| EUROFAX 67 | |
| April 1998 | |
"Eurofax is the monthly newsletter of the European Scout Region. It is produced by the European Scout Office and is distributed to all member associations in the European Region, and others. Reproduction of articles without alteration is encouraged but Eurofax should be acknowledged as the source of the information."
There is still time to register for participation in EuroSteps '98. There are 63 exciting projects to chose from in 22 countries. New projects include: protecting marine life in Croatia; a bicycle tour to explore the history and nature of the Czech Republic; preserving wetlands and bird-watching in Finland; trekking to Mount Olympus or sailing in the Saronic Gulf in Greece; learning about peace issues and conflict-resolution in Italy; learning boat building, diving, sailing, windsurfing or horse riding in Poland; canoeing and learning about "water" and the "earth" in Portugal; hiking and making a mountain-bike trail in Slovenia; painting or taking part in ecological activities in Yugoslavia. For the first time, a EuroStep has been organised in Tunisia on the theme of coastal protection. Please encourage your Rangers, Rovers and Venture Scouts to take part. The project organisers are looking forward to welcoming them!
The Organizing Committee is putting the final touches on its preparations to welcome over 400 participants from European Guide and Scout organizations who will gather next month for the 9th European Guide and Scout Conference. The conference will be held in the Conference Centre of Luxembourg-Kirchberg, Luxembourg, 2-8 May 1998. Guest speaker at the conference will be Mr Jacques Santer, President of the Commission of the European Union and a former Scout in his home country of Luxembourg.
The European Guide Conference 1998 will be held during the European Guide and Scout Conference. The European Guide Conference will take place on Monday 4 May in the afternoon, Tuesday 5 May in the morning and Thursday 7 May part of the morning. Heather Brandon, Chairman World Board, and Lesley Bulman, Director World Bureau, will attend. The agenda and other documents for the European Guide Conference have been mailed to associations. If associations have any questions please do not hesitate to contact the Europe Committee WAGGGS or the Europe Office WAGGGS in Brussels.
The 16th European Scout Conference will also be held during the European Guide and Scout Conference. A full conference agenda includes consideration of the various reports of the triennium just ending; the development of a nine-year plan for the development of Scouting in Europe, in line with the World Strategy adopted by the World Scout Conference; information about forthcoming World Organization events, including the 19th World Scout Jamboree (27 December 1998 - 6 January 1999) 3rd World Scout Youth Forum (South Africa, 20-23 July 1999), 35th World Scout Conference (South Africa, 26-30 July 1999), the 11th World Scout Moot (Mexico, July 2000); and the election of the European Scout Committee. Documents A-D and F have been distributed to all member organizations and associations in the European Scout Region.
Emotional development has generally been somewhat neglected in Scout and Guide programmes, yet it is an essential part of each individual's personal growth. We need to find ways of reinforcing this aspect of our youth programmes, in order to encourage young people to develop their autonomy and sense of responsibility towards others. We also need to equip our adult leaders with the necessary skills and attitudes to support young people in their development. This European seminar will be held at the European Youth Centre in Budapest, Hungary from 19-25 September 1998. The aim is to encourage national associations to integrate health and emotional development issues into their programmes for young people aged 12-16, as well as into their leader training schemes. Participants should be key representatives of Scout or Guide associations, particularly members of national teams responsible for developing programmes for young people aged 12-16 or for managing adult resources. They should be aged 18-30, able to communicate well in English or French and willing to experiment with different educational methods. The invitation was distributed to associations in April's Europak. The deadline for application to the European Office is 24 July.
The informal networks on north-south co-operation and working with ethnic communities (Overture) met in Lisbon from 20-22 March, hosted by Corpo Nacional de Escutas. There were 32 participants from 16 associations in 11 countries. Joint sessions included: preparations for the World Scout Jamboree, especially the Global Development Village; the United Nations World Youth Events; Expo '98 to be held in Lisbon; the Peace Cruise to take place in summer 1999. Associations were encouraged to participate in all these events, which offer excellent opportunities to show their work to a wider audience. The north-south network discussed associations' current projects with an emphasis on co-operating with non-Scout organisations, involving all levels of the association in partnership and support for institutional development. It also discussed the issue of fund raising and the future organisation of the network. The Overture network planned follow-up to the European seminar on marginalised youth and shared the results of a questionnaire on how national associations are trying to make Scouting open to all young people. The next issue of the Overture newsletter was planned, as well as a swap shop for the European Conference. The future work of the network will be to identify pitfalls to be avoided and promising practices to be promoted relating to adult resources, communication, management and youth programme. The focus will be on breaking the "wall of indifference" within and outside our Movement and serving local communities better through partnership. Dates were set for future meetings of the two networks: 23-25 October 1998, Bern, Switzerland; 19-21 March
The International Catholic Conference of Scouting is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. "The ICCS, as an organization, is not very powerful," explains Enrique' Lopez Viguria, Secretary General of ICCS, writing in the current issue of Signes (the magazine of the ICCS). "It has very limited resources: a few people working on a volunteer basis and very simple logistical support in Rome and Barcelona. And maybe that's the way it should be. But the ICCS is basically an association of members who have an extraordinary potential for ideas, projects, publications, activities and associations, all of which can and should be shared more and more often." ICCS enjoys consultative status with the World Organization and we are pleased to wish them every joy with their celebrations this year. You can learn more about the ICCS by visiting its home page on the World Wide Web at www.cics.org
Please note that the dates for the Management Training seminar advertised for 18-25 October 1998 have been changed to 29 October - 3 November 1998. The Management Training seminar will focus on responsibility and values in management. Volunteers and professional staff responsible for the management and running of the national Associations are invited to attend the seminar which will be held in Portugal. An invitation will be mailed in June's Europak.
Paola Bortini, WAGGGS' Executive for Central and Eastern Europe, will leave her position at the end of August 1998, after 4 years service in the Europe Office WAGGGS. WAGGGS' is therefore recruiting a new Development Executive to commence work from 1 September 1998. This new position is open to members of WAGGGS' Member Organizations in Europe. The appointment is for an initial 2 years and the full job description and further information are available from the Europe Office WAGGGS in Brussels. Closing date for applications is 15 June.
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