- Document 1 - a Joint Statement on Relationships between the World Association of Girl Scouts and Girl Guides (WAGGGS) and the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM).
- Document 2 - an appendix by the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, the organization within which the Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. (GSUSA) is the member national organization for the United States of America..
- Document 3 - an appendix by the World Organization of the Scout Movement, the organization within which the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) is the member national organization for the United States of America..
Readers are asked to accept and refer to Documents 1 through 3 as a coherent and inseparable set, none of which are to be edited in the process of passing them to third parties.]
BEGIN Document 1:
TITLE: "Statement on Relationships between The World Association of Girl Scouts and Girl Guides and the World Organization of the Scout Movement"
DATE: uncertain, hand annotated at end "29/5/92"
The World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) and the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) are two separate and independent Organizations, governed by their own Constitutions and following policies decided by their respective World conferences and their elected World committees.
The two World Organizations have many factors in common. They do have differences in their membership policies (see Appendix I WAGGGS, Appendix II WOSM).* They have stated general points of agreement as well as guidelines for cooperation.
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* These Appendices are established separately by WAGGGS and WOSM. They will be attached to the text of the Statement of Relationships at all times. Each Organization may update or amend its own Appendix at any time subject to prior notification to the other Organization.
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This State is the expression of their commitment to contribute to the non-formal education of young people and to encourage international understanding, respect and friendship amongst Scout and Guide** Organizations all over the world.
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** Throughout this Document, for ease of reading, Scout/Scouting refers to Scouts, Cubs, Rovers, Venture Scouts, etc. and Guide/Guiding refers to Girl Guides, Girl Scouts, Brownies, Rangers, Cadets, etc.
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1. Common Factors
1.01 Scouting and Guiding have much in common
Ñ The same Founder, Robert Baden-Powell, who established the Scout Movement and the Guide Movement.
Ñ Identification as voluntary educational organizations, self-governing and independent of any political organization.
Ñ The same fundamental principles expressed in the original Promise and Law, to which Member Organizations and individuals make a voluntary commitment.
Ñ Membership open to all regardless of race, creed, nationality or ant other circumstances.
Ñ A similar purpose to develop members' full potential and their sense of responsibility to their community, local and global.
Ñ A method of progressive self-education through a personal commitment (promise and law), learning by doing, membership of small groups (such as patrols) and progressive and stimulating programmes taking place largely in the outdoors..
Ñ The support and guidance of voluntary adult leadership.
1.02 The two World Organizations and their Member Organizations therefore encourage cooperation at local, national and international levels for the mutual benefit of their members.
2. Types of Cooperation and Guidelines
As both WAGGGS and WOSM are working toward a world of equal partnership between males and females, the basis of the cooperation is the awareness of and respect for the difference between the sexes. WAGGGS and WOSM recognise the need to use a variety of approaches in the ways of work at all levels (Local, National, Regional and World) in order to support and encourage personal development.
2.01 Cooperation between Scout and Guide Organizations at national level covers a range of possibilities.
Ñ They may be separate but have occasional cooperation, undertake joint activities or have agreements for special purposes.
Ñ They may have a combined Organization called "Scout and Guide National Organization" with a variety of choices in terms of integration/autonomy in structures. They are responsible for developing leadership, programme, training, finances, etc. (see paragraph 2.03).
2,02 When Scout and Guide Organizations are separate, activities and events involving both Organizations may be:
a) initiated by either Scouts or Guides.
b) joint activities planned, carried out and evaluated together; these should be of equal educational value to Scouts and Guides.
2.03 Scouts and Guides who form together one "Scout and Guide National Organization" are free to determine the structure most suitable to their circumstances, provided that structure ensures that:
a) The "Scout and Guide National Organization" complies with the requirements of membership of WOSM and WAGGGS.
b) The male and female components have equal rights and duties; they each have a fair share in the formulation of the National Organization's policy, its management, including financial management, and the development of its adult leadership.
c) Young people of both sexes are offered equal educational opportunities and flexible programmes to meet their particular needs.
2.04 At World level there is WAGGGS/WOSM Consultative Committee, hereinafter called the Consultative Committee. (See Section 4)
3. Points of Agreement
The two World Organizations agree:
a) To recognize the autonomy and distinctive mission of WAGGGS and WOSM.
b) To maintain links at world and regional levels and to encourage good relations at the national and local levels.
c) To encourage National Organizations to help each other to increase their membership by offering Scouting/Guiding to a greater number of boys and girls but not through recruiting units, leaders and/or members from the other Scout or Guide Organization.
d) To co-operate in strengthening National Organizations that are Members or those who have expressed a will to become Members of WAGGGS and WOSM.
e) To consult on key policy and constitutional issues concerning Guide and Scout National Organizations that are members of both WAGGGS and WOSM or those who have expresses their will to become members.
f) To share information on the starting or re-starting of National Organizations or Organizations changing entity.
g) To provide advice and assistance in the event of a problem arising between Scout Organizations and Guide Organizations.
h) To build on common factors to enhance the credibility of both Movements, and their positive contribution to the world issues of today.
4. The WAGGGS/WOSM Consultative Committee
4.-01 The aim of the Consultative Committee is to create and maintain a climate of mutual respect, understanding and cooperation. The Consultative Committee ensures the exchange of information between the two World Organizations about plans, current developments and experiences in Member Organizations; stimulates the thinking of the two World Committees on issues facing young people and trends in youth work, and identifies priorities for projects and possibilities for actions, jointly or separately.
