[Euroscoutinfo-en] Euro.Scout.Info - Issue 79 - April 2010
Rupert Schildböck
Professional Staff of the World Scout Bureau (WSB) Adopt the Bureau’s Mission
13 to 17 April 2010, Kandersteg, Switzerland
For the second time only in recent history, professional staff of the World Scout Bureau’s Central and six Regional Offices recently gathered in Kandersteg. Areas discussed included the strategy of World Scouting, the outcomes of the Customer Service Survey, the WSB’s Human Resources Policy and issues related to the areas of communication and external relations as well as education, research and development.
The following poem, written by the Africa Regional Office’s assistant youth programme officer Jonathan Omondi elegantly captures the event:
West and east we came
South and north that too
Breeze and snow that’s Kandersteg.
Staff all smiles
Team lovely and all in pink
Accommodation readily provided
Fond memories from the last meeting
Friends new surely acquired.
Modernising our financial management
Educational methods being strengthened
Efficient communication and profiling
Tactfully contributing to the strategy.
Governance and institutional support
Links promoting, partnerships developing
Organisation unity building
Brazil looking with focus
Articulating issues on growth
Local initiatives promoting
Lives globally transforming
Young people empowering.
Areas of Work
Educational Methods
Successful Lands of Adventure Day 2010
The 4th Lands of Adventure (LoA) Day was celebrated from 19 - 21 March 2010. 165 Scout patrols representing 12 European countries had registered for the two “LoA Day” tasks and 135 of them successfully completed both. This year, the main task was based on sharing traditional recipe foods.
Since the beginning of the project in 2007, the event has regularly grown in popularity and it is hoped to see even more Scouts earning their LoA Day pin in the spring of 2011. For all relevant information on this and next year’s LoA Day, please consult www.loaday.landsofadventure.eu.
Join Fellow Scout Patrols at the 2nd Lands of Adventure Camp
Every second year, the patrols registered for Lands of Adventure (LoA) have a chance to actually meet and experience the challenges and thrills of an international activity during a “Lands of Adventure Camp”.
Many may still remember the first LoA Camp, which took place at Kandersteg International Scout Centre in 2008 and the next one is scheduled to take place in the beautiful setting of the Parnassos Mountain in Central Greece in August this year.
All interested patrols should contact their respective National LoA Ambassador or the European LoA Team to get more information and to register (check out www.loacamp.landsofadventure.eu for details). Please remember that only a maximum of two patrols per NSO/NSA will be considered for the camp – the LoA Ambassadors will explain the selection system relevant for the respective associations.
Relationships and Funding
EU Youth Commissioner Asked to Strengthen the EU Youth Agenda
The leadership of the European Youth Forum (EYF) recently met EU Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou to discuss the main objectives for her mandate in the field of youth. The Youth Forum asked her to focus on the implementation of a cross-sector approach to youth policy at EU level in the framework of the EU Strategy and called for a stronger reference to issues relevant to young people in the Europe 2020 project.
The meeting took place at a crucial moment: the entry into force o the Lisbon Treaty and the adoption of the renewed framework for European cooperation in the area of youth bring a host of challenges to the youth sector. The European Youth Forum, a platform gathering nearly 100 youth organisation across Europe, is aware of these challenges and working hard to turn them into successful opportunities.
The European Youth Forum represents an important tool for the European Scout Region allowing it to closely follow various policies affecting the youth sector and influencing them in cooperation with other youth organisations in Europe. “At the beginning of the mandate of the new Commissioner, it is crucial to set up a stable dialogue and a working methodology between the largest European Youth platform and the Commissioner responsible for matters concerning youth and young people,” said Tine Radinja, President of the European Youth Forum and a representative of European Scouting, adding that a fruitful cooperation with Ms Vassiliou was essential for a strong youth agenda for the European Union.
More information about the EU Youth Strategy and youth policy issues of the European Union is available on http://ec.europa.eu/youth/youth-policies/doc1687_en.htm
Friends of Scouting in Europe to Meet in Brussels
Continuing the nice tradition of linking its meetings with events of the European Scout Region, the European Scout Foundation will be organising a special meeting of the Friends of Scouting in Europe (FOSE) during the forthcoming meeting of the 20th European Guide and Scout Conference in Brussels in July this year.
