Scouts Guild of Austria
The Austrian Scout Guild (PGÖ) is the umbrella organization for all scout guilds in Austria . Each guild is an association of guild scouts (formerly known as old scouts). The PGÖ is a member of the International Scout and Guide Fellowship (ISGF), the international guild organization in the Europe region, Central Europe sub-region. The association currently has around 3,300 members who are organized in 103 guilds (as of 2008).
history
Already during the first republic (1918–1938) there were the first old scout guilds within the Austrian Scout Association (ÖPB) since 1922. In 1936 the Austrian Association of Former Scouts was founded, which was dissolved by the National Socialists in 1938 .
Inspired by the St. Georgs Gilde Denmark, after the Second World War, old scout guilds emerged in Austria from 1948. These guilds were (as in 1922) the fourth age group of the ÖPB; Associations with loose ties to the main groups. Despite the departure of former ÖPB groups in 1951 from the joint association PÖ, ÖPB guilds and PÖ clubs merged to form the Association of Old Scout Guilds of Austria (VAPGÖ) on March 17, 1953 . 11 member associations with 291 old scouts were the beginning of the common guild movement in Austria. The name was changed to the Austrian Scouts Guild (PGÖ) in 1979 .
Since October 23, 1953, the association has also been a founding member of the International Federation of Former Scouts and Guides (IFOFSAG), renamed ISGF in 1996. The PGÖ belongs to the Europe region, in 1991 it was involved in the establishment of the Central Europe sub-region.
Six Austrians have been elected to the World Council so far, three of them as chairmen. In 1956 Vienna was the venue for the World Council, in 1973 and 2008 the World Conference, and in 1990 the first European Conference.
Outside the PGÖ there are also some guilds or old scout clubs that are either related to the ÖPB or the PPÖ and, for various reasons, do not want to be bound by a central association.
organization
The PGÖ is responsible for the administration, organization and distribution of the guild movement in Austria. It is the link to the ISGF and to international and local institutions. She helps the guilds with events, campaigns, contacts across borders and coordinates this. It also provides publications and working aids.
The association board, elected by the general assembly, which takes place every three years, is the governing body of the PGÖ.
There are 8 districts and the central guild
- District of Upper Austria
- District of Lower Austria North
- District of Lower Austria South-East
- District Lower Austria West
- District South (Styria, Carinthia, Burgenland)
- Vorarlberg district
- District West (Salzburg, Tyrol)
- District of Vienna
- Central guild, directly affiliated to the association, looks after all guild scouts who do not belong to any existing guild (e.g. if there is none at their place of residence)
Each individual guild is an independent association according to the Austrian Association Act .
The PGÖ association is headed by the association guild master, each district by a district guild master and each guild by a guild master.
For all officials there is a comprehensive multi-level training opportunity and the forum for managers. As part of the Woodbadge courses , the level “Diplom-Gildemeister” or “Diplom-Gildefunctionär” (“Woodbadger”) can be achieved analogously to the youth associations; see also leadership training at Gilwell Park .
Members
accession
True to the motto of Lord Robert Baden-Powell : “Once a boy scout - always a boy scout!” , The guild scouts who have exceeded the age limit of the youth associations (usually 20 years), former, but also active youth leaders, as well as all adults who were not scouts, but affirm the goals and want to support the educational work of the youth groups.
Members can wear a blue scarf with the PGÖ lily.
Membership numbers
The PGÖ has a total of 3259 members, of whom 1964 are male (60%) and 1295 are female (40%). There are 794 married couples (49%) and 1,671 individuals (51%). The number of female guild scouts is increasing the most (all figures from 2008).
The PGÖ is the seventh largest guild association worldwide after Great Britain, Italy, Denmark, Belgium, the Czech Republic and Australia (as of 2007).
Law, promise, motto
Law:
- We are a world community of adults who affirm a way of life that is based on the basic values of scouting. We want to develop our talents and abilities, use them and put them at the service of the community; seek the way to God in the spirit of faith; Practice tolerance, respect and understand others, and try to help them; respect individual and community freedom as long as the freedom and rights of others are not impaired; Realize our commitment to our Austrian homeland and our democratic understanding more strongly; not only take part in culture, but also promote and help shape it; protect and preserve all areas of nature and help prevent destruction of the environment; Promote the Scout Movement to the best of our ability.
Promise:
- In the spirit of global scouting that unites peoples, we promise to work for the fulfillment of these laws at all times.
Motto:
- I fulfill!
