed on 1915-11-08. Until the end of the sixties the society was deeply rooted in Scouting, but always critical of the national Scouting organisation. Later the group developed to a student society, albeit still a member of Scouting Nederland. Taking the founding date as that of (Delftsche) Studentenclub voor Oud-Padvinders in 1915, the Delftsche Zwervers is the oldest student Scouting Group in the world. This title has also been claimed by the Oxford University Scout and Guide Group, which was founded in 1919 and is certainly the oldest student Scouting Group in the United Kingdom.
Activities
From time to time, each member organises an evening programme. As a result, the activities are very diverse: soldering with LEDs, playing with old computers, role-playing games, painting, sculpting in cellular concrete, pioneering, canoeing, etc. Members frequently go outdoors, for example camping and doing odd jobs on the Scouting campsite Gilwell Ada's hoeve or in the winter hiking in the Ardennes.
Camps for children
One recurring activity is the organisation of the annual camps for children on the Scouting campsite Gilwell Ada's hoeve in Ommen, The Netherlands. Since their establishment, the Delftsche Zwervers have aimed to contribute to society by organising activities for children in hardship situations. Beginning in 1922, members went camping with children from the Martha Stichting children's home in Alphen aan den Rijn and later with other groups like refugee children from East Germany. However, presently members organise and lead school camps for children in special education from The Hague. These camps are two weeks long. Each week a group of approximately 28 children and approximately 14 leaders. The children are divided into groups of three to four, a "tent". For each tent is one leader directly responsible. The other leaders are two cooks, one "manus" (handyperson) responsible for the equipment, two leaders responsible for the games, one to two leaders as backup and one leader to keep order.
References
See also
| Scouting Portal |
- Delftsche Zwervers is at coordinates Coordinates:
