WOSM-European Region
Encyclopedia
The European Scout Region is the divisional office of the World Scout Bureau of the World Organization of the Scout Movement
, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, with a satellite office in Brussels, Belgium, which focuses more on external relations and partnerships; and with some office staff working from home.
in Western
and Central Europe
, excluding the former Soviet Republics of Armenia
, Azerbaijan
, Belarus
, Georgia
, Moldova
, Russia
, and Ukraine
, but inclusive of Cyprus
(technically not part of Europe
) and Turkey
(which spans across two continents), for cultural reasons, and Israel
for political ones.
All the formerly communist states of Central
and Eastern Europe
and the Soviet Union
have developed or are developing Scouting in the wake of the renaissance in the region. These include Albania
, Bulgaria
, East Germany, Hungary
, Poland
, Romania
, and the successor states to Czechoslovakia
, Yugoslavia
and the Baltic nations
independent of the former Soviet Union. Of these, Poland, the Czech Republic
and Hungary have been most successful in regrowing their Scout movements and are very well-developed, thanks in part to the existence of Scouts-in-Exile
movements for the diaspora of each nation.
and was held in Brussels
, Belgium
.
The Conference met on 17, 19, 20 and 21 July 2010 for six half-day working sessions.
and Geneva
, occasionally meeting at Kandersteg International Scout Centre
and Pax Lodge
as well.
Its Steering Group, comprising the Chairman, Vice-Chairman and the Regional Director, meets three times a year.
The European Scout Committee is composed of 6 members. They are elected for a three year term by the European Scout Conference. The members, elected without regard to their nationality, do not represent their country but the interests of the Movement as a whole, similar to Members of the World Scout Committee. The Chairman of the European Scout Committee is also a Member of the World Scout Committee.
The Regional Director, Honorary Treasurer and Chairman of the European Scout Foundation also attend meetings of the European Scout Committee.
in Geneva
, as well as 84 Scouts of the European Coal and Steel Community, an early precursor to the European Union
.
of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts
(WAGGGS). The European Scout Region has strong connections to the Europe Region of WAGGGS. Both maintained a joint office in Brussels for some years and published a monthly newsletter called Eurofax (this newsletter was already published by the European Scout Office before the joint office was opened, and reverted to WOSM when the joint office closed; it is still in existence under the name Euro.Scout.Info).
Full members status is held to the European Youth Forum
(YFJ) which operates within the Council of Europe
and European Union
areas and works closely with both these bodies.
A WOSM joint Eurasian-and-European Scout meeting was held in Kiev
in April 2009.
organized in the same country within a few years. European jamborees are aimed at youth between the ages of 11 and 17, however many adults are involved as Scoutleaders or serve in the IST (International Staff/Service Team)
Past European Scout Jamborees include:
The European Scout Jamboree 2005 (EuroJam 2005) was held in the summer 2005 and lasted for 12 days between July 29 and August 10, in Hylands Park, Chelmsford
, Essex
, near Gilwell Park
, an important campsite and training center for Scout Leader
s. About 10,000 Scouts from 40 countries were involved; it was considered the biggest Scout gathering in Europe for over 10 years and 50 years in the United Kingdom. It was also a dry run allowing the organization team of the 21st World Scout Jamboree
to test a number of aspects of the upcoming event, e.g. traffic issues, necessary infrastructures and logistics.
of WAGGGS. It is open for youth aged 16 to 22 years. The activity was introduced in 2003 (as a follow-up to the Eurofolk
event that existed from 1977 to 1997) and consists usually of two stages: a "journey" with small units of Scouts making their way to the main camp, which is the second stage.
Past and planned Roverways include:
is one of only five of the world's independent countries that do not have Scouting. The population is sufficiently large to sustain Scouting, but the Scout association of the tiny enclave in the Pyrenees
has been dormant since the 1980s and at present there is no Scouting movement.
and the Union Internationale des Guides et Scouts d'Europe
.
World Organization of the Scout Movement
The World Organization of the Scout Movement is the Non-governmental international organization which governs most national Scout Organizations, with 31 million members. WOSM was established in 1920, and has its headquarters at Geneva, Switzerland...
, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, with a satellite office in Brussels, Belgium, which focuses more on external relations and partnerships; and with some office staff working from home.
Members
The European Scout Region comprises 41 National Scout Organizations that are members of the World Organization of the Scout Movement, and services ScoutingScouting
Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement with the stated aim of supporting young people in their physical, mental and spiritual development, that they may play constructive roles in society....
in Western
Western Europe
Western Europe is a loose term for the collection of countries in the western most region of the European continents, though this definition is context-dependent and carries cultural and political connotations. One definition describes Western Europe as a geographic entity—the region lying in the...
and Central Europe
Central Europe
Central Europe or alternatively Middle Europe is a region of the European continent lying between the variously defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe...
, excluding the former Soviet Republics of Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
, Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
, Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
, Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
, Moldova
Moldova
Moldova , officially the Republic of Moldova is a landlocked state in Eastern Europe, located between Romania to the West and Ukraine to the North, East and South. It declared itself an independent state with the same boundaries as the preceding Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1991, as part...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, and Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
, but inclusive of Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
(technically not part of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
) and Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
(which spans across two continents), for cultural reasons, and Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
for political ones.
All the formerly communist states of Central
Central Europe
Central Europe or alternatively Middle Europe is a region of the European continent lying between the variously defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe...
and Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
and the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
have developed or are developing Scouting in the wake of the renaissance in the region. These include Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
, Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
, East Germany, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
, and the successor states to Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
, Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
and the Baltic nations
Baltic countries
The term Baltic states refers to the Baltic territories which gained independence from the Russian Empire in the wake of World War I: primarily the contiguous trio of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania ; Finland also fell within the scope of the term after initially gaining independence in the 1920s.The...
independent of the former Soviet Union. Of these, Poland, the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
and Hungary have been most successful in regrowing their Scout movements and are very well-developed, thanks in part to the existence of Scouts-in-Exile
Scouts-in-Exile
Scouts-in-Exteris, also referred to as Scouts-in-Exile, are Scouting and Guiding groups formed outside of their native country as a result of war and changes in governments...
movements for the diaspora of each nation.
Governance
- European Scout Region Conference
- European Scout Region Committee
- European Scout Region Offices
- Geneva, Switzerland
- Brussels, Belgium
- European Scout Region Core & Working Groups
European Scout Conference
The 20th European Scout Conference was hosted by Guidisme et Scoutisme en BelgiqueGuidisme et Scoutisme en Belgique
Gidsen- en Scoutsbeweging in België or Guidisme et Scoutisme en Belgique is the national Guiding and Scouting federation in Belgium. Scouting in Belgium started in 1911, and Guiding followed in 1915...
and was held in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
.
The Conference met on 17, 19, 20 and 21 July 2010 for six half-day working sessions.
European Scout Committee
The European Scout Committee is the executive body of the European Scout Conference and is composed of elected volunteers. The Committee meets three times a year, alternating between BrusselsBrussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
and Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
, occasionally meeting at Kandersteg International Scout Centre
Kandersteg International Scout Centre
Kandersteg International Scout Centre is an international Scout centre in Kandersteg, Switzerland. The centre provides lodges, chalets and campsites covering 17 hectares of land. It is open to Scouts year round, as well as to non-Scouts for most of the year...
and Pax Lodge
Pax Lodge
Pax Lodge is the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts World Centre in London, England. It was opened in 1990 but was not the first World Centre in England. It was preceded by Olave House , named after Olave Baden-Powell which was preceded by Our Ark .Pax Lodge is located in historic...
as well.
Its Steering Group, comprising the Chairman, Vice-Chairman and the Regional Director, meets three times a year.
The European Scout Committee is composed of 6 members. They are elected for a three year term by the European Scout Conference. The members, elected without regard to their nationality, do not represent their country but the interests of the Movement as a whole, similar to Members of the World Scout Committee. The Chairman of the European Scout Committee is also a Member of the World Scout Committee.
The Regional Director, Honorary Treasurer and Chairman of the European Scout Foundation also attend meetings of the European Scout Committee.