Action 100
Aktion 100 is a disaster fund of all guilds of the Association Scout Guild Austria for support in financial emergencies. The name is derived from the initial idea in 1988 that all guild members should donate ÖS 100 as start-up capital. The help is intended for people who got into an emergency through no fault of their own, regardless of whether they are guild members, scouts or other people. Between 1996 and 2011, 24 applications were processed positively.
Further actions
- Social commitment at home and abroad:
- Harambee Costa Kenya, a joint action with Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein and Kenya to create a storage area near Mombasa with full infrastructure ( Harambee is Swahili for cooperation)
- Aid to Romania through donations in kind and work (e.g. construction of the youth home "House of Hope" for orphan girls in Bistrița , expansion of the disabled children's village in Colțeşti )
- Tent village for refugees near Jastrebarsko (Croatia)
- Sponsorships for orphans ( SOS Children's Villages , as well as in India, Nepal, Vietnam, Ecuador, Bolivia, Brazil)
- Culture: Visiting cultural events together, theater groups, dance and music performances, cultivating local customs
- Sports and socializing: fitness events, hikes, sports competitions, social activities (also with other guilds)
- Support of the boy scouts: financial help with material purchases, personal participation in competitions of local groups, warehouse logistics (especially for national and international large warehouses)
- Family scouting: national activity programs for young families with children
- Scout Museum and Institute for Scout History: exhibitions, collections of badges, scarfs and other insignia, large archive with publications, photos, correspondence, historical documents, participation in the annual Long Night of Museums
- Twinning: Partnership with guilds in other countries, exchange of experiences, active help
- Campaign Peace Light : Financial and personal support for the boy scouts for the Christmas Peace Light relay from Bethlehem to as many countries as possible
European forum
In 1969 a regional guild meeting of the Alpine countries took place in Grossarl (Salzburg) with 94 participants from five countries. From this the European Forum of Guild Scouts developed . Since then, 300 to 500 guild scouts from more than 15 countries have met annually for a week of joint activities. Guest speakers so far have included Otto von Habsburg , the spaceman Franz Viehböck , the Austrian National Bank President Stephan Koren , the German Member of the European Council Günther Müller , the computer pioneer Heinz Zemanek , the artistic director of the Salzburg Festival Gerard Mortier and also the former EU Commissioner for Agriculture Franz Fischler . The 10th and 20th anniversary forum was opened by the current Austrian Federal President . In addition to some domestic social activities, a well was built in Ethiopia in 1999 with donations from guild scouts from all over Europe as part of Menschen für Menschen .
There are three monuments of the guild scouts in Grossarl:
- the European (1979)
- the sky knot (1984, renewed 2000)
- the boy scout greeting hand (1998)
Publications
- The guild path. Information magazine of the Austrian Scouts Guild. Media owner, Scout Guild Austria, Vienna, appears four times a year.
- Alfred Partsch / Werner Weilguny: Guild active. Guide of the Austrian Scouts Guild. Self-published Boy Scout Guild Austria, Vienna 2009.
- Alfred Partsch: The First 50 Years - History of the Scout Guilds in Austria 1951-2001. Self-published Boy Scout Guild Austria, Vienna 2001.
- Kurt Pribich: Log of the scout associations in Austria. 2nd edition, self-published by the Austrian Scouts Guild, Vienna 2004
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ Alfred Partsch: The first 50 years. History of the association 1951-2001. Self-published Boy Scout Guild Austria, Vienna 2001, pp. 9ff., 25ff.
- ^ Alfred Partsch: The "International Scout and Guide Fellowship. Past and present of our world association. Self-published Pathfinder-Gilde Österreichs, Vienna 2006, pp. 11,61-63,74,111,112.
- ↑ The Guild Path. Information magazine of the Austrian Scouts Guild. Media owner of the Austrian Scouts Guild, Vienna, issue 2/2009, No. 391/59. Volume, p. 9.
- ↑ The Guild Path. Information magazine of the Austrian Scouts Guild. Media owner of the Austrian Scouts Guild, Vienna, issue 1/2009, no. 390/59. Volume, p. 7.
- ^ Alfred Partsch / Werner Weilguny: Gilde Aktiv. Guide of the Austrian Scouts Guild. Self-published Boy Scout Guild Austria, Vienna 2009, p. 55.
- ↑ Aktion 100 Homepage
- ↑ Harambee Homepage ( Memento of the original from May 25, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Pfadi News No. 2/3 2000/2001
