Fellowship Day - 25 October 2019
Dear Friends,
Let’s go back some decades. It is the year 1953, October 25th, and the place is Lucerne in Switzerland. Gathered there are representatives from 18 countries that all have a passion for international scout/ guide activities and want to continue although they are adults.
This is the beginning of ISGF, the International Scout and Guide Fellowship.
(photo: Opening speech Erik Sjøqvist)
Now 66 years later, membership of the International Scout and Guide Fellowship has spread to over 66 countries throughout the world. In another 39 countries ISGF has members (Central Branch members) who are encouraged to create an organisation (guild or fellowship) for adults, in cooperation with the National Scout and Guide Fellowships in their Region.
Our aims and ambitions may have changed in some ways, but we are all ready to make friendships blossom. We get together in our local guilds, we go to gatherings and conferences and build bridges to make the scout and/or guide spirit stronger and are prepared to make new friends. In August next year we will gather again at the 29th ISGF World Conference in Madrid Spain. There we will have the opportunity to make new friends and build bridges throughout the world.
We are stronger together and united we can make things happen.
Every day we are reminded of problems all over the world. Mother Earth is suffering, and people suffer with her. Constantly we hear about climate change. There are floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions, which often lead to hunger, and people becoming refugees. It is getting warmer in many places, ice in both the north and south is melting and that makes the waters of the sea rise higher with new challenges occurring.
CAN WE THE FAMILY OF ISGF DO ANYTHING ABOUT THIS? Yes, we can all contribute a little.
We can alter our habits on how we treat the earth and we can influence other people. We can reduce our trash especially plastic and we can all think before we act.
The ISGF World Committee would like to thank all members for their contributions and urge everyone to send us information, pictures, etc. of the work they have done around the world.
Let us celebrate in friendship united for a better world.
Happy Fellowship Day.
Regards,
ISGF World Committee members
pdf 2019 Fellowship Day message (85 KB)
pdf 2019 Mensaje del dia de la Amistad (146 KB)
Fellowship Day greetings from:
pdf Europe Region Committee (142 KB)