Dear friends,

2006 will be full of events at the Sub-Regional level. So we dedicate this issue of Bureau-Info to these Gatherings. We invite you to read carefully the information published by the National Scout and Guide Fellowships (NSGFs) organising these events, if not already done. You can find this information on their website or ISGF web site http://www.isgf.org.

 We invite members of most NSGFs to participate in these gatherings. The debate will be of a high standard if we consider the themes selected by the Sub-regions. You will debate on peace and solidarity between people, friendship. It is an opportunity for dialogue and reciprocal exchanges of expertise. The NSGFs hosting these events did not spare any effort to make your stay enjoyable and comfortable.

We invite our International Secretaries (IS) to promote these Gatherings at the national and local levels. 

                                    News from the Regions and Sub-Regions

Freindship in the North

Welcome to Bodø, Norway

The Baltic and Nordic Sub-region organise its 25^th Gathering in Bodø, Norway , 21-25 June 2006. The programme deals with a wide range of topics giving a privileged space to Nature. We hope that most of our members will participate in this event as it is now well known that our friends from Norway are good at organising events.

For more information, please click on:  Welcome to Bodo , Bodo Registration form

Please note that the registration deadline has been extended to 15^th March 2006.

 Europe without Borders, Bridges to Peace

Welcome to Clervaux, Luxembourg

The Scouts et Guides Adultes de Luxembourg invite you to attend the  23^rd Western Sub regional Gathering in Clervaux, Luxembourg, 16-20 June 2006. It is a chance for our ISGF members to meet, work towards a better mutual understanding and build up an open and peaceful world. So let us meet in Clervaux, a charming town located in a beautiful landscape.

The registration deadline has been extended to the 5^th March 2006.

To know more on this gathering, please click on: 23rd Western Europe Sub Regional Gathering ,

 Meeting our neighbours

Welcome to Rothenburg ob der Tauber , Germany

 The Verband Deutscher Altpfadfindergilden (VDAPG), the German National Fellowship, will host the 5^th Central Europe Sub Regional Gathering. It will take place in Rothenburg ob der Tauber, 30th August-3^rd September 2006. The theme “Meeting our neighbours” is an invitation to be open, friendly and to break down barriers. We look forward to seeing you in this beautiful medieval town situated at the intersection of the so-called "Romantic Road" and the "Castle Road", 425 m above sea level.

The information on this gathering is available on the Internet or: Invitation to Rothenburg , Rothenburg Registration form

 Please note the registration deadline: 30^th April 2006.

Southern Europe Sub-regional Gathering

This Gathering will precede the Mediterranean Gathering. It will be held, In Acireale, Sicily, 5-7 November 2006.

  The Mediterranean, cradle to peace and solidarity among people: which contribution from the young and adult scouts and guides?

Welcome to Acireale, Sicily

The 12^TH MED (Mediterranean Gathering) hosted by MASCI  (the Italian National Scout and Guide Fellowship) will be an important gathering where people from various cultures will exchange and share ideas and experience that will certainly contribute to strengthen solidarity and comprehension for a peaceful world. It is useful to remind the theme of this meeting: “The Mediterranean, cradle to peace and solidarity among people: which contribution from the young and adult scouts and guides?”  We invite you to read and or download the documentation published by MASCI (Movimento Adulti Scout Cattolici Italiani), at www.masci.it or  from our website : Invitation to Acireale, Sicily  ;programme of the Mediterranean Gathering; Meeting cultures; Registration to the MED 2006  

Please note the registration deadline: 15^th May 2006.  

 *We remind you that any registration must be sent to the address mentioned in the registration form. The World Bureau will provide assistance and support but cannot be involved in the registration procedure.

                            News from the National Scout and Guide Fellowships

 Greece

We would like to welcome the new board of the Joint Committee of Former Scouts and Guides of Greece (JCFSGG) recently elected.