Subregional groups
- Deutschsprachige Konferenz der Pfadfinderverbände, a conference of the German speaking Scout and Guide associations
- Nordisk Samarbeidskomité (Nordic Scout/Guide Cooperation Committee) http://www.speidereinorden.org/
- The Scout and Guide associations of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia cooperate in the organization of the Central European JamboreeCentral European JamboreeThe Central European Jamboree, is a Scouting jamboree for Scouts of Central European nations.-History:In 1931 a camp was held in Prague called Camp of Slavic Scouts, with participants from throughout Europe. Four years later, in 1935, the Central European Jamboree was organised in Spała, Poland...
s.
Regional Scouts administered directly by WOSM
The needs of Scout youth in unusual situations has created some interesting permutations, answerable directly to the World Scout Bureau. For years there was an active Boy Scouts of the United NationsBoy Scouts of the United Nations
The Boy Scouts of the United Nations existed from 1945 through perhaps the early 1980s as the Scouting association serving the families of diplomats and staff of the United Nations, active in both Geneva and at Parkway Village in New York...
in Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
, as well as 84 Scouts of the European Coal and Steel Community, an early precursor to the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
.
Cooperation
This region is the counterpart of the Europe RegionWAGGGS-Europe Region
The WAGGGS Europe Region is the regional office of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, which supports Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting in Europe, including the former Soviet Republics of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Russia, and Ukraine, but inclusive of Cyprus,...
of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts
World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts
The World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts is a global association supporting the female-oriented and female-only Scouting organizations in 145 countries. It was established in 1928 and has its headquarters in London, England. It is the counterpart of the World Organization of the Scout...
(WAGGGS). The European Scout Region has strong connections to the Europe Region of WAGGGS. Both maintained a joint office in Brussels for some years and published a monthly newsletter called Eurofax (this newsletter was already published by the European Scout Office before the joint office was opened, and reverted to WOSM when the joint office closed; it is still in existence under the name Euro.Scout.Info).
Full members status is held to the European Youth Forum
European Youth Forum
The European Youth Forum is the platform of the national youth councils and international non-governmental youth organisations in Europe...
(YFJ) which operates within the Council of Europe
Council of Europe
The Council of Europe is an international organisation promoting co-operation between all countries of Europe in the areas of legal standards, human rights, democratic development, the rule of law and cultural co-operation...
and European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
areas and works closely with both these bodies.
A WOSM joint Eurasian-and-European Scout meeting was held in Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
in April 2009.
European Scout Jamboree
The European Region of WOSM is the organizer of the European Scout Jamboree, which has been organized twice, in both cases as a test case for a World Scout JamboreeWorld Scout Jamboree
The World Scout Jamboree is a Scouting jamboree of the World Organization of the Scout Movement, typically attended by several tens of thousands of Scouts from around the world, aged 14 to 17....
organized in the same country within a few years. European jamborees are aimed at youth between the ages of 11 and 17, however many adults are involved as Scoutleaders or serve in the IST (International Staff/Service Team)
Past European Scout Jamborees include:
- 1st European Scout Jamboree in DrontenDrontenDronten is a municipality and a town in the central Netherlands. Its population is 39,787 .- History :Plans for the municipality of Dronten were made in the early half of the 1950s; real plans for the town of Dronten were revealed in 1958.The foundations for the town were laid in 1960...
, The Netherlands, 1994 - 2nd European Scout Jamboree in Hylands Park (ChelmsfordChelmsfordChelmsford is the county town of Essex, England and the principal settlement of the borough of Chelmsford. It is located in the London commuter belt, approximately northeast of Charing Cross, London, and approximately the same distance from the once provincial Roman capital at Colchester...
, United Kingdom), 2005
The European Scout Jamboree 2005 (EuroJam 2005) was held in the summer 2005 and lasted for 12 days between July 29 and August 10, in Hylands Park, Chelmsford
Chelmsford
Chelmsford is the county town of Essex, England and the principal settlement of the borough of Chelmsford. It is located in the London commuter belt, approximately northeast of Charing Cross, London, and approximately the same distance from the once provincial Roman capital at Colchester...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, near Gilwell Park
Gilwell Park
Gilwell Park is a camp site and activity centre for Scouting groups, as well as a training and conference centre for Scout Leaders. The 44 hectare site is in Sewardstonebury, Epping Forest, close to Chingford, London....
