Scout Fellowship (UK)
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The Scout Fellowship is an organisation which has worked alongside The Scout Association in the United Kingdom since 1976, and has provided support of Scouting activities in the UK by linking ex-members of The Scout Association back into Scouting. Prior to the Fellowship, The B-P Guild of Old Scouts, fulfilled a similar role after its creation in 1948.
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[edit] History
[edit] Origins
At the International Scout Conference in August 1947, a resolution was passed which recommended that national Scout Associations should form extended association of Old Scouts. This was to coincide with the 40th Anniversary of Scouting in 1948.
The precursor to the Scout Fellowship came into being in June 1948, and was set up to be a distinct organisation which was separated from the training sections in The Scout Association (then known as the Boy Scouts Association). This new organisation was named The B-P Guild of Old Scouts.
It was a further five years before the new organisation gained its own Constitution, and held its own elected Council and Committee.
A review was also made at this time, due to the new Guild not being as involved with The Scout Association had had been hoped, and a five point agreement was made to remedy this:
- Membership of the B-P Guild of Old Scouts should be encouraged by and from the ranks of the Scouts and Scouters themselves. Responsibility for recruitment should be a joint one shared between the Boy Scouts Association and the Guild.
- There must be direct liaison between the Boy Scouts Association and the B-P Guild of Old Scouts at all levels.
- The B-P Guild of Old Scouts and the Boy Scouts Association should share each other’s publications.
- Each branch should perform services to local Scouts with individual members of each branch doing as much or as little as they were able. There was still a real place for those who could contribute only fellowship and moral support.
- The B-P Guild of Old Scouts desired to include in its membership all associations of old Scouts whatever their titles. The Boy Scouts Association supported the Guild in this and urged all former Scouts to become members.
[edit] International Organisation
Shortly after this new agreement, the Guild became a founder member of the International Scout and Guide Fellowship, and subsequently adopted the official badge of the international organisation.
[edit] The Fellowship
The Scout Fellowship was formed in 1976 as part of a plan to restructure the support given by the old members of Scouting.
Each District now has its own Fellowship, which replaced The B-P Scout Guild and also merged other District level support groups into their folds.
The Fellowship was made a full part of The Scout Association in 1999, and was integrated under the auspices of Adult Support.
This move meant that the Fellowship, now a part of the World Organisation of the Scout Movement, is no longer a member of the International Scout and Guide Fellowship.
[edit] Daughter Organisations
[edit] Deep Sea Scout Fellowship
The Deep Sea Scout Fellowship has been an autonomous sub-organisation within the Fellowship since 1991.
[edit] Support Provided by the Fellowship
The Fellowship provides a resource base from which Groups across the District or County can access skills instructors, administrative support, or training.
Typical roles for Fellowship members are to provide specialist skills to Scouting activities, for example, kayaking instruction or pioneering.
The Fellowship can also provide extra hands on camps, enabling the camp leaders to run and organise activities without having to overstretch themselves with much of what could be considered a support function (for example, cooking meals).
[edit] Membership
The Fellowship is open to all members and ex-members of The Scout Association, as long as they are above 18 years of age.
Even currently warranted leaders or members of the Scout Network can join the fellowship.
[edit] Organisation
Typically, there is a chairman and committee who run the District Fellowships, and they keep track of members and resources in order to meet requests from the Groups and Units that they serve.
[edit] See also
- International Scout and Guide Fellowship
- The Trefoil Guild
