Page 2 Scouting Rotarian Vol. 8, Issue 2
PHOTO: IFSR Secretary Bud Allison and PDG Jim Simpson at IFSR's booth during the
"Rotary Expansion in Russia" conference in Houston.
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IFSR Secretary Bud Allison hosts
Scouting Rotarians from Russia
This fellowship's international secretary, Bud Allison, was on the host committee when the
fifth annual conference on "Rotary Expansion in Russia and Eastern Europe" came to the
Nassau Bay Hilton in Clear Lake City, Texas, 911 February. Under Bud's experienced
supervision, IFSR members assembled and staffed a large and eye-catching information booth
that was visited by conference participants from 19 countries.
This annual event features speeches, discussions and presentations aimed at assisting and
guiding Rotarians and Rotary clubs in developing a strong network of Rotary clubs in Russia
and Eastern Europe. In addition, the meeting offered opportunities for Russian and U.S.
Rotarians to strike partnerships for club creation and mentoring, exchanges, World
Community Service projects and Rotary Foundation programs.
Hammering home this year's theme of Create Awareness and Take Action, RI President
Frank J. Devlyn told attendees that Rotary needs to grow in order to serve more effectively at
the club and international level.
Conference participants enjoyed a rare opportunity to meet both the incumbent and the
incoming international presidents of our worldwide organization. Both are Life Members of
IFSR. Entertaining the audience with several examples of his quick wit, President Devlyn said
he is a Tenderfoot Scout at heart.
President-Elect Rick King must have visited the IFSR booth before going to the podium, as
he told a memorable story (reprinted on page 2 of this issue) about his own Rotary club's
sponsorship of a Boy Scout Troop.
Outlining ways in which Rotarians across the world can help promote Rotary in Russia,
Russian Rotarian Alexey Khoklov said that the long-term future of Rotary in Russia would
best be secured through strengthening the culture of service in the country, especially by
promoting Rotaract and Interact clubs. "The Rotary idea of serving others is in conflict with
the old Russian [communist] concept that one should serve the state," he said. Paraphrasing a
famous quote from U.S. President John F. Kennedy, Khoklov said; "Don't ask what Rotary
can do for Russia. Instead ask what Russia can do for Rotary."
Do you recognize
these acronyms?
WOSM/WAGGGS Meeting
Representatives of WOSM (the World
Organization of the Scout Movement) and
WAGGGS (the World Association of Girl
Guides and Girl Scouts) met at Pax Lodge
in London recently to "share perceptions,
clear up misunderstandings and hopefully
encourage a realization that there are few
differences in the fundamental principles
and educational methods of WOSM and
WAGGGS."
Regardless of pendulum swings in the
relationship between those 2 international
organizations, down at the Rotary club
level it makes a lot of sense to support
local troops of both genders. Current and
former professional executives of both
Boy Scouting and Girl Scouting recently
participated in the organizational meeting
of a Rotary District Scouting Liaison
Committee in central Texas (see page 4
article), and all were members of Rotary
clubs in their home communities.
Take a look at the local headquarters
for Girl Guides / Girl Scouts as well at the
Boy Scouts when recruiting members for
your Rotary Club, and for IFSR.
This issue Scouting Rotarian adds the
websites for Girl Scouts International and
the World Association of Girl Guides and
Girl Scouts to our page 4 list of web sites.
PHOTO: Scouting Rotarians and family members at Lord Baden-Powell's House in London.
CALENDAR
(If you can represent IFSR, contact Harold Friend)
11-13 May = Eurasia Scout Conference, Belarus
7-13 July = European Scout Conf., Czech Republic
16-25 July = Austrian National Jamboree
23-28 Sep = Inter-American Scout Conf., Bolivia
7-11 Oct = Asia-Pacific Scout Conference, India
28 Oct - 2 Nov = Arab Scout Conf., Saudi Arabia
16-25 Nov = Africa Scout Conference, Gabon
"Let's do a Scout Project!"
WOSM's new publication for scout leaders
titled Let's do a Scout Project! sounds like a
natural fit with a Rotary Service Project -- you
might provide a mentor to the scouts, or maybe
you'll do a joint project combining their youth-
ful energy with your wisdom and vision.
Just released last September the new booklet
suggests a step-by-step project approach as a
way to motivate youth to plan achievable goals
and then carry out the plan. You can download
the document from this website:
www.scout.org/wso/publications.html
