Where Scouting Begins

Where Scouting Begins
Source: Asia-Pacific Scouting Newsletter

We continue to serve, as WOSM Secretary General Jacques Moreillon says "an idea and an ideal which are far bigger than any of us and which will last much longer than all of us.

Are we prepared? This could be a decades-old question, as challenge spring up in unprecedented ways. How do we serve a generation of young people who are different from us?

For this region, year 2000 sets the momentum for strategic planning. Leaders from 23 countries will meet in Melbourne, Australia this November to set a regional vision for the coming years.

While we speak of global changes and millions of members, it is about time to zoom-in our focus on the small but more tangible world of Scouts called the troop, the basic unit in Scouting.

The troop is where life in Scouting begins and where it grows if properly nurtured. Knowing and understanding troop life could lead us into deeper understanding of who young people are, how to better envisage the proper management of their activities, and most of all, to ensure that education, the ultimate goal of Scouting, starts with them.

Kim Kyu Young
Regional Director
World Scout Bureau / Asia-Pacific Region


Scouting Adventure, Risk & Safety

In his voluntary role as Chief Commissioner of Scouts Australia Queensland Branch, Jim is responsible for Youth Members, Leaders and numerous committee and support personnel in Queensland. Jim joined the Movement as a Cub Scout and became a leader at the age of 18 years. He progressed through the ranks and built a volunteer career that has spanned for more than 25 years. He is presently a member of the Asia-Pacific Regional Task force to Promote Risk and Safety Management in Scouting.

Central to the game of Scouting is Adventure. Adventure takes many different forms but whatever the form, a level of risk occurs.

Inherent in the role of those with responsibility for the management of Scouting is the safety of all involved in the Scout program, young people and adults alike.

The management of risk requires an in depth review of all aspects of members "playing the games of Scouting." This review needs to take account of past experiences, present requirements and future expectations.

The identification of risk in Scouting requires addressing three specific areas: activities, personal, safety, and organization, each related to the other therefore an integrated approach is required.

Activities - the challenging and adventurous nature of the Scout program automatically incurs risk. It would not be true to say that risk only applies where activities are of a particularly adventurous nature.

Risk certainly increases as the activity becomes more adventurous but risk also applies to the most simple of Scouting's program.

The management of the risk requires detailed evaluation of what is occuring and then developing procedures that address the risk relatives to the activity occurring.

Our own past experience, reviewing other organizations procedures (these organizations may have skills in specific areas of activity) local requirement are all factors that influence procedures that minimize risk in activities.

Personality Safety - this area of Risk involves around members (both young and adult) well being.

It relates to the abuse of another person's rights. A theater to ones personal safety can take many forms and the risk of this occurring depends in total on members being aware of their rights through an educational process.

Personal safety provides an opportunity to implement guidelines that insist on a code of behavior by all members. It is an educative process that instills in all their rights and obligations as members of Scouting and their local communities.

The well being of our members is Scouting's greatest responsibility. It is also the area of highest risk if it is assumed that all people know and understood the rights and obligations of others.

Organizational - Risk management for an organization necessarily covers all that is considered a threat to its members and indeed that organization itself. It contains a myriad of possibilities that could occur thus exposing its membership to harm.

The management of an organization has the responsibility to develop the policy and procedures so that its young people and their leaders can enjoy al that Scouting has to offer. The activities and the way in which they are conducted, the personal safety of members are paramount when evaluating risk.

An organization also has responsibility to protect its secondary resources i.e. - its financial assets. A threat to an organization assets will occur if it does not exercise due diligence in respect to ensuring that the fame of Scouting is played in a safe environment. Safety means the minimization of risk to the members of Scouting and wider, the community in which Scouting operates.

Managing risk a part of Scouting that requires a total view to be taken each. Each person in their own area of involvement has a part to play. We continually review Scouting's performance in relation to the program, its relevance and to ensure that Scouting's development is never at risk.

Risk management is essential as our movement continues to grow through adventure and challenge.