CENTENNIAL
UPDATE
Greetings,
Our Centennial Year is well underway and I would like to share
with you some of the highlights.
Yours in Scouting,
David Wray
Centenary Communications
Voyageur Council
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2007 CENTENNIAL GALA A SMASHING
SUCCESS
Saturday February 24th saw 375 business and
community leaders and friends of Scouting participate in the 2007 Centennial
Gala at the Museum of Civilization in Gatineau QC.
In the very capable hands of emcee Kevin Newman (of
Global TV) the evening will be remembered by those in attendance as a renewal of
their enthusiasm and appreciation for the legacy of the past 100 years of
Scouting. Speeches by astronaut Steve MacLean, and Mt. Everest climber JF
Carrey were augmented by the comments of our outstanding Scouts Canada
Foundation Scholarship recipients. The evening was rounded out with
wonderful music by local band One Square Mile who in addition to leading a
rousing sing-song also premiered their 100th Anniversary of Scouting
song “Always Be Prepared”.
The weekend opened with a bang as Global dedicated
almost 15 minutes of the Feb 23 evening news to Scouting. Interviews with successful Canadians, and
a friendly chat with Scouting members who were in attendance at the show, made
for an exciting program.
The Scouts Canada Foundation thanks all who were
involved in the Gala and wishes everyone a happy 100th
birthday.
- John Rietveld,
President & Executive Director
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*
PRIME
MINISTER’S MESSAGE
February 24,
2007
Greetings
from the Prime Minister
It is with
great pleasure that I extend my personal greetings and congratulations to all
those attending the 100th Anniversary
of Scouting Gala this evening.
Much has
changed in the century since the Scouting movement was born, but it has always
remained committed to its founding social values of respecting others,
protecting the natural world and promoting intellectual, physical and spiritual
development. Scouting is one of the
hallmarks of our civil society, teaching our young people the virtues of duty,
sacrifice and love of country.
As a young
boy growing up in Toronto, I was privileged to be involved in Scouting. I can still recall the Pledge and the
values the organization helped instill in me - a committment to family,
community and public service. The Scouting movement has done much to mould
successive generations of Canadians and to preserve the founding values of our
great country.
I would like
to take this opportunity to thank the organizers and volunteers whose hard work
and dedication went into ensuring the success of this
event.
On behalf of
the Government of Canada, please accept my congratulations and best wishes for
another century of Scouting.
Sincerely,
The Rt. Hon.
Stephen Harper, P.C., M.P.
Prime
Minister of Canada
(From
http://www.scouts.ca/media/documents/Galapmgreeting.pdf)
* * * * * * *
* * *
MEET
OUR CENTENNIAL AMBASSADOR
The Centennial
Committee is proud to announce that Craig Kielburger, longtime Scout member and
founder of the international youth-run children’s rights organization Kids Can
Free the Children, will promote Canadian Scouting worldwide as our
Canadian Centennial Ambassador!
Once upon a
time...there was a 12 year old boy named Craig Kielburger. He lived with his family in suburban
Toronto. He was a Cub and a Scout;
and enjoyed many happy times in Scouting.
On a sunny morning in
1995, Craig was flipping through the comics at his family’s kitchen table. A
story caught his eye: he was shocked to learn about the murder of
another boy his age: a former child carpet worker who had spoken out
against child labour. He was outraged and wanted to do something about it. With
a small group of school friends setting up shop at Craig's parents' home, Free
the Children was born. The organization quickly evolved into an
international phenomenon to help free children from poverty, exploitation and
powerlessness.
Craig is now 24 years old
and a dynamic international presence. He has been featured in many
international magazines, met almost every key leader in the world, and been
nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. He credits the leadership training
and skills he received in Scouting with helping to shape the person he has
become. How cool is that!
