24th World Conf report.doc
Version date: Oct. 10, 2005
Page 47 / 52
ISGF 24
th
World Conference 2005
Conference Report
My daughters, who, since I went back into the Scout Movement in 1979, have always
supported me and my husband who has always encouraged me to go on in my activities and
who still gives me very good advice.
The 3 other persons are today deceased.
Genevi,ve Campredon; I am sure some of you have known her.
When I joined the team representing WAGGGS in the UN in Paris, Genevi,ve was a
member of this team. She was also the IFOFSAG (now ISGF) Vice-chair.
One day, a short time before her death, she asked me to come and see her at home.
She asked me "what do you think of IFOFSAG?"; I had absolutely no idea. She gave me an
explanation and asked me then: "if you were in IFOFSAG, what would you like to do?"; my
immediate answer had been "create or support IFOFSAG branches in Africa". Was it a
premonition?
Genevi,ve, if you hear me or if you see me, you were right. See what your friends did with
me.
Ang,le, my sister, my friend; in fact, she was neither one nor the other; she was a part of
myself. Ang,le was the General Commissioner of the Girl Scouting Federation in Ivory
Coast, when she passed away last summer; she was less than 50 years old.
18 years of cooperation between Scouts and Guides of France and Ivory Coast, 18 years of
common dreams, 18 years of common work had sealed a deep complicity between us, an
indestructible friendship. Death has broken them, both.
Ang,le, who had been for a long time the Vice-chairman of the WAGGGS Africa Committee,
taught me a lot about WAGGGS and much more about Africa; she would have probably
been elected at the WAGGGS World Board in a few days.
Ang,le, if you hear me, if you see me, you would have been proud of me today.
My father. When I was very young he taught me the respect of the fundamental values, those
I discovered later when I was a Girl Scout, those values that we still encourage in ISGF, and
which have to be defended now may be more than ever.
He taught me the pleasure of an effort and of a job well done; he taught me that, in life, we
had to try to do our best and to go as far as possible.
My Dad, if you hear me, if you see me, know that today your lessons have been carried out.
Thank you.
