WORLD SCOUT FOUNDATION
ANNUAL REPORT 2019
READY TO LEAD!
THESE YOUNG LEADERS ARE READY What a year this has been to take on the role as Chairman of the Foundation Board! 2019 was simply amazing. The World Scout Jamboree, only held once every four years, gave the opportunity to gather many of the most promising young leaders on the planet and to inspire them and millions of others back home and online through their actions. And in the background, we could also see the footprints of great leaders like yourselves, who invest in Scouting because you know it is truly the greatest leadership development programme in the world. Our report this year highlights just a few of you.
Hector Robledo Cervantes Chairman, World Scout Foundation
As I write, the world is tensed up with fear of the unknown: for many it’s a global virus, for others it’s conflict in their country or community, and for others, particularly in the younger generation, it’s all the above, combined with anxiety about the future of the world’s climate. What is clear though, is that in every community around the world, people are looking for leaders with integrity: people from their own community they can trust because they grew up with them and because they have seen them doing good in their own back yard. I believe, and I hope you do too, that Scouting provides the training, the values and the living experience of leadership to create that beacon of trust in every community—whether in a young man called Aden or Martin or a young woman called Sakura.
these incredible young people, will be worth millions in real terms in the future. Every penny will be multiplied by their investment of time and energy. Where else— particularly these days—can you get that return of investment? We might all be afraid of the unknown, but for decades, a young man or young woman in Scout uniform has been a very familiar, comforting sight to millions. And today in these difficult times, Scouts are showing that leadership. With your help we will strengthen this. Let me leave you with one thought. With your support, we have been operating the Messengers of Peace Initiative since 2012. Since then, we have made the largest popular contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)—more than any other organisation. And we have also, as a result, attracted more young people to Scouting, growing from 37 million in 2012 to 54 million today. This is an incredible success! Millions more young leaders working in communities worldwide. You have helped millions more young people to take that oath, don the uniform and become a pillar of trusted leadership. Just what’s needed today! Thank you.
Thanks to you, every moment of time given to inspire
World Scout Foundation Annual Report 2019
1
A VISIONARY LEADER A World Scout Jamboree is ten years in the making! That’s how long national teams take to build a dream experience for 45,000 young leaders from around the world. The objective is to inspire the participants so that when they return home, they are ready for anything! And the 2019 event was no different, hosted by the USA, Mexico and Canada. But 2019 was unique, in that the site was brand new to Scouting and was actually a disused coal mine! So, ten years ago, when the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) chose the Summit Bechtel Reserve as the site for their latest challenge, they needed two teams: one to find the resources and a second to create the dream. Enter Wayne and Chris Perry, who led the charge in the Summit fundraising team. And what a job they did! But to create the dream, something special was needed, as Bob Mazzuca, then CEO of BSA, explains: “For us, there was really only one choice: a man who had served in a volunteer Venturing role for years, then later as National Commissioner (the volunteer overseeing all youth programmes). He knew our members better than anyone else! This guy had attended national, but more importantly, world Jamborees and knew what was needed. So”, says Bob, “Jack Furst was our only choice! And luckily, John Gottschalk, the then BSA National President, was in full agreement!” Jack set to the task like a kid with full size Tonka Toys, but instead of a sandpit, Jack had to turn a disused open cast mine into a place that would give the experience of a lifetime to all the Scouts who would go there.
