Natsga

The WOSM website: http://www.scout.org/en/information_events/news/2008/announcement_to_national_scout_organizations I subscribe to the WOSM Newsletter "worldinfo-en@scoutnet.org" and get it emailed straight to me

WOSM Crisis - the Aftermath ANNOUNCEMENT TO NSOs As had been planned for some time, the World Scout Committee met in Geneva from 29 February - 2 March 2008. At its opening session on Friday afternoon, following consultation with other members of the Committee, the Chairman Herman Hui announced his intention to resign both as Chairman and as a Member of the Committee,effective immediately. The World Scout Committee, with deep regret,accepted this resignation. At the opening of the Saturday session, the Committee elected Vice-Chairman Philippe Da Costa as its new Chairman, and also elected John Gemmill as a new Vice-Chairman. Thrse Bermingham continues to serve as a Vice-Chairman. Philippe Da Costa, supported by the two Vice-Chairmen, then chaired the rest of the committee meeting. Outgoing Chairman, Herman Hui explained that he had made his decision to resign in the best interests of the Movement, following the turmoil that the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) has recently experienced, which had led to the departure of the former Secretary General Eduardo Missoni last November. Herman felt that stepping down at this time the first opportunity that he had had to meet with the full World Scout Committee since last November would help the WOSM to "turn the page" on recent events and look forward with renewed confidence to the World Scout Conference in Korea in July 2008, and the next triennium. The World Scout Committee put on record its most sincere appreciation to outgoing Chairman Herman Hui for his service to the World Scout Committee and to World Scouting since 2002, and his chairmanship since 2005. They commended him for his courageous decision to step down and the dignified manner in which he had dealt with the many recent pressures on him personally and on the Committee as a whole. A message from the new Chairman,Philippe Da Costa, appears below. I would like to particularly acknowledge Herman Hui's devotion to our Movement. During difficult moments, he acted as a Scout, faithful to the values and principles of Scouting, looking to safeguard the unity of the Movement and the World Scout Committee. The present circumstances encourage us to look towards the future by analysing the recent events. We must resolutely continue on the path of unity, serving youth and the ideals of our Movement. Conscious of its responsibilities, and fully determined to prepare for the future, the World Scout Committee encourages dialogue and commits itself with a firm belief in the improvement of the Movement's way of functioning, so as to better serve National Scout Organizations. The World Scout Committee encourages each and every one to play an active role in creating the conditions for change that are expected to contribute towards a better world. The World Scout Committee wishes to remind all members of our loyalty towards Baden Powell's instuition and invites one and all to continue our tradition of social innovation by adapting our organisation to new challenges for a new century of Scouting. The agenda of the World Scout Committee meeting dealt with a number of important issues, notably proposals for the future governance of WOSM which will be considered by the World Scout Conference in July. Details of these proposals will be sent to all National Scout Organizations in the coming days.(This message has been edited by natsga)

Here is what the Ex SG says about the Budget: DELAY IN PRESENTING THE WSB BUDGET Quote from the BSA Letter but it has not completed its 2007/2008 budget for at least three months into the current fiscal year Quote from WSF board chairmans letter Elementary rules of good governance are not followed by the WSC and the WSB... the WSC [World Scout Committee] at its September meeting accepted without comments that the 2007/2008 budget had not yet been presented... ...also the final audit report of the 2005/2006 accounts was not yet ready and approved at the September 2007 meeting... The delay in the presentation of the budget has been due to the introduction of a new Project Cycle Management approach that includes the use of new planning software. Both the staff and the Chairman of the Budget Committee have experienced some difficulties with the implementation of the new software and the presentation of its output. In addition, the budget for this year (2007-2008) was delayed due to the deployment of nearly all WSB staff resources to handle the World Scout Jamboree, the Centenary [the 100th anniversary of Scouting] activities. We believe the delay has been a temporary and acceptable consequence for transforming the WSBs planning approach to one with a 360-degree perspective on overall operations. For example, in the past our budget read like an oversimplified and narrow list of expenses, and now we have progressed to a budget plan for the WSB that is project oriented and outcome based. This transformation creates a system that is more responsible with WOSM funds. However, to reap these rewards, the WSB has undergone a metamorphosis of our budgetary and financial expenditure practices that required more time and energy than what was originally forecasted. In addition to our shift in budgetary practice, because this year is a World Scout Conference year, the final budget for the year could not be completed before the World Scout Committee had set its priorities toward that goal. In any case it was proposed, and the World Scout Committee accepted, without criticism, that the budget would be submitted to postal vote before the end of December. Regarding the final audit report of the 2005-2006 accounts, the WSB consolidated accounts for fiscal year 2005-2006 were audited and ready to be signed without reservation by 22 February 2007, being 4.5 months after the fiscal years closing date. This readiness was stated in the letter composed by the independent auditors of Ernst & Young. The accounts were approved by the World Scout Committee at its March 2007 meeting, pending the final confirmation of one figure by the auditors of Ernst & Young. This figure that required confirmation was the value of the shares held by the WSB-Interamerican Regional Office in the Picarquin realestate and managing companies. The valuation of these shares required the completion of a full audit of Picarquins operations. Picarquin works on a fiscal year different from the WSB, and Ernst & Youngs audit of Picarquin was at last delivered mid-September 2007. The Picarquin audit confirmed the original figure and allowed the audited report of the 2005-2006 accounts to be published. Regarding transparency, the management of WOSM financial resources in all offices of the WSB follows internal written procedures, regulations deriving from Swiss laws and statutes, as well as the laws and statutes of the any events host country (when applicable). These policies and laws are applied to the preparation, implementation, monitoring, and control of the WSB budget, to the regular accounting, and to year-end budget reporting operations. There are additional financial controls at various levels throughout the WSB and WOSM. For example, the Budget Committee (whose membership includes the World Scout Committee Chairman and other volunteers) receives detailed financial reports on a regular basis, and the Audit Committee ensures the overall accuracy and propriety of all financial reports and actions. An internal auditor and external auditors both doublecheck and review the accounts within their requirements, including the process by which the accounts are prepared. The external auditors have never communicated any uncertainty, caution, or conditionality within their past reports to the World Scout Committee.

Hi I have been following this thread for a week or 2 so decided to join in. I am from the UK so also belong to a member of the "Pataya 7" I was also at the World Scout Scientific Congress in Geneva. If NSO's are unhappy about things at the WSB, then they have the right to have their concerns addresed. This should be done in accordance with the guidelines laid down in the WOSM constitution. I don't agree with the actions of the "Pataya 7" (My NSO included)as they set an unwelcome precedent. I also don't agree with people slating the BSA as they were not the only culprits. I think many people are shocked becasue it just seems like a case of "do what we want or the WSB goes down the tubes" which is not really in the spirit of Scouting. Again none us know all the facts. We only have the information in the documents to work with. I know this is the "political" thread and we know that you get politics wherever people get together, but It freaks me out that people are trying to compare the WOSM with the UN - Scouting is non political and I think that drawing those comparisons is unhelpful. Just to let you know I was at Summer Camp back in 1994 and loved every minute of it, amde oa lot of friends that I was lucky to meet up with again this year at the Jamboree