For twenty years we operated in secret, not even the stalwart scouts knew about us
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Pavel Coufal was born on 11 January 1956 in Prague. His family had a few backgrnound stains, his grandfather was a tradesman and his grandmother came from a farmer´s family. The family also belonged to the Czech Brethren Evangelical Church. Pavel Coufal joined a scout troop in 1970 and was nicknamed Chobot (Trunk). In the spring he took the Scout oath, but in September 1970 the Scout was dissolved. The leader of the troop, Josef Zikán, called Bobr (Beaver), transferred the Vinohrady Scout Troop to the Prague 3 Troop, where it continued to operate secretly from 1971. Pavel Coufal became one of the leaders and led the scout troop partly within the Svazarm activities until the Velvet Revolution. In the meantime, he trained as a tram repairer at the Transport Company’s apprenticeship centre and completed his studies at secondary technical evening school. He graduated in 1979 and then served two years of compulsory military service. He has been involved in scouting all his life. In the 1990s, his Troop 1 Nik Scouts enjoyed great interest, and to this day there is a long waiting list for membership. Pavel Coufal no longer has any leadership position in the troop, but still goes on expeditions with the old scouts. During his active leadership, over 1500 members passed through the troop. In 2025 Pavel Coufal lived in Prague.