Mrs Nana GENTIMI is the new National President

Mrs Maria FAGOGENIS is the new International Secretary.

We wish them every success.

Libya

Mr Tahar Ettoumi is the new National President of the Libyan Scout and Guide Fellowship.

Mr Ali Essewisi is the new International Secretary o the Libyan Scout and Guide Fellowship.

We would like to convey our warm congratulations on their appointment.

Romania

We would like to say “Welcome” to the new board recently elected:

Mr Ion Calinescu is the National President

Mrs Ioana Nichita remains as the International Secretary.

Iona has informed us that they have started the Scouting Museum in Bucharest, thanks to the financial support to the Pfadfindergilde Liechtenstein( the NSGf of Liechtenstein) and they would welcome any visitor to Romania.

We would like to add that Ioana offered her help for any translation we would request. Welcome to Iona to our translators network and thank you.

                                       News from the World Committee

  Leny Doelman, the new CB Coordinator, appointed by the World Committee at its last meeting in October, visited the World Bureau, 10^th January 2006 for the hand over from Colette Annaert who has been acting CB Coordinator over the period of July-October 2005.

 It is very important for the ISGF World Committee (WCOM) to strengthen the communication between the National Scout and Guide Fellowships (NSGF) and the WCOM and World Bureau (WB). This communication should certainly not be one-way. Therefore we will ask you to take part and be active in building a better communication within ISGF.

All communication from WCOM and WB to the NSGFs will be sent to the International Secretary (IS) and cc to the National President (NP). The IS is considered to be contact-person to a NSGF as the IS is required to speak and write at least one of the ISGF languages (English and French).

From the WCOM and WB you (IS and NP) can expect to receive:

·        Bureau-Info

·        World Gazette Mondiale

·        Password for ISGF Intranet.

 World Gazette Mondiale (WGM)

In 2006 you can expect to receive 4 editions of WGM. Each NSGF will receive 3 copies of each edition for free. If your NSGF would like to have more then these 3 copies you (IS) must order WGM as described in B-I November 2005. You can also download the WGM order-form via ISGF Intranet. Please remember that it is the responsibility of the IS to send the WGM order-form from their respective NSGF. All individual subscribers must send their order-form to the IS in their NSGF.

 As of 1^st of April 2006 you can download WGM from ISGF website. You will find WGM as a PDF- file with colours and photos and as a Word-document where there is only the text. Feel free to download and translate the WGM into your national language.

 As of 2007 the WGM will be producing 3 editions per year. It may be with the same number of pages with, 2 editions  each 4 pages and the third edition in October before Fellowship Day with 8 pages. By doing so, ISGF can make use of the October edition for sharing activities from the past year. In that way ISGF will be more visible to the outside world. Inside ISGF we can use the activities to get inspiration for the activities to come in the NSGFs.

This is very much a question of economy. There are many volunteers doing a great job. It is very expensive to produce WGM and to send it to each individual subscriber.

The World Committee (WCOM) will debate further on this subject and a decision will be taken latest at the WCOM meeting in October 2006. Until that time we are very happy to receive your comments on this matter so please e-mail or write to the World Bureau (WB).

 NSGFs national magazines.

 We request that you  send 2 copies of your national magazines to ISGF WB. The WCOM and WB will read them in order to share activities presented in your magazines. We will use this knowledge about what is going on in the NSGFs to inspire other NSGFs via web and WGM. We might contact you (IS) to get further information about a special event in your NSGF. This is one of the ways that we can support each other in a continuous development.

 Photos showing activities.

ISGF needs to show everybody that we are an active movement. One of the ways to tell about that is to show a lot of photos with activities from an international, national or local event. We know that a lot of activities are going on in the guild movement. Will you (IS) please send us some photos from your events? It must be photos that ISGF are allowed to make use of whenever possible or needed. It will be nice to have just a few comments with the photo ex. place, date and event.

WCOM and WB will work on building a “phototeque” so that all visitors on the ISGF web can enjoy these active adult scouts and guides.