That's not all: Scouts
Canada and Craig will be teaming up this year for some amazing projects. The first one starts right now: every
single member of Scouts Canada is invited to do one good turn
this year! Hey Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, Venturers, Rovers and Leaders: find out
how you can help
Ambassador
Projects...coming soon
There's
more to come, so stay tuned!
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*
SCOUTS AND GUIDES SPIRIT
FLAME
Kenya, 22 February 2007 - Today in Nyeri, Kenya,
several thousand Scouts gathered at the grave of Baden-Powell, the founder of
Scouting, to light a flame which will cross Africa and Europe, as part of the
Movement's Centenary celebrations.
On July 31st 2007 (the
eve of Scouting’s Sunrise) it will arrive on Brownsea Island (UK), which is the
place where the very first Scout camp was held one hundred years
ago.
Leaving from B-P's old
residence, the procession, which included the British officer Lord Robert Baden
Powell (B-P's grandson), local and international Scouts and Guides and ISGF
members, then took part in a ceremony at B-P's grave to light the torch which
symbolises 'the spirit of Scouts and Guides'. Speaking at the moving ceremony,
Suzanne Mudhune, Director of the Association of Kenyan Guides stated, "you are
the leaders of tomorrow, I call on you to perpetuate the ideals of Scouting, and
to make a difference in society".
Martin Levy, Chairperson
of the International Scout and Guide Fellowship (ISGF) then added: "This flame
pays homage to a man who was a visionary, and who did not know that this
Movement was going to join together 30 million people and that millions of
others would benefit from his method of teaching the promotion of non-violence,
the refusal to discriminate or the defense of the environment."
Born on February 22,
1857, Baden Powell retired in 1937 and remained until his death in 1941, in the
town of Nyeri (approximately 120 km in the north of the Kenyan capital Nairobi),
close to Mt. Kenya.
(From
http://www.scout.org/en/information_events/media_centre/press_releases/scouts_and_guides_spirit_flame)
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*
B.P. VIDEO FROM THE WORLD
BUREAU
(http://www.scout.org/en/information_events/media_centre/audiovisuals/who_is_this_man)
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*
CENTENARY STAMPS
Many Scout Associations are choosing to mark the
Centenary year in conjunction with their national post authorities and issue a
series of special stamps.
Isle of Man Post Office
is joining in the celebrations of the movement - which began with just 20
members in England in 1907, but now numbering more than 28 million young people
spread over some 155 countries around the world – with 'Scouting 2007', a set of
six stamps and a miniature sheet to be one of the first Centenary stamp series
released, and on the date of 'Founder's Day' 22nd February 2007. This will make
their first day covers very special indeed.
Three of the stamps
depict present-day Isle of Man Scouts engaged in three popular activities,
hiking, camping and kayaking, the others illustrate three fundamental principles
of the association: commitment, ceremonials and community service.
The issue is complemented
by a prestige full-colour booklet offering fascinating glimpses of 100 years of
Scouting in the Isle of Man, designed by Mike Southall, MBE, assistant Island
commissioner (Explorer Scouts) and includes references to Robert Baden-Powell’s
visit to the Island in 1911.
In addition, two of the
stamps – the 31p and 44p – form Isle of Man Post Office’s EUROPA - 100 years of
Scouting (see posteurop.org) issue for 2007.
If you know of any other
NSOs that are also producing postage stamps to mark the Centenary of Scouting,
then please share your information with WOSM as it would be wonderful to have a
full record of all stamps produced for 2007. In addition, World Scouting
welcomes the possible use of the Scouts brand and logos but please contact the
World Scout Bureau Brand Manager first.
As the release of
Centenary stamps grows, stay tuned to scout.org in the future to see the full
gallery of stamps.
NOTE ** Canada will be issuing a stamp on
August 1, 2007 at the Canadian Jamboree **
________
Eastern
Ontario Administrative Centre
Serving White Pine and Voyageur
Councils
1345 Baseline Road
Ottawa, ON K2C
0A7
1-888-726-8876
(613)225-2770 ext 500
easternontario@scouts.ca