Never In A Million Years

Hey everybody! Its been awhile since you've heard from us so let me get you caught up...

The World Scout Youth Conference concluded an Rogla and it was a huge success! It was the best attended Youth Conference ever held with 186 participants from over 60 countries. We left having passed a declaration, recommendations to the triennial plan, and recommendations to the World Scout Committee. We also elected six new World Youth Advisors. These Youth Advisors will serve as youth representatives to the World Scout Committee and give a youth voice on issues impacting the scouting program internationally as well as advocating for more youth involvement throughout WOSM. After a long week of hard work it was time to recharge our batteries before the conference. 

On Friday we started the Interevent program with a tour of the famous Slovenian caves.  These caves take two hours to hike through along the river that winds through them. After our tour we continued on to the city of Portarose where we would be staying for the weekend. Our hostel overlooked the Adriatic Sea with a view of Croatia and Italy. Who can complain with accommodations like that?! The next morning our adventure continued with a trip to Piran. In Piran we participated in a scavenger hunt and Slovenia trivia game, had lunch at a small pizzeria by the sea, went swimming (where I found out that the Adriatic DOES have sea urchins), and did some shopping before our hike back to the hostel. 

On Sunday it was time to get back to business and get ready for the reason that we all came here. The World Scout Conference was ready to get underway. We boarded a bus to Ljubljana. Once arriving in Ljubljana we participated in the international street festival where cultural games were shared by all. Team USA shared one of our favorite pastimes with the wonderful game of football. After a few bruises were earned and even more new friends were made, we continued to check into our hotel before meeting up with the rest of the BSA delegation for dinner. Once dinner was completed we made it back to the hotel to prepare for the long week ahead of us. 

Never in a million years could I ever have imagined anything as amazing and life changing as this entire experience has been. It may be exhausting, but every last bit of it is fun. Somehow you find the energy to keep going when you are working for something bigger and greater than yourself and these two weeks are a fantastic example of that. I hope that throughout the rest of our time here we can continue to make BSA and the United States proud while still having fun and making memories along the way.

A People of Peace

It is hard to believe that we are finally in Ljubljana. These last few days have been jammed packed with fun,  fellowship and discussion. In order to achieve all the goals of the forum our delegation was separated into international teams. They were composed of scouts from various regions, with the hopes that the diversity of the group would all for better group participation. Within a few hours the groups were so close that the line between national borders were blurred, and all that remained was a group of scouts trying to make the world a better place.

The first session that we attended was the Keynote speech given by Mr. Ahmad Alhendawi, UN Secretary General’s Envoy on Youth. He encouraged the participant of the Forum to do their best to generate awareness to all of the major global issues, especially the pursuit to change the “troublemaker” image that many of todays youth are given. He said that it was the duty of the youth of the world to be the protectors of peace, and that we must continue the legacy of Baden Powell to be the best youth our nations had to offer.

During the Youth Forum the Youth Delegates of each NSO were tasks to select six youth to represent their interests as the World Scout Youth Advisors to the World Scout Committee. This year twelve very capable youth were nominated for the responsibility of being a world youth representative. The BSA Delegation spent hours trying to determine who we believed were the most worthy candidates might be, and after much debate we came up with a plan. 

Later, e

ach international team was tasked with the challenge of creating a resolution. Getting to see what every scout would like for the Movement is the major purpose of the Youth Forum. This process was facilitated by each group writing about where they would like to see scouting in the next three years, and then drafting team resolutions. This process was a lot more fun than it sounds. We were able to debate major world issues and what try to figure out how scouting could be used to solve these problems. Each group had amazing ideas, and I cannot wait to see what will be passed tomorrow.

These last few days have been amazing and eye opening experiences--one of the most prominent in my life. Needless to say this Forum has gone above and beyond all expectations, and there is no knowing the brilliant opportunities that the rest of the week has in store. Hopefully, we as scouts will be able to fulfill our responsibility to be the Protectors of Peace that Lord Baden Powell envisioned when he developed scouting.

Howdy from Slovenia with my new Canadian and Danish Friends

I was asked before leaving what International Scouting is like, this being my 3^rd event I kind of had clear answer. I thought I knew what to expect when I got on the plane and started by 24-hour journey to Slovenia, but when I set my head down on my pillow my first night and looked up and saw the clear, star filled night through the sky light and reminisced on the couple hours I have been here I already know this experience wont be like any other.

 After landing we were transported to the Ljubljana where we would meet a bus that will end our long trek to the 12^th World Scout Youth Forum in Rogla. After 16 hours of traveling with a 7 hour time zone change the last thing I wanted to hear when we got there was the bus wasn’t going to be there for another 6 hours. We then decided to explore the city, since you know we have 6 hours to kill, and we took full advantage of this opportunity. I am sure this picture can describe this incredible city better than I ever could.  