 Annual report 2005.

Thank you to those IS who already have sent their NSGF Annual report 2005 to the WB.

WCOM wants to read all reports very carefully so that all the good ideas and activities can be shared by all ISGF individual members.

We will use some of the ideas for publication on ISGF website. We are also working on an up-dated version of the Ideas booklet and maybe your activity could be a good inspiration for other NSGFs – so please remember to send your Annual report 2005 latest by 1.5.2006.

News from WAGGGS and WOSM

WAGGGS has appointed Marjorie Samudzimu, as its Representative at our World Committee.

Marjorie is married with three grown up children.  She is now a grandma of twins who will be turning two in March.

Marjorie joined Girl Guides when she was six years old as a Brownie and has never stopped till to this day.  She has been a Unit leader, Trainer,Ranger Adviser, Deputy and Chief Commissioner for the Girl Guides Association of Zimbabwe.  She is currently a vice President of the Association.

She was a member of the Africa Committee for nine years and was Chairman of the Committee in the last three years of her term of office.  She is currently a member of the World Board of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts and a member of the Communications Committee.

She is an educationist by profession and took early retirement a few years ago.  She enjoys watching sport, singing and meeting people.  

WAGGGS World Board awarded Martine Levy, Chairman of ISGF World Committee, the WAGGGS Bronze Medal, for “what you have done….for girls and young women through your leadership of the WAGGGS Team at the United Nations in Paris...and your ccoperation with Africa...where you improved the education of underprivileged girls…… Your chairmanship of the World Committee of ISGF has been characterized by sound knowledge and the desire to develop creative and culturally relevant solutions to meet the organisation’s needs….” (Elspeth Henderson, Chairman, World Board WAGGGS).

WOSM has appointed Georges El Ghorayeb, as its representative at our World Committee. 

Georges is married with two children

 He was the International Commissioner of the Lebanese Scout Federation (1996- 2002) then from 2004 to date. He is member of the Arab regional Strategy Committee since 1999. He was Formerly Commissioner for scout Branch (1980-1988) and President of the Lebanese Scout Association (1998-2004).

He has participated in three World Scout Conferences at Oslo, Durban and Thessalonica; in three Arab regional Conferences in Qatar, Jeddah and in Cairo; in four Euro-Arab Meetings since 1997; at the 18^th World Scout Jamboree (2005, in Holland) and at the 10^th World scout Moot (1996, Sweden).

Georges has a Master’s degree in Management. He is Postgraduate in Finance and Accounting Expertise. Since 1982, he is owner of a firm specialising in audit, expertise and financial studies. He is financial expert sworn in by legal tribunals in Beirut.  He is Associate director of French audit company, member of the Lebanese Order of Auditors and of the Arab Order of Auditors.

News from the World Bureau

 The Indexation of the fee

We would like to remind you the letter sent, on 17^th May 2005,  with the World Conference paperwork, concerning the indexation of the annual fee and that we are enclosing to Bureau- Info.

The new rates are:

1, 80€ instead of 1, 64€

1, 20 € instead of 1, 09€

0, 60 instead of 0, 55 €.

For more information, please click on: Annual fee-Indexation

 Census

We would appreciate if you could send us the census form by 15^th March 2006, the latest. It is important that we receive this information in due course. We will issue the invoice according to the new Fee system which was adopted by the World Conference at Lillehammer. This system is meant to be incentive and those who increase their membership will get discounts. 

Directory

Xavier Rousseau, the new assistant to the SG has improved the Directory (the tables giving the National Presidents and International Secretaries contacts). These tables have been updated up  to 27 February 2006. They will be sent separately. We will advise you when thesel ists will be in the Intranet.

 Recent publications issued by the World Bureau

ISGF Constitution, as approved at Lillehammer, please click on: ISGF Constitution and Bye-laws

The 24^th World Conference report, please click on: 24th ISGF World Conference report