, an important campsite and training center for Scout Leader
Scout Leader
A Scout Leader or Scouter generally refers to the trained adult leader of a Scout unit. The terms used vary from country to country, over time, and with the type of unit.-Roles:...
s. About 10,000 Scouts from 40 countries were involved; it was considered the biggest Scout gathering in Europe for over 10 years and 50 years in the United Kingdom. It was also a dry run allowing the organization team of the 21st World Scout Jamboree
21st World Scout Jamboree
The 21st World Scout Jamboree was held in July and August 2007, and formed a part of the Scouting 2007 Centenary celebrations of the world Scout Movement. The event was hosted by the United Kingdom, as 2007 marked the 100th anniversary of the founding of Scouting on Brownsea Island.The event was...
to test a number of aspects of the upcoming event, e.g. traffic issues, necessary infrastructures and logistics.
Roverway
Roverway is a joint activity of the European Region of WOSM and the Europe RegionWAGGGS-Europe Region
The WAGGGS Europe Region is the regional office of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, which supports Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting in Europe, including the former Soviet Republics of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Russia, and Ukraine, but inclusive of Cyprus,...
of WAGGGS. It is open for youth aged 16 to 22 years. The activity was introduced in 2003 (as a follow-up to the Eurofolk
Eurofolk
Eurofolk, an European Scout event for Rover Scouts, was a cultural festival organized every four years between 1977 and 1997 by the European Scout Committee of the World Organization of the Scout Movement and the European Guide Committee of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts.The...
event that existed from 1977 to 1997) and consists usually of two stages: a "journey" with small units of Scouts making their way to the main camp, which is the second stage.
Past and planned Roverways include:
- Roverway 2003 in LeiriaLeiriaLeiria is a city in Leiria Municipality in the Centro Region, Portugal. It is the capital of Leiria District. The city proper has 50,200 inhabitants and the entire municipality has nearly 120,000...
, Portugal; motto "People in motion" - Roverway 2006 in FlorenceFlorenceFlorence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
, Italy; motto: "Dare to share" - Roverway 2009 in Úlfljótsvatn Scout CenterÚlfljótsvatn Scout CenterÚlfljótsvatn Scout Center is the national Scout center of Bandalag íslenskra skáta, the Icelandic Scout and Guides Association.It is situated by Lake Úlfljótsvatn, which lies just south of Lake Þingvallavatn. It is located approximately 70 km east of ReykjavíkVarious events take place there, such...
, Iceland; motto: "Open up" - Roverway 2012 in National Campsite of the Guides and Scouts of Finland, Finland; motto: "See. Feel. Follow"
- Roverway 2016 - TBA, this date was decided at the 2011 March meeting of the Joint Committee
Andorra
AndorraAndorra
Andorra , officially the Principality of Andorra , also called the Principality of the Valleys of Andorra, , is a small landlocked country in southwestern Europe, located in the eastern Pyrenees mountains and bordered by Spain and France. It is the sixth smallest nation in Europe having an area of...
is one of only five of the world's independent countries that do not have Scouting. The population is sufficiently large to sustain Scouting, but the Scout association of the tiny enclave in the Pyrenees
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees is a range of mountains in southwest Europe that forms a natural border between France and Spain...
has been dormant since the 1980s and at present there is no Scouting movement.
Non-WOSM European Scouting
Two other multinational Europe-specific Scout organizations exist, not linked to WOSM, the only geographic area to have such. These are the Confédération Européenne de ScoutismeConfédération Européenne de Scoutisme
Known in English as the Confederation of European Scouts, the Confédération Européenne de Scoutisme was formed in Brussels, Belgium on November 12, 1978, and is based in Belgium. CES stresses the European dimension of their Scouting program and that CES provides the "authentic Scouting of...
and the Union Internationale des Guides et Scouts d'Europe
Union Internationale des Guides et Scouts d'Europe
The International Union of the Guides and Scouts of Europe is a traditional faith-based Scouting organization with 20 member associations in 17 European...
.