4.02 The Consultative Committee consists of:
Ñ The Chairman, or Chairman's Representative, of each World Committee;
Ñ two other members of each World Committee;
Ñ the Director of the World Bureau of WAGGGS and the Secretary General of WOSM.
4.03 The Consultative Committee meets at least once a year.
5. Implementation
The World Committee of both WAGGGS and WOSM agree that this Statement:
a) Shall govern the relationship between the two Movements, subject to such directions as may from time to time be given by either of their respective competent bodies.
b) Shall be reviewed at least once every three years by the Consultative Committee..
c) Shall supersede any earlier agreement between WAGGGS and WOSM.
[signed] Barbara G. Hayes
Chairman, World Committee, WAGGGS
[signed] E.F. "Bud" Reid
Chairman, World Committee, WOSM
[signed] Jan Holt
Director, World Bureau, WAGGGS
[signed] Jacques Moreillon
Secretary General, WOSM
END Document 1
BEGIN Document 2:
TITLE: "Statement on Relationships between WAGGGS and WOSM - APPENDIX I - World Association of Girl Scouts and Girl Guides"
DATE: "March, 1992"
WAGGGS MISSION
Open to all girls and young women the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts is a voluntary worldwide Movement.
Based on spiritual values, WAGGGS has a commitment to peace and international understanding.
WAGGGS offers a dynamic educational programme to girls and young women to develop their full potential as individuals, through the concern for others.
WAGGGS strives for excellence by providing opportunities to enable girls and young women to make informed decisions in a changing world.
Through the sharing of common values, and experiences and enjoying friendships, members develop confidence and skills to shape the future.
With professionalism, determination and vision WAGGGS gives a lead to girls and young women of today to be the responsible world citizens of tomorrow.
[an organization chart is placed in the document at this point.
The chart shows an outlined element at the first level,
"WORLD CONFERENCE",
and in separate outlined elements at the second level,
"WORLD & SUB COMMITTEES" and "WORLD BUREAU".
the three elements are connected to each other with bi-directional arrows.
The chart also shows an outlined element at the third level,
"MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS";
this element is connected to each of the three elements above with bi-directional arrows.]
WAGGGS
The largest organization for girls and young women comprises:
Ñ 118 Member National Organizations
Ñ 8 Million members
Ñ 30+ National Organization working towards membership
Ñ 4 Regions / Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe and Western Hemisphere
1 Regional Group / Arab
Ñ 4 World Centres in Switzerland, United Kingdom, Mexico, and India
Ñ 6 WAGGGS United Nations Teams in New York, Nairobi, Geneva, Paris, Rome and Vienna
Ñ 3 official languages - English / French / Spanish
Types of Membership in WAGGGS
Ñ Single Sex Organizations (Girls only)
all members of WAGGGS
Ñ Joint and Merged Organizations (Girls and Boys)
female members of WAGGGS
male members of WOSM
END Document 2
BEGIN Document 3:
TITLE: "Statement on Relationships between WAGGGS and WOSM - APPENDIX II - World Organization of the Scout Movement"
DATE: "April, 1992"
Policy Statement established by the World Scout committee on 27 April, 1991 on Girls in Scouting and WOSM/WAGGGS Relationships
A. Girls in Scouting
1. Under its Constitution, the world Organization of the Scout Movement is open to young people without distinction of sex. While each national organization takes its own decision on how it can best meet the needs of young people in its country, national organizations which include both boys and girls, all members of WOSM, now represent the most common type within WOSM.
2. As a result and while fully respecting the fact that within their country national organizations may opt for either a male/female membership or an all-male membership, WOSM considers itself at world level as an organization that welcomes both sexes. Consequently, WOSM's policy is one of equality between the sexes, which implies the need to have an equitable involvement of women at all levels of WOSM including its Regions, and its national organizations which have opted for male/female membership.
B. Vision of the Future
The World Scout committee believes that, at the dawn of the third millenium, the logical evolution would imply that all those who adhere to the ideals of Lord Baden-Powell work together within the framework of the same Movement and the same Organization, even though, at national level, some organizations may opt for an all-male or an all-female organization.
C. WOSM/WAGGGS Relationships
1;. The World Scout Committee shall not promote a modification of the status quo concerning Scout and guide national organizations (SAGNOs) whose boys are members of WOSM and whose girls are members of WAGGGS; it shall therefore not encourage the members of WAGGGS to join WOSM. However, should this take place spontaneously, the World Scout Committee shall not oppose it.
2. For newly established (or re-established) national organizations that are in the process of being reorganized, the option between SAGNO and all-WOSM membership will be clearly explained, the national organization being free to select the type most convenient to it. WOSM representatives will explain the advantages of membership in one World Organization as the long-term natural evolution stated under B above.
3. Concerning the specific situation in Europe, which has a very high proportion of SAGNOs, the World Scout Committee encourages its European Region to envisage, with the Europe Region WAGGGS and without prejudice to the existence of two separate World Organizations, a specific European solution in the form of a single Scout and Guide Conference comprising a single Scout and Guide delegation from each country who would designate a single Scout and Guide Committee.
