Nordlichter In English

Hey there!

We are the Pfadfinder & Pfadfinderinnenbund (PB) Nordlicht, a self-led and self-organized scout group for young people. At the moment we number about 250 people spread over several locations in Hamburg as well as in Uetersen, Rellingen, and Lüneburg. We are a non-profit organization, independent of all religious or political groups and registered by the state as a provider of youth welfare services.

How our groups work

• When children start scouting with us, they mainly spend time with their small group. Pretty much everything we do, from weekly meet-ups to week-long trips, we do as a group.
• Groups usually consist of one leader and 5 to 9 members who get to grow up together over the years, share all scout experiences and develop strong bonds.
• When a new group ist founded, the leader is normally around the age of 15 and members are between 8 and 10 years old. This small age gap allows them to be close and understanding.

What our groups do

• Weekly meet-ups where we play games, do crafts, learn about nature, and do whatever we feel like doing.
• Weekend trips, sometimes just with our own group, sometimes with hundreds of other scouts, to different places around Hamburg. We sleep in tents, explore the woods, make friends, and just have fun together.
• Summer trips of 2 to 3 weeks where we explore other European countries. We hike, canoe, or cycle; we sleep in our tents or under the stars, cook on a fire, and have the adventures of a lifetime. This is the highlight of every year.

Does this sound like something you would like to try? Maybe you're about nine years old and want to join a new group, or you're a teenager and looking for a fun scout experience? Or maybe there is a child in your life who would like to try scouting? Either way, feel free to contact us (contact form) or write an e-mail to protectagainstspam_info@pbnl.de.(please remove "protectagainstspam_")

Why we do it

We want to give everyone the space to develop individually and the freedom to take responsibility for themselves and others, in big and small ways. Through our meet-ups and trips, we learn to be there for one another, share both fun and difficult times, and grow and learn together as a community. We aim for democracy and participation both in society and on all levels of our organization and respect every member as an equal.

If you would like to read more (in German) about how we work and why, here's our Bundesordnung & Satzung.

Lakritz tells her scout story

I joined the PB Nordlicht when I was ten years old. My group and I met up every week to play and have fun, and several times a year, we would pack our backpacks and go on weekend trips. Sometimes it was just my group, sometimes it was all the Nordlichter, and sometimes we would even meet scouts from different organizations! However many people there were, it was always great fun. My first weekend trip wasn't only super exciting because everything was new for me, but also because I got my scouts' name: Lakritz.

On my first summer trip we went hiking in Slovenia for three weeks! That was a great experience and I'll never forget the day we asked an old woman for water and she gave us lots of chocolate and juice. Since then I've been to Austria, Poland, Montenegro, Denmark and Slovakia and each trip was absolutely unique.

Inbetween the weekend and summer trips I had a great time playing many different games at our weekly meet-ups. It was always one of my favourite parts of the week to see my scout friends.

As I turned 14 I decided that I wanted to give other children the same opportunity that I had. So I started a group myself. Now the girls are about to start their own groups and I am pretty excited for the future!

I hope you can have as great a time with the Nordlichter as I did!