On 13 October 2025 the Austrian National Scout and Guide Fellowship as well as the International Scout and Guide Fellowship and the International Ambassadors Guild lost with Alfred Partsch (Ferry), one of their most prominent members. For nearly eighty years Ferry followed with all his heart, with an incredible personal engagement the Scouting Trail from the days as a Boy Scout, Rover Scout and leader of a Viennese Scout Group.

After the end of his active time as a scout leader, he started to run an “Old Scout Club” and became member of the “Austrian Fellowship of Former Scouts and Guides”. 
Within short time he had been asked, to become a Board Member and after having served in several functions there, he had been elected in 1987 as National President of the Austrian National Scout and Guide Fellowship. He’d been re-elected for five periods until 1997. 
On international level he came into function in 1979 during the 13th World Conference in Bergen, Norway where Ferry had been nominated as member of World Committee of IFOFSAG, now ISGF. His function ended at the 16th World Conference 1985 in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Ferry Partsch had been friends with Paulli Martin, one of the founding members of the International Ambassadors Guild. In 2006, after a meeting with Paulli Martin, Ferry joined “Ambassadors”.
The last official event, where Ferry Partsch had been “on stage” was 2023 during the celebration “70 year of ISGF – 50 and 15 years of ISGF World Conferences in Vienna”.

It is nearly impossible to describe what Ferry Partsch had done in all the years for Scouting and Guiding of all ages on the different levels he had been in function. Wherever you look, you will find a “Footprint” of Ferry Partsch. The breach he had left could not been closed easily. We miss you so much.
There is only one THANK YOU left, that we had the luck to know you and to walk a part of the way with you. Take your place at the eternal campfire now, where you will sit together with all the members of our brotherhood, they have passed away before.

We all could learn so much from you, you’d been a good friend, no, you’d been more: A real scout brother! At last BE PREPARED.