2 World Scout Foundation Annual Report 2019
And in the summer of 2019, Jack stood at the Summit overlook and gazed across a panorama of tents and programme areas for 45,000 young, inspired leaders from 150 countries, who were living an incredible experience at the World Scout Jamboree. Their lives would never be the same again after the high adventure, international intercultural bonding and inspirational skills’ training—all in Jack’s “sandpit”— the Bechtel Summit! These young men and women were in the greatest leadership development school—and loving it. They would leave the Jamboree ready for anything! (A few months later, “anything” has come sooner than they thought!) “It was a dream come true. The site is huge—fourteen thousand acres—and the logistical challenges were not small. We had to set up a town with food and utility supplies for 45,000 inhabitants—done! Fire and health services—done! Security—done! Telecoms, connectivity—done!” And Jack’s dream didn’t stop there. As a passionate Scout leader, the “infrastructure” for the site was one thing, but the “software” of the site was far more important! Scott Sorrels, the volunteer in charge of programme on the site, explains: “the team saw to it that every Jamboree programme aspect ran smoothly by ensuring it was all fully thought through in the very early planning stages. And there was one important change: for the first time in the history of world Jamborees (the first was in 1920!) Scouts would be
given the opportunity to plan their own patrol’s detailed programme every day. A seemingly chaotic idea, but with 4000+ small Scout patrols, the camp became a marketplace and like true market dynamics, it worked! Jack is your typical cowboy. He is “Mr High Adventure”, so the zip lines, shooting ranges and white water rafting all worked incredibly well. But from his own experience of international Scouting and as a leader of his own Scout group, Jack personally took an interest in the least “high adventure” part of the camp. Jack invested his personal financial contribution to the Regal Circle in the Better World Tent in order to share, demonstrate and educate on sustainable development approaches with the 45,000 Scouts at the Jamboree and 10,000 visitors to the site each day. And what a success! “I knew it was important, but when I saw it for myself, I was bowled over! Here were all these young men and women, engaged, passionate and excited about changing their world! They could have been out on the zip line, but instead they were in the Better World Tent! Everyone who passed through this part of the programme made a personal pledge to tackle one or other aspect of need in their communities and the spike in service hours since the Jamboree has shown it works!” Standing at the overlook, with some refugee Scouts, originally from Syria and South Sudan, this modest guy, Jack, looked satisfied with what had been achieved.
“I believe in Scouting’s timeless values and the invaluable leadership development Scouting provides for the thousands attending each Jamboree as well as for each of its 54 million members worldwide.”
Jack Furst
Job well done!
World Scout Foundation Annual Report 2019
3
“What an amazing privilege it was to be one of the leaders in this tent!” May R. Abdelhadi, Co-Lead of the Better World Tent
4 World Scout Foundation Annual Report 2019
“HOW CAN WE GET INVOLVED?”
“This was the question the 70 enthusiastic volunteers who facilitated the Better World Tent activity stations got up each morning to answer!”, explains May R. Abdelhadi, volunteer Co-Lead of the Better World Tent at the Jamboree. “And 2000 Scouts and leaders asked it every day when they joined our stations to learn what we can all do to combat climate change, foster peace and promote dialogue, keep Scouts safe from harm, tackle gender equality and so much more. We covered action ideas for all of the Sustainable Development Goals (which can seem very removed to many people) and gave answers in the form of games, programmes, links and other inspirational Scout activities, which we tried in the tent and which will now be shared all over the world on troop nights. This question—how can we get involved?—energised our incredible team to motivate the Scout participants and, as a result, our tent scored highest in the Scouts’ evaluations at the end of the camp—even higher than the zip line!
Some of the most inspiring activities in the tent were the 18 Scout Talks—our version of TED Talks— where we hosted Scouts heroes, who have done amazing things to change their world. The talks were livestreamed on social media and accumulated 86,000 views online by Scouts who couldn’t attend the Jamboree. Ultimately, Jack’s generous support allowed us to establish a network of Scouts in more than 150 countries who have become much more aware and are committed to taking action in their communities and advocating for global issues. What an amazing privilege it was to be able to help thousands to go away with ideas about what they can each do to build a better world! Around the world today, these Scouts are now looking at their own situation—the COVID-19 virus, life in a refugee camp, or daily life living in conflict—and asking what can they each do about it. And, you know, they are able to answer!”
