«We are entering the second century of KISC» Javier Panigua Petisco, the director of Kandersteg International Scout Center (KISC), affectionately known as «Pani» and his team of over 50 international volunteers, are officially opening the largest season in KISC’s history.

Pani’s deep roots in Scouting make him exceptionally suited for this challenge. His journey with KISC began as shortterm staff in the summer of 2015, followed by two stints with the Spanish Work Party, and various long-term roles at the World Scout Centre from 2017 to 2019. Beyond Kandersteg, he also served as Operational Director at Úlfljótsvatn, Iceland’s National Scout Centre.

KISC, founded by Lord Baden-Powell on August 1st, 1923, celebrated its centenary in 2023. Now, as it steps into its next hundred years, Pani is certain that even this year will be a period of significant formation for the Centre. When asked what he would view as the essence of the KISC genetics at present, he thoughtfully replied that while upholding all Scouting values, intercultural encounters belong to the most fundamental characteristics of KISC at present. To highlight these personal, human encounters, this article will picture the !rst impressions of freshly arrived and trained staff members from around the world at precisely the moment and day they meet their first «guests» and fellow-Scouts from different regions of the world.

Five Perspectives
How then would «Scouts view other Scouts»? This underlying question was asked, interviewing five staff members from very different backgrounds, as well as kind of exemplary newly arrived guests. Who would they perceive one another when they first meet in Kandersteg? And the place itself, what does it contribute to and how would it «colour» these initial encounters? The overview starts in the Far East.

Minori from Japan
It was Minori’s dream to spend some time in Kandersteg as part of the KISC staff team ever since she was a girl. And in spite of many setbacks over the last years, she finally made it to the Alpine village having waited and hoped for a positive answer from her Scout Organization for seven long years.

Minori’s perspective of her role and contribution to this year’s KISC involvement is one of servicing other Scouts while they are present. As she works in preparing and delivering food mainly in the kitchen and the dining room, her encounters with the KISC guests are fre- quent but usually not too intense, as far as language is concerned.

That turns out to be different though when she works in the shop. Then and there she realizes a certain language and even cultural barrier, as far as body language is concerned: Her own culture in Japan tends to be cautious and polite with a tendency to distance, whereas youth from other parts of the world are more outspoken and even quite physical in their expressions. Some of her colleagues realized those underlying reservations and helped Minori in a warmhearted way to find means and ways of expressions adequate to her and the KISC guests alike. Within the team Minori is much appreciated, and she is renowned for her friendliness and helpful attitude. And even just a few weeks in Kandersteg she asserts that being at KISC will «ever be» one of the most formative phases of her whole life.

Lau from Argentina
Lau from Argentina is a language talent. Not in the sense that she would know «all sorts of languages», but she knows what «language» is all about. And she is very well able to not only express herself, but to discuss matters at a high level. Her native language is Spanish but her English – being trained in the USA for a longer period – is utterly proficient.

And when asked how she would see the obvious challenges that appear when dozens of nations – like in KISC – come together for a longer time she points to classic qualities of communication as they had been laid out even centuries ago. Qualities like clarity and veracity, for example. And – as the experienced communicator she is – she ads what could be called the principle of explicitness, in other words it is the ability to expressly say what is at stake in a particular situation. It is only consequent that her job at KISC has to do with communicating with guests at the campsite.

She admits though, that this is particularly easy for her, as she is Argentinian: a culture she herself called «loud and fun-oriented». The clash of cultures she might possibly experience at KISC is certainly rare and at times it might be even delicate, for example when she meets someone from a quieter culture.

To sum it up: Lau is well prepared to meet the thousands of Scouts that will be coming to KISC this summer of 25. And she very much looks forward to it!

Collins from Kenya
The remarkable thing about Collins is his own description of his jobs on the KISC campsite and his contributions to housekeeping: He «explains» necessities, «introduces» to helpful techniques and resources and «instructs» incoming guests about what to do next and where to find what.

The key: Collins is a teacher. And a very friendly and polite one. Asked what his relation to Kandersteg originally was and how it had developed over the last weeks, he surprises with simple but convincing answers: It is nature, he says. He feels «at home», primarily because «the forest are very much alike». Only the animals are a little different in his perspective. And whereas he would know goats well from Africa, the Swiss cows seem to be quite different in his apprehension of them: more distant, less «communicative» and – well – slower.

