In English

This page contains basic information about our scout troop, how to join and important things members/guardians should know.

About us!

Scouting is a fun hobby full of great activities, useful skills and lifelong friendships.

Auran Tähti Pojat is a Boy Scout Troop with a focus on nautical activities. The troop was founded in 1917 and has offered quality activities for over a 100 years both on land and sea. We own a beautiful sailing yacht called Merisusi and our meeting place is a yellow building on the courtyard of Kaskenkatu 10 at the center of Turku.

Weekly group meetings are the essence of Scout activity and they take place during August-December and January-May, taking into account school holidays. Weekend camps and various events are also essential. Summer season consists of sailing and possible longer camps.

We are part of YMCA Turku, a local branch of an international non-political youth organisation. As our member, you are automatically part of YMCA, too.

Join the Adventure!

Our goal is to empower young people and to give a safe space to learn and experience unforgettable moments. A positive attitude and interest in Sea Scouting is enough to join. Our activities are in Finnish.

Children can start Scouting from the age of seven and there’s no upper limit. We have different groups based on age ranging from 7 to 22. The easiest time to join is in August at the start of the autumn season, but you can join at any time.

For parents: If your child is interested to join our scout group, please contact us at atp@ymca.fi or submit a membership application via Kuksa, the Scout Register. We will give you instructions on how to proceed and contact details and info about your child’s group.

From this link you can apply to become a member (only available in Finnish): https://kuksa.partio.fi/kotisivut/hakemukset/hakemus.aspx?id=9999269

Fees

Scouting is a relatively affordable hobby. Membership fees are charged on a calendar year basis and must be paid in order to participate. Our membership fee consists of four parts: The Guides and Scouts of Finland 34,50 €, Scout district of south-west Finland 27,00 €, YMCA Turku 25,00 € and our group 5,00 € which means in total 91,50 €. Events, like weekend camps and sailing trips, are paid separately.

It’s possible to apply for an exemption of membership fee as well as for financial support. Contact our treasurer (taloudenhoitaja) for more information.

Communication

Scout Register Kuksa is a membership register maintained by the Guides and Scouts of Finland. It’s also used to register for camps and events. Invoices for membership fees and our internal newsletter, Pulloposti, are sent through this system. Please make sure that you always have up-to-date contact information listed there!

Other important ways of communication are WhatsApp groups (between parents and group leaders), Instagram (@aurantahtipojat) and this website.

Questions?

Don’t hesitate to contact us if there’s something unclear or if you want to know more. We are happy to help. Our email is atp@ymca.fi and at ”Yhteystiedot” you can find phone numbers of key leaders if there’s something urgent.

Remember, all of us are volunteers. That means that we do this with passion, but have work, studies or other important things going on as well.