I completely fell in love with Ljubljana and can wait to be back next week for the Conference. 5 Americans in the incredible city, meeting locals, and taking pictures of everything filled the next couple hours until the bus arrived and the last couple hours of the trek to the 12^th World Scout Youth Forum began. We arrived right on time for dinner and were greeted by familiar faces from people I’ve met in other International Events, like ILT and the IAR Conference in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The tiredness quickly drifted while I caught up with old friends until the late hours of the night.

The first full official day began and was jam packed with adopting rules of procedure and the forum agenda, divided into our international groups, and began our number one mission of the week; networking with fellow scouts from around the world. The week is early and has already exceeded my expectations. I’m looking forward to the next couple days in Rogla enjoying the beautiful mountainous scenery and the cool mountain breeze that you don’t really get in Texas. 

“One tree, many branches: Our Movement, 

Our Community, Our Future”

Hey there! My name is Rachel Eddowes, and I am a Venturer from Virginia Beach, Virginia (Tidewater Council). I am currently attending George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, double majoring in Communications & Conflict Analysis and Resolution with a minor in Spanish. In addition to classes I’m an active Brother of Alpha Phi Omega, the co-ed service fraternity based on the scouting movement.

My involvement with scouting started as a Daisy with the Girl Scouts of America*.  When I was younger I had the opportunity to live overseas, and was able to earn the International Friendship Pin. When I turned fourteen I became involved with Venturing as part of the Boy Scouts of America*, double dipping as I worked on and earned my Girl Scout Gold Award and Venturing Silver Award. Through Venturing I became involved with leadership training: I served on staff for my council's National Youth Leadership Training, in addition to serving on staff for National Advanced Youth Leadership Experience at Philmont Scout Ranch and Florida Sea Base. This past December I was part of the pilot Interamerican Leadership Training (ILT), helping to develop the syllabus and to execute the course. In 2013 I represented the Venturing program as part of the 2012 Report to the Nation Delegation, delivering the annual report of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) to our nation’s dignitaries.

A cool international scouting experience (outside of when I was a young Girl Scout), was visiting an Ecuador scouting unit when I was participating in a study abroad in Quito. We spent three hours in a local park playing games--it was so cool to have fun and play with youth from another country yet still be connected through our ties to scouting! 

Yesterday Gus, Bear, David and Gerry, and I flew from the United States to Slovenia to represent the entire Boy Scouts of America at the 12^th World Scout Youth Forum (WSYF) and 40^th World Scout Conference (WSC). 

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These two world scouting events happen every three years. This year these events are taking place in Slovenia: the WSYF is taking place in Rogla between August 4-7, and the WSC is taking place in Ljubljana between August 11-15.

The WSYF was created as an educational tool to serve as a way for older youth in scouting to express their interests and concerns on topics surrounding issues affecting young people in different parts of the world, suggest ways of strengthening national youth policies and training young people for world citizenship, and contribute new ideas to the Scouting Movement on how to enrich educational programs for young people over 16 years of age.  Youth representatives ages 18-26 from each National Scouting Organization (NSO àfor us, the BSA) attend the WSYF; each country is recommended to send at least one youth with a maximum of five (up to two can be voting delegates, the rest are observers). In addition to discussing issues affecting youth, the youth attending the Forum will come together to elect the next Youth Advisors, and draft resolutions and declarations that will be passed on to the World Scout Committee. The theme for this Forum is “One Tree, Many Branches.”

Youth and national adult representatives from each NSO attend the WSC to formulate the general policy of the World Organization of the Scouting Movement (WOSM), consider proposed amendments to the WOSM Constitution, and elect the World Scout Committee members. We will also be voting on the host countries for a couple of international scouting events happening in the next coupe of years, such as the World Scout Moot and next WSC and WSYF. The theme for the Conference is “Shaping a Common Future.”

The Youth Advisors are youth who advise the World Scout Committee, and are a diverse group of scouts from all over the world. They serve as the voice of the youth, helping to ensure that WOSM provides for the youth in today’s society. Six are elected at every Forum and serve their term for three years.

The World Scout Committee is made up of twelve adult scouters from around the world. They promote the Scout Movement throughout the world, advise and assist NSOs, approve the annual budget, and supervise the organization of World Scout Events among other responsibilities.

One of the current committee members is Dan Ownby, a member of the BSA. He is currently running for a second term. Fun fact: he was part of the original planning group who came up with the Interamerican Leadership Training!

So, you’ve met the team. Gus represented the BSA at the Interamerican Region Conference this past year, Bear participated in a contingent trip to Kandersteg, David is part of the planning team for the 2019 World Scout Jamboree, Gerry played an integral role in establishing the Interamerican Leadership Training, and I was able to hang out with an Ecuador scouting unit. Today we start the next part of our journey for scouting (one tree) with the rest of the world (many branches).

*The Girl Scouts of America is a member of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, or WAGGGS, and was founded by Juliette Gordon Low. The Boy Scouts of America is a member of the World Organization of the Scouting Movement, or WOSM, and was founded by William D. Boyce. These are two completely separate organizations chartered by the U.S. Congress, each stemming from the vision of Sir Robert Baden-Powell.