[Euroscoutinfo-en] Euro.Scout.Info - Issue 60 - August 2008
Joy Morton
Introduction
38th World Scout Conference
The European Scout Organisations had a very active and positive
contribution during the World Scout Conference recently held in Korea.
A big "Thanks" is due for the valuable input during the workshops, the
openness at discussions with Scouts from other regions, the hard work at
delegation meetings, preparing the plenary debates, the friendliness to
all while desperately looking for an Italian coffee and the great
atmosphere at the party on Friday night.
"Thank You", everyone.
Two job opportunities in the Brussels Office
International Commissioners have been circulated with information on two
job opportunities in the Brussels Office. Please checkout our website:
[
http://www.scout.org/en/around_the_world/europe/our_organisation/job_opportunities
]www.scout.org/en/around_the_world/europe/our_organisation/job_opportunities
We would also like to thank Mike Walker, a regular contributor to
Euro.Scout.Info and the outgoing Director of External Relations and
Funding for his commitment to promoting the profile of Scouting and in
particular for the relationships with the European Commission, the regular
MEP meetings held over the past 3 years, the extension of the work on
Diversity and the re-establishment of the Administrative Grant from the
EU. Mike goes to work for an environmental organisation in Brussels and
remains committed to the work of Scouting in the Region. Thank-you Mike.
Crisis in the Caucasus
The current crisis in the Caucasus illustrates that, for children and
young people, the world can be a very dangerous place. The politicians and
military people often forget that the impact of their actions and
decisions have a disproportionate effect on the lives of young people.
The European Region has sent a message of solidarity to the Eurasia Region
particularly to those young people affected by the crisis. A message was
sent to International Commissioners in Europe and we draw attention to a
number of resources that might be useful in dealing with issues arising
from the conflict.
Scoutpax [ http://worldnet.scout.org/scoutpax/
]http://worldnet.scout.org/scoutpax/
Wilderdom [
http://wilderdom.com/games/PeaceEducationExperientialActivities.html
]http://wilderdom.com/games/PeaceEducationExperientialActivities.html
Norwegian Peace Alliance [ http://www.educationforpeace.no/
]http://www.educationforpeace.no/
In the Face of Terrorism [
http://www.scoutbase.org.uk/library/special/itfot.pdf
]http://www.scoutbase.org.uk/library/special/itfot.pdf
Areas of Work
Educational Methods
First meeting of the Open Scouting Unit
20 - 22 June 2008 Nicosia, Cyprus
The Open Scouting Unit (OSU) held its first physical meeting in June
following a series of monthly phone meetings. The weekend meeting was
organised in order to make further progress with various tasks and also
offered the opportunity to meet with Marios Christou Vice-Chairman of the
European Scout Committee to discuss the work on diversity and related
issues.
The OSU was established in the beginning of 2008 to work with diversity
issues. The aim is "To recognise the value of diversity and its impact on
social inclusion". A number of actions were initiated including an
upcoming questionnaire about diversity. Members of the OSU will use the
questionnaire to conduct an interview survey with key persons in selected
NSOs/NSAs during the coming months. The main product of the unit is to
produce a publication focusing on how to integrate diversity in youth
programme design. The publication is expected to be available in April
2009.
The OSU has three members: Ieva Leipute - Lithuania, Theodoros Zarkas -
Cyprus and Peter Stubkjer Andersen - Denmark.
Stars have bean reached!!!
Monday, 28 July 2008 in FYRO Macedonia
The National Jamboree of FYRO Macedonia had more than 500 participants and
leaders who experienced the spirit of Scouting in the beautiful Mavrovo
National Park. Participants from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia,
Slovenia, UK and France also attended.
Despite tough weather conditions, the programme was fully delivered. Many
young people had a chance to learn new skills from creative workshops,
exploring regional culture and traditions and visiting great places in
this region of FYRO Macedonia.
Besides the programme activities, participants had a chance to find out
more about the life and work of the WOSM - European Region and KISC
through presentations and through formal and non-formal meetings in the
"European Tent" which was set up. This was organised by Katey O'Brian from
KISC and Mihajlo Atanackovic from WSB - European Regional Office in
Belgrade.
All in all, the participants had a great time and have benefited a lot
from their participation in the National Scout Jamboree of FYRO Macedonia
called "Reaching for the stars".
WOSM ñ European Region workshop at ëContura 08í
22-25 July 2008 in Benken, Switzerland
For two weeks, a WOSM - European Region workshop was organised at Contura
08, the Swiss Federal Camp. Joy Morton from the WSB - European Regional
Office in Geneva together with Désirée Buchmann from the Mouvement Scout
de Suisse worked with over 800 children who attended these workshops.
Icebreakers, question and answer games about WOSM and a 'take the bacon'
guessing game of the European flags were some of the activities that took
place. This was a very successful event as well as a source of inspiration
both for the Swiss children that attended and the organisers, Joy and
Désirée.
