Österreich und der Schweiz 2003

Introduction

    From July 1st through July 23rd, 2003, 16 members of Troop 461 traveled throughout Austria, Lichtenstein and Switzerland.  The trip, which was in the planning stages for more than a year, started in Vienna, Austria, and finished in Zurich, Switzerland, where the group departed for home.  We were scheduled to depart from Philadelphia International Airport on July 1st for Vienna.  Prior to departure, the group gathered at the home of Scoutmaster Harold Frederick were they posed for a group photo, seen below left.  Scoutmaster (SM) Frederick, the trip leader, is at the far right in the second row and Assistant Scoutmaster (ASM) Tim Wile, the assistant trip leader, is at the far left in the first row.  The other adult leaders in the group are ASM Scott Forwood, ASM Bruce Blanton, ASM Andrew Cowles and ASM Mike Landis.  Brian McKown, shown next to SM Frederick, began the trip as a Junior Assistant Scoutmaster but, having turned 18 partway through the trip, returned as an Assistant Scoutmaster.  The Scouts in the group were (first row) Andrew Isban, Arthur Forwood, Josh Comden, Matt Baldovsky and Brandon Hange.  The second row shows Scouts Austin Blanton, Shane Cumminsky, Troy Gärthe, and Zach Wile.

        Our British Airways flight from Philadelphia International Airport departed the evening of July 1st and we arrived at London's Heathrow Airport in the early morning hours of July 2nd.  The flight from Philadelphia to London took over seven hours and most of the group managed to get a few hours of sleep during the flight.  After spending a few hours at Heathrow, during which time most of the group members managed to get some breakfast, the group boarded another British Airways flight for the trip to Vienna.  The photo at the right was taken on the flight from London to Vienna and shows Andy Cowles and Brian McKown seated behind Brandon Hange, Shane Cumminsky and Zach Wile.  The flight from London to Vienna was relatively uneventful and took only a little over two hours.

        The group arrived in Vienna, Austria, shortly after 2:00 p.m. in the afternoon.  After retrieving our luggage and clearing customs, the group was greeted by adult leaders from Wiener Pfadfinder Gruppe 12 our host scout group in Austria.  The photo below left shows two of the Gruppe 12 leaders who met our group at the Vienna Airport--Ina Warnecke and Ines Dietrich.  The two other Gruppe 12 leaders who were present to greet our group were Martin Dietrich, the Gruppenführer of Gruppe 12, and Harald Dietrich.  Before we could leave the airport, we had to pick up our three rental vehicles: two station wagons and a diesel van.  Once the group completed all of the arrangements for the three rental vehicles, the luggage was loaded in the vehicles and the group boarded the vehicles for the drive to Leopoldsdorf and the home of our host family during our stay in the Vienna area--the Sedlaks.  2003 marked the second time that the Sedlak family has opened up their home to the members of Troop 461.  During the troop's 2000 trip to Austria and participation in the International Scout Camp, "Vienna 2000," 12 members of the troop stayed with the Sedlaks while they toured Vienna.  In 2001, Peter and Christian Sedlak, along with two other members of Wiener Pfadfinder Gruppe 12, Markus and Lukas Stutterecker, traveled to the USA and were guests of Troop 461 and joined the troop at its summer camp at Haliburton Scout Reserve, Canada.

This page last updated on Thursday, 24. November 2005