Network Meeting Minutes

at Wellend Scout Activity Centre on 6th October 2001

The chairman of the Well End activity centre read a message on behalf of the County Commissioner Roger Sands.

David Bull and David McKee were given awards for their contributions to starting the Russian Network.

Back in August of this year we invited friends from Russia to stay with us on the international camp. 11 attended and self financed themselves

Those that attended helped to run a Russian craft base.

They went to the usual places in and around the camp and the UK and we came across a number of people who had been to Saratov on the camp. Bill and Paul and Phil Barlow visited us on the camp

Home Hospitality went well

Last year thirteen of our Scouts went of to Russia.

This year we did a lot of fundraising with the Scouts that went to Russia encouraging the younger Scouts that want to go in 2003. We raised £5000 through bag packing, screen washing and quiz nights.

11 Russian Scouts came over (8 Scouts/ 3 leaders)

We spent a weekend in London staying at Putney boat house, then on to home hospitality, Totnes provided a civic reception, we went on to camp. All had a wonderful time, the patrols were mixed Russian and English.

We have been working with these links for 4 yers and had an exchange in 1998/99. We found there was a venture scout camp in Romania and planned to have a joint camp with our friends from the Komi Republic.

After 2 days in Bucharest we went to camp in an old quarry attended by 200 people. There were 20 activities on the camp, pioneering, climbing, paragliding etc. For food we all mucked in together cooking on open fires. The drinks for the whole camp was a brew of tea made from mint and herbs found on the site.

A military base was near by, and army men sat around the fire to make sure we were fine, they kept an eye on a family of bears and provided a 24 hour watch.

The site had only just been recently acquired by the scouts and a District in London plans to go out there in 2003 to develop the site.

Dave thanked everyone for the presentation he received of his medal.

After Volga 2000 we received so many emails inviting us back that we decided to stay in a hotel and allow them all to visit us rather than offend anyone by not staying with them.

We found that when we booked the hotels with Intourist, they organised all our visa requirements. We can confirm there is an airport at Saratov

We travelled in March 2001, had VIP treatment which we were conned into paying $10 per head. We travelled Aeroflot and was met by Pasha and Andrei and were driven by car to arrivals. Our friends had been waiting an hour for us, in sub zero temperatures, and were glad to meet us. The hotel was in need of repair but was on the main street in Saratov Pasha organised a full programme for us, we walked down to the Volga which was frozen , fisherman were fishing in ice holes and there was a hole for bathing

We visiting three scout meetings, I visited the Amazons and had a Lovely evening with them. On another day we went to Petrosk were we visited a school and were bombarded with questions, we then went on to a museum and were very late getting back to Saratov.

Next day we went on a Skiing trip from the hostel that we stayed in last year, a BBQ for lunch in the snow and then met more friends at the American burger Bar We then went back to Moscow for 2 nights.

Pasha now works in Novgorod and there is a search on for Pasha’s replacement. We are now raising funds for the Russians coming over to Cheshire next year. Andrei is a possibility for Pashas successor and he is interested in joining ARNSO.

David Bull reported for David McKee.

Condolences were sent to the Boy Scouts of America after the terrorist attack on the 11^th September. We want to change the world we live in and teach everyone to be good citizens.

Our support for scouting in Russia is through Network Russia. The principle support is for ARNSO but people with existing links and friendship can continue to be encouraged, but would ask anyone wishing to make new links to consider only groups registered by ARNSO. We are encouraging ARNSO leaders to attend a leaders course for Adult training being run at Gilwell Park funded by a charity.

Grants are available, to include an explorer belt fund. David Bull is to provide a report to Steph on this for publication in the newsletter.

The Eurasia scout region is a developing area

If you are working with scouts from Russia there is a Join in Jamboree pack that can be used as a resource, the funds raised from selling this pack helps to fund some special groups going to the Jamboree.

In 1995 we were asked to give a figure for the amount of money being spent on supporting Russian scouting - we calculated that the time spent by individuals equated to £500,000 up to that point.

15% of the Russian federation are Muslim, few are in reality involved in Scouting, this is something the Russian Scout movement needs to consider.

He has heard that ARNSO have 15000 to 20000 members, but would want Sergei to confirm this.

The support of Headquarters was thanked by Bill.

In April I had an email saying 2 Leaders were to visit - a month later I am told 4 will be coming and then I am told 8 will be attending. The numbers changed again back to three. I didn’t know when they were coming and for how long but set some provisional plans in place.

A fortnight before they were due to arrive I had heard nothing. I then received an email saying they were waiting for their plane. They didn’t arrive. About two weeks later I received an email to say they were arriving at 9pm at Heathrow on the 11^th August, I had picked up the email at 6pm that evening. We arrived back in Nottingham at 1am with 2 Leaders.

We visited local places - they stayed for 11 days - we attended BP house for one night in order to visit the capital.

Met Katya in Saratov during Volga 2000 - later thast year she visited the UK for a week , Howard returned to Russia for a First Fire Camp in Volgagrad in March . She is a school administrator and Scout Leader. Howard returned in July and attended another Camp. Volgagrad scouts appear to be losing numbers at the moment, they gave the impression that they are not interested in the politics and joining ARNSO.

Howard and Katya are to marry and have had fun trying to sort out the documents , the wedding is planned for the 10^th November in Russia. Peter & Vera have been a great help.

Slava Chernik and others are visiting at the end of October for a Training Course at Gilwell Park.

David Tranter of Bristol from youth education has been asked by the British Education Services to visit Archangelsk ( he should be there now) and will report back to Bill.

Went back to Rubinsk this May and had the opportunity to take things slowly and see how things are, as an outsider I felt things had improved since I had spent any time there five years ago. The economy seemed to be improving. I went to teach in the school and was paid by being taken out to various towns. I was taken to Yaroslavl to visit a scout group and conversed with them in Russian. I was able to take home hospitality with a guider.

I would like in the future to keep the links going , we want them to drive the links more, the one group that was the driving force is the only group that has not joined ARNSO.

They have suggested that October would be a better month for the next visit, we would like to do some training with them when we return.

Our display was well received and successful.

Awards were made to Bill, Eric, Kevin and Steph for their contributions to Russian Scouting.

Disappointed that many Districts did not have representatives at the meeting, we are to encourage our own ACCI to attend.

In 1922 the World Organization started at a World Conference, many countries have now joined and exist as an outside show of solidarity of the World Scout Association

It provides the opportunity for world jamborees and world moots.

The World Conference will vote on a countries entry to the World Organisation of the Scout movement. The country will have to comply with the following criteria -

• The structure has to be democratic
• There has to be a youth movement with a national identity
• Follow the principles & values of scouting
• A programme and system of supporting adults such as training.

When a Country qualifies then provided there is no opposition to their election then they become a member.

David Bull explained that he had been elected to serve a second term with the European Scout Organisation that is concentrating at the moment with support with Eurasia.

Welcomed by Bill. Sergey thanked the Russian Network for the efforts of the Network to support Scouting in Russia, he says every scout in Russia is aware of the support given by the Network. He talked about Scouting in Russia and took questions. Read more here.

Eric explained the promotional items currently available.

Will now take place in November 2002 and will be advertised nationally.

The list supplied from Oxford had 143 names on it. Paid up members are now 59 of which 40 are warrant holders. 7 are not members of the Scout Association

Eric stated that we were solvent and had invested in promotional items for future sale.

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