Planning a Workshop - Organizing and Running a Successful Event
Anyone who has ever planned a workshop will tell you that it's a big job.
What about planning a good one? Well, that takes organisation, focus, and
a lot of creativity. Running a workshop is useful whenever you need a
group of people to DO something together, rather than just report on what
they've done. Workshops that are not effectively run can be a huge waste
of time and money. However, if they are planned well, they can be
incredibly valuable for everyone involved. This is why advance planning is
vital.
More info can be found at the Tools site, [ http://www.mindtools.com
]www.mindtools.com, you can subscribe via the subscription email address
for the newsletter [ http://www.mindtools.com/subscribe.htm
]www.mindtools.com/subscribe.htm.
Development and Support
Scouts and Gidsen Vlaanderen, The "Oracle"
Scouts and Gidsen Vlaanderen has professional staff supporting groups in
larger cities where it is typically more difficult to do Scouting. Part of
their support is a booklet, which is called the "Oracle". This booklet (a
specific one for each group) contains statistics giving an indication of
the current situation and the potential threats. It focuses on the balance
between younger and older members and also on leaders. The "Oracle" also
is a tool for District Commissioners to motivate their groups to do
something about their situation.
One of the key items in the Oracle is the GTP index. GTP is a Dutch
abbreviation that stands for "Healthy Future Perspective". It indicates
the "health" of a group based on current membership numbers. It provides
information on the balance between younger and older Scouts and Leaders.
The GTP index is calculated with the formula beneath. One will see that
more weight is given to older participants. There are two reasons for
this. First of all, Scouting traditionally looses more members the older
they get. Hence it serves to balance the equation. The second reason is
that the older members are closer to Leadership age and hence to serve the
continuation of the group.
It works with the following formula:
A = 6-8 years old
B= 8-11 years old
C= 11-14 years old
D= 14-17 years old
E= 18 years old
F= Leaders
G= rest
Formula:
Sum of (A divided by 3) + (B divided by 3) + (C) + (D multiplied by 2) +
(E multiplied by 3) + (F multiplied by 2) + (G) minus ((A + B + C + D + E)
divided by F)
Results:
100 or more: The future is safe
80 to 100: Relatively safe future.
60 to 80: The future is not completely assured. It's no catastrophe, but
you should keep a close eye on the Group.
40 to 60: The future depends on a few factors. There are still
opportunities for growth.
20 to 40: There are quite a few factors threatening the group who need a
strict rescue-plan.
20 or less: The group is close to extinction.
Please note, this index only works for Groups of up to 150 members.
Best practice from the Action for Growth Resource
The Growth Network is a good forum for sharing new ideas and best
practices that help you and us to grow. Here you can read how the Scouts
and Guides of Flanders have tackled the topic of maintaining and
increasing their membership in city centres by using a simple statistic.
Does your association have a success story in growth or do you want to
learn from others?
We want to encourage you to share best practices and learn from others.
The next Growth
Network will take place in Finland, from 6-8 December 2008. Join the
Growth Network!
If you have any further questions, just contact Katrin at: [
mailto:ktau...@scout.org ]ktau...@scout.org
Relationships and Funding
Update on your success
454 MEPs (Members of the European Parliament) signed the Written
Declaration calling for 2011 to be designated the European Year of
Volunteering. Again, a big thank you to all those that contributed! There
have been several reports from the European Parliament who have felt the
pressure of local Scouting.
Now we must wait for the Commission to make a decision as to whether or
not they accept the call. In the meantime we are hard to have the
interests of Scouting included in a proposed recommendation of the Council
of Ministers by the Commission.
In doing this we would really, really appreciate your support! The
decisions being taken at a European level will impact on local Scouting
throughout Europe, but if we act now and co-ordinate our actions at a
European and member state level we will have a greater chance of
influencing the recommendation.
The recommendation touches on fundamental questions like:
1. What is volunteering?
2. How do we recognise voluntary organisations?
3. How do volunteer organisations ensure quality?
If you think you have answers to these questions and would like to work
with us, then please do not hesitate to contact Jaakko Weuro at [
mailto:jwe...@scout.org ]jwe...@scout.org.
"The right of the child to protection": Commission launches competition
open to all young people in the European Union
"The right of the child to protection" is the title of a competition
launched on the 31st July 2008 by Jacques Barrot, Vice-President of the
European Commission with responsibility for justice, freedom and security.
European children and adolescents between the ages of 10 and 18 are
invited to design a poster on the right of children to protection in the
European Union. The aim of the competition is to ensure that these young
European citizens are more aware of their right to protection and are
better equipped to defend it.
[
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/08/1217&format;=HTML&aged;=0&language;=EN&guiLanguage;=en
]http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/08/1217&format;=HTML&aged;=0&language;=EN&guiLanguage;=en
UK Scout Groups Canoe Expedition Funded by the EU
4th Lymm (UK) and 1st Fredrikstad (Norway) Scout Groups went on a canoeing
expedition thanks to EU Youth in Action funding from the Thursday 14th to
Tuesday 26th August.