His first experience with people in the Kandersteg mountains though had been with a group of quite exuberant Italian Scouts from Milan, a mentality he liked very much. And a flicker of sadness overshadowed his look when he asserted, they had left already. One may predict, even in Collins case, that this summer of 2025 will in some way change his life.

Ben from Canada
Meeting Ben («Benjamin») from Canada was different from the rest of the «Pinkies» in a particular sense: Not only does he is part of the «long term staff» (longer than 3 months), which is still a volunteering role with some more responsibilities.

His main job is at the reception. To foster this engagement, it is only an advantage that he studied French as a second language at university. But when leaving KISC at the end of the year, he will commence economic studies at a Canadian university. Ben clearly analyzed that he works at the very center of KISC operations and communications, much like the brain would coordinate our body. An example: An incoming reservation of a Scout group might contain a whole array of things: campsite space, tent rental, pre-booking of excursions, special meal services etc. The reception puts everyone through to the relevant people «inside of KISC» thus ensuring the execution and quality of the services offered at KISC.

Again, to predict: Ben – a «pillar» of the KISC reception – a front office face, impacting guests and visitors of the World Scout Centre.

Steph from the UK
Steph is an outburst. Full of laughter, full of remarks and a constant source of fresh ideas. Being on the verge of entering university with a degree in geography in mind, her contribution to KISC is fresh, knowledgeable – and highly communicative.

Steph works in housekeeping and at the campsite, and she seems thoroughly prepared to meet and lead, if needs be, those who freshly arrive as guests and need orientation or help. In quite a literal sense, Steph is an interface, the face to translate from one group to another. As she is English, she is language wise not challenged at all by the center’s main language (English). Curious as she seems to be, she is just about to learn other languages, like those of Scandinavia. And even confronted with first Chinese words, she picks them up readily and easily.
For Steph there seems to be no cultural or language barrier, rather the opposite is true: she is the one to build bridges in-between cultures. And one does not have to have prophetic abilities to tell that her stay at KISC – though a rather short three months – will change her. Maybe for a lifetime.

New Arrivals: Some Observations

Barbara and Diogo
Barbara and Diogo had only arrived the day before when they were in for their first interview. Asked what had impressed them most, a few hours after their arrival, the two of them asserted strongly that the warm welcome was overwhelming.

They are both part of a Portuguese Scout group of nine originally catholic Scouts. I asked whether their experience so far have impacted their attitude and views, they had a rapid answer: «yes», they replied. «When we are here, we do not see particular nations, we see everybody as kind of a family … brothers and sisters even».

«And we are having fun», Barbara adds. In total, the formation of the socalled «Pinkies» at KISC does not only seem to work but obviously proves to have tangible results: a mutual responsibility and almost «contagious» awareness is created.

And the «imprint», the formation on the next 99 years of Scouting in Kander- steg does seem to keep on shaping future leaders of the world.

MARTIN NATTERER

An Exciting Mission – and More Than Just an Attraction

The «Spiez Train» is a product of STS Fun Train company and has long been more than just a children’s attraction in Spiez. It’s a fixture in the tourist offerings for both locals and visitors. This iconic vehicle delights families with children as well as people of all ages.

The facts speak for themselves
For 200 days a year, around 17 volunteers – many of them retired – keep the Spiez Train in operation. In addition to scheduled trips from the train station through the picturesque town to Spiez Bay, which carry up to 13 500 guests in peak years, around 80 individual special trips are organized each season for weddings, birthdays, wine culture or aperitif trips, or similar events.

Daily, regular scheduled trips cover a distance of approximately 27 km and 350 meters of elevation gain. The special trips follow a dedicated route that can cover a large part of Spiez’s exten- sive municipal area. Automated announcements explain the attractions and history of the picturesque bay on Lake Thun in German and English.

An anniversary in sight
The blue and white vehicle was first used on the streets of Spiez on July 1, 1996. It requires a special permit that allows it to travel with three trailers and passengers.

The «wägeli» (wagons) of the unusual train are now 30 years old and will be replaced in 2026. The tractor is only 15 years old and will be equipped with an automatic transmission for the anniversary year. This will simplify the driver’s work and reduce the high clutch wear.

The train crew works with enormous passion and joy on the train. Most of them are retired and know the town, the country, and its people very well. Some of the particularly technically savvy drivers are proud of the «machine.» They readily reveal that the train’s Nissan engine is a 4 cylinder 3-liter diesel with 160 hp. Everything gives the impression that they are enthusiastic about the task of operating the «train.» And very often, this enthusiasm rubs off on the passengers.

MARTIN NATTERER