Friends of Scouting in Europe (FOSE) is an initiative of the European Scout Foundation enabling its members to demonstrate their support for the ideals and aspirations of Scouting by financially contributing to the Movement. Thanks to FOSE’s generous support, the Foundation was able to sponsor a number of interesting Scout projects in South East Europe, thus contributing to the development and growth of Scouting in that region. The Brussels meeting of FOSE will be another opportunity for its members to monitor the achievements made possible thanks to their important and ongoing support.
Other gatherings of FOSE are planned in Sweden (May), Latvia (June), Denmark (July), Finland (August) and the United Kingdom (September). Detailed information about the European Scout Foundation and its Friends of Scouting in Europe initiative, as well as on past and future are available on www.europeanscoutfoundation.org
Life of the Movement
European Region
Polish Scouting Mourns its Honorary Patron and other “Friends of Scouting”
Scouts and Guides all over Poland expressed their sympathy with families and friends of the victims of the recent tragic plane crash in Smolensk (Russian Federation), which had cost the lives of all 96 passengers, including the countries President, Lech Kaczynski, his wife and many members of the country’s political, military and religious establishment. While the late president had been Honorary Patron of Polish Scouting, a number of other victims bore the title of “Friends of Scouting”, which had been conferred to them for their support of or involvement with Polish Scouting and Guiding.
While hundred of thousands had been gathering in the streets of Warsaw and later also in Cracow to pay their respects to the victims, Scouts and Guides from the Polish Scout Association ZHP and other Scout organisations had spontaneously offered their services helping arranging the sea of flowers and candles deposited in front of the Presidential Palace and providing refreshments and first aid.
In memory and respect of the victims, ZHP has opened an online book of condolences and Scouts and Guides all over the country will observe a month of mourning.
For more details please visit the website of the Polish Scout Association at www.zhp.pl.
Stunning Membership Growth of UK Scouting Makes it to Headlines of National Media
Recently released membership figures of the Scout Association (United Kingdom) reflect a remarkable growth. With 16’500 boys and girls having joined in 2009, the membership now stands at 500’000, the fifth consecutive yearly rise and the biggest growth in 38 years.
Robert Baden-Powell might not recognise some of the activities offered by Scouting these days but the Movement is now growing more quickly in the United Kingdom than for generations.
Quoted by a large number of print and online media across Great Britain, Bear Grylls, UK Chief Scout, commented that the increase was the result of a strategic decision to take the Movement associated with scarves, uniforms, woggles and campfire singalongs and make it more appealing to modern young people. His own appointment had in fact been part of this process. But it has also involved the establishment of Scout groups in inner-city areas where drug dealing and gang culture can be more obvious activities. Explaining the phenomenon to media, Wayne Bulpitt, the UK’s Chief Commissioner, was quoted saying “We knew that young people needed what we offer, but we had to be better at getting our message across. Also, for the 14-18 age range, we made sure our programme was a bit more adventurous.” He added that Scouting also was increasingly popular with adults, but in spite of this welcome development waiting lists remained at an all-time high due to continued need for more volunteers. For further informatio
n visit the media centre of the Scout Association at www.scout.org.uk/media
Join French Scouts at a Scouts of the World Discovery Course
The national Scout centre of Eclaireuses Eclaireurs de France - EEDF in Bécours organises a “Scouts of the World Discovery” course in July this year. The course is part of the scheme leading to the “Scouts of the World Award” and will offer a variety of activities related to the topics of environment and sustainable development.
Themes to be addressed during the week include main challenges facing today’s world, living and taking action in an intercultural context, the sense of solidarity and community spirit, the aptitude for finding and analysing information, autonomy, leadership skill and aptitude for cooperation, the aptitude for using negotiation, mediation, problem solving and decision making skills, as well as the aptitude for initiating, carrying-out and completing innovative projects.