A group of 20 Scouts and volunteer leaders from the UK travelled to Norway
to camp out in the forest and on the shore of a large freshwater fjord. To
make the project possible both Scout groups applied as partners to the
Youth in Action.
In addition to the canoeing, the Scouts will be joined by experts from
Oslo University to study the environment and the effect of climate change
on the local fjords and countryside.
"The application process was, without doubt, demanding but the results are
fantastic. We have been jointly awarded about €20,000..."
If you would like to know more then take a look at: [
http://www.4thlymm.org.uk/pages/Snorway.htm
]www.4thlymm.org.uk/pages/Snorway.htm
The Youth in Action programme is open to the overwhelming majority of
Scout groups in Europe. If you would like to know more or receive support
then contact the Tailored Support Unit,
[ http://scout.org/en/spotlight/europe/tailored_support
]http://scout.org/en/spotlight/europe/tailored_support.
Life of the Movement
FOSE meetings in Korea
During the World Scout Conference in Korea, most of the Friends of
Scouting in Europe attending the Conference met in order to have an update
on the life of the European Scout Foundation. Furthermore, our Regional
Chairman, Craig Turpie addressed the 50 + Friends attending, highlighting
the vital importance of the "Small Projects" for the benefit of Scouting
in Central and Eastern Europe. A number of new Friends were welcomed - 11
new FOSE "signed up".
FOSE meeting at Contura 08 in Switzerland
At the end of July, Swiss Scouting held their Federal Camp and under the
leadership of Frederic Baudin, some 15 + Friends gathered welcoming 4 new
Swiss Friends. We also expect more to sign up.
It is the policy of the European Scout Foundation on special occasions
such as Regional and World Conferences and at some National events to meet
up, share the fellowship and have the latest news of the development of
the Foundation. Invitations for 2009 are already at hand!!!
Work at the Kandersteg International Scout Centre!
Right now applications are being accepted for some great positions at
KISC! Whether you think you can cook up a storm for 400 as the Caterer or
fancy helping run the programme department as Assistant Programme
Director, there will certainly be something of interest for you in
Kandersteg!
These positions last from 9-12 months and you would be part of our Long
Term Staff Team looking after the running of the Centre. It is also
possible to come and volunteer for 3 months and be part of our Short Term
Staff Team.
Our Short Term Staff work in a number of different areas; you could be ski
guiding in winter, hiking with groups in summer, renovating rooms in
autumn or preparing the Campsite in spring! No doubt you will serve meals,
work in shop and help clean up at some point but some things are
guaranteed: you will meet people from all around the world, make life long
friendships and have the time of your life while working at KISC!
Details on these positions, and more, is available on the Job Vacancies
part of our website at this link, [ http://www.kisc.ch/?tkw=jobvacancies
]http://www.kisc.ch/?tkw=jobvacancies. Come to Kandersteg and live the
dream with us!!
The dream is getting bigger!
Kandersteg International Scout Centre (KISC) is already the place where
over 11,000 Scouts and Guides visit every year, from over 40 different
countries. This year KISC is expanding and making it possible for more
people to have the opportunity to stay there. At the moment work is being
done on adding a new building, the Kander Lodge, which will offer a higher
standard of accommodation, as well as catering facilities to their
grounds.
The building will be perfect for groups, families and leaders, with beds
for 44 people. Rooms are mostly twin rooms, with every two rooms sharing a
bathroom. The building will also have some additional facilities, such as
a large indoor programme area and a drying room. You are able to make
bookings starting February 1st 2009, but the building will hopefully be
finished by the New Year. Find out more on our website [
http://WWW.KISC.CH ]WWW.KISC.CH.
Reminders and Deadlines
The Scout Academy
20-26 October 2008 in Molina, Spain
Deadline: 12 September 2008
Winter Short Term Staff at KISC
14 December 2008 till 14 March 2009 at KISC, Switzerland
Deadline: 14 September 2008
North-South Network Meeting _
17-19 October 2008, Luxembourg, LU
Deadline: 15 September 2008
Network meeting for Guide and Scout representatives in National Youth
Councils _
21-23 November 2008, Dublin, Ireland
Deadline: 30 September 2008
Training for new members of National Boards
First weekend of December 2008 in Latvia
Deadline: 3 October 2008
Long Term Staff Positions at KISC
4 or 7-10 month positions at KISC, Switzerland
Deadline: 1 December 2008
Useful Information
Europak: [ http://www.europak-online.net ]http://www.europak-online.net
Stay in contact
World Scout Bureau - European Regional Office
Rue Henri ChristinÈ 5, P.O. Box 327
CH-1211 Geneva 4
Switzerland
Tel: (+41 22) 705 11 00
Fax: (+41 22) 705 11 09
Email: [ mailto:eur...@scout.org ]eur...@scout.org
Web: [ http://www.scout.org/europe ]www.scout.org/europe