During the week following the course, participating Scouts and Guides will have the possibility to experience their “Scouts of the World Volunteer Service” and join the team of volunteers working on different reconstruction sites of the village of Bécours. Syvain Dal Piva, of the Bécours Scout Centre, is available for further information (béco...@eedf.asso.fr).
Arab Region
13th International Youth Gathering for Culture Exchange
The Arab Scout Region is inviting two male Rovers from National Scout Organisation in all Regions of WOSM to join Scouts and other young people from the Arab region for the 13th International Youth Gathering for Cultural Exchange, which will take place at the Cairo International Scout Centre in July 2010.
The event, which is organised in co-operation with UNESCO, will focus on raising of awareness of human values, tolerance and peace. Participants will have a variety of opportunities to develop new ties of friendship with young people from different cultural backgrounds. The dialogue on issues and challenges faced by young people in today’s societies will allow the spreading of cross-cultural understanding in the world.
Visits of environmental projects and sites of cultural and natural heritage in different regions of Egypt will complete the activities.
For further details, please contact the Arab Regional Scout Office in Cairo and consult the Region’s website at www.scout.org/arab
Interamerica Region
Haïti Three Months On – Scout Office on Soccer Field
When Mirkko and Viljami recently visited Haïti to see with their own eyes what the support from Scouts had made possible three months after the terrible earthquake, they were surprised how Haitians were coping. “Port-au-Prince, the country’s capital, is full of camps where the population is doing its best to live a normal life,” Mirkko explained, “At many camps local Scouts have not only taken over the responsibility for security but are providing a variety of activities for the children and young people, who would otherwise be left to themselves as the School system is not yet functioning.”
The coming Monsoon season will not make things easier, and some of the camps with their thousands of inhabitants need to be moved to safer areas. Travelling around the island in the company of local Scouts and volunteering Scouts from Spain and France, Mirkko and Viljami where impressed by the professionalism demonstrated under very difficult conditions. “The Scouts are coordinating their activities from improvised headquarters in a tent; we had difficulties finding it in the middle of dozens of others on a former soccer ground!”
Even though the infrastructure and the Haitian society are in ruins, Scouts look forward to the future: Planning is underway for a new Sea Scout Centre and an appeal has been launched to identify cooperating partners in Europe and elsewhere. This could be an interesting and challenging project for your Rover Scouts!
World Scouting
Don’t Miss the World Scout Moot in Kenya
The host team of the Kenya Scout Association, with valuable support offered by the World Events Unit of the World Scout Bureau, is very busy finalising the preparations of the World Scout Moot, which will see more than 3’000 Rover Scouts from around the world gather in Kenya in July later this year.
Addressing participants of the Global Staff Meeting in Kandersteg earlier this month, Luc Panissod, WOSM’s Secretary General, emphasized the fact that this year’s World Scout Moot was the first major World Scouting youth event organised in Africa. He was looking forward to another exiting event, which would offer a range of fascinating activities and lifetime experiences.
The World Moot is open to participants aged between 18 and 26 at the time of the event. Those aged 26 and over can apply to join the International Service Team. Registration is still possible. Many associations have promised participation but have not confirmed yet. This is making it very difficult for the organisers in making the necessary arrangements. If your NSO/NSA is intending to participate, please make your bookings without delay.
For detailed information and to register, please check out the World Moot’s website at www.scoutmoot2010.org
Reminders and Deadlines
20th European Scout Conference & 13th European Guide and Scout Conference
17 – 21 July 2010, Brussels, Belgium
Don’t forget to register your delegation and plan your travel (for details: http://www.europeanconference.be)
Useful Information
Web www.scout.org/europe
EuroPak www.europak-online.net
Stay in contact
World Scout Bureau
European Regional Office
Switzerland
P.O. Box 327
Rue Henri Christiné 5
CH-1211 Geneva 4
Tel: (+41 22) 705 11 00
Fax: (+41 22) 705 11 09
Email: eur...@scout.org
Belgium
Avenue de la Porte de Hal 38
BE-1060 Brussels
Tel: (+32 2) 534 33 15
Fax: (+32 2) 534 16 54
Email: eur...@scout.org