World Scout Foundation Annual Report 2019
5
“Scout unity is not about religion, politics, age or colour. Scout unity is not about gender. Scouting is about creating a better world. It’s not impossible for girls to be Scouts. Everything is possible!” Njood, Saudi Arabia
6 World Scout Foundation Annual Report 2019
LEADING CHANGE IN HER COUNTRY Experiencing a Jamboree changes lives and this was exactly what happened to Njood Mansour, one of the first young women from Saudi Arabia to ever attend a World Scout Jamboree! Njood, an incredibly energetic student from Riyadh has witnessed impressive changes at home. In the last five years, her country has changed the lives of women in ways her mother’s generation might never have imagined: laws ensuring equal pay for men and women, laws of patronage dropped, open access to the labour market, music festivals and a near revolution in women’s fashion. She set off to West Virginia with the first team of female Saudi Scouts on a clear mission to learn as much as possible from her peers at the Jamboree to transform Saudi Scouting on her return. “It’s an exciting time of great changes”, says Abdullah al Fahad, Saudi Scouts’ Vice President. “Our country has changed and Scouting now needs to reach out and offer its amazing programme to the other fifty percent of the population, which was not easy before this. We have had a small “girls in Scouting” section up to now but, in line with our new strategy, we are going to deliver Scouting to 200,000 young women and girls in the coming two years!” Njood and her team based themselves in Jack’s “Better World Tent” and with the kind support of Geda and Phil Condit who sponsored the team’s participation, they interviewed hundreds of their peers—young
women and young men—to gather examples of best practice, build a support network and bring a clear vision back to Abdullah and the team in Riyadh. And the Saudi women did not just passively participate at the Jamboree, they helped run key workshops in the Better World Tent on gender issues, environment, climate action and interfaith dialogue—all from their own personal skills’ bases. As May explains, “these young women were on fire! They were like sponges for information. They engaged with young men and women from all over the world and they brought an energy and excitement to our entire team! And above all they had fun: rock climbing, skeet shooting, zip lines—they did it all—nothing stopped them!” Back in Riyadh, Njood and the team have continued to contribute to the efforts to the new Saudi Scout Strategy: Njood has opened a brand-new Scout group in her community to give another 20 young women the adventure of their lives! And her team is ready to serve at a time when the country needs it most—the global virus outbreak. These young leaders are already undertaking online training for volunteer action with the Ministry of Health and Saudi Scouts, in case they are needed! Who would have thought? The Jamboree opened up a new world for Njood and thousands of young women in Saudi Arabia!
World Scout Foundation Annual Report 2019
7
AN EXPERIENCE TO BE SHARED... ONLINE!
14-year-old Scout Sakura, from England, started her Jamboree preparations as soon as she was selected as part of the 4000 strong UK contingent. She needed to fundraise for the trip and to help these efforts, as well as contribute to one of her own personal development objectives, she documented the entire experience. Inspired by her energy, Sakura’s family, friends and community got behind her innovative fundraising activities. Her local Scout hall was transformed for a murder-mystery dinner; her school supported her with a free-dress day; her musical uncles, amongst others, provided the guitar accompaniment to Sakura’s singing at an Open Mic night; and her parents helped her run a dinner disco! She also made 191 origami cranes, each inscribed with the name of a sponsor, which she took with her on a pre-Jamboree visit to the 9/11 Memorial in New York and to the Jamboree itself—a place of peace and unity.
8 World Scout Foundation Annual Report 2019
And what about the main event? Well, her Jamboree blog reads like a hit list of unforgettable Scouting adventures: Icelandic karaoke; learning in the sustainability treehouse and lunch at the top with Dutch and US Scouts; camping next to Scouts from Taiwan and close to another group from Texas; eating at the Colombian food-house; hiking up to Mount Jack; archery; hosting a “buddy” Pittsburgh Troop for dinner; paddle-boarding with Scouts from Dublin, Ireland; scuba-diving; a wealth of new experiences on Culture Day; a leadership challenge involving an escape room; cold showers (fair enough maybe with 45,000 jostling to keep clean!); discovering the Faiths and Beliefs area; enjoying German dancing, Scottish bagpipes and a Korean dance unit performance; trading for a Japanese necker… and the list goes on! Back in the UK, Scouting is continuing—online—with virtual Scout Groups, online challenges and even group activities. Sakura’s skills and experience are turning out to be very useful indeed!
“I’ve loved comparing life in the UK to life in other countries. I’ve learnt so much about different cultures, and because of being a Scout at the Jamboree, my social skills and confidence have improved massively.”
Sakura, UK Scout
World Scout Foundation Annual Report 2019
9
SIMPLY SAMA As Hector Robledo Cervantes, World Scout Foundation (WSF) Chairman, guided HH Princess Sama Bint Faisal Al Saud around the Jamboree on her first day on site, Scouts from all over the world reacted as if they were in the presence of a rock star. “Have you ever met a Princess?”, Hector would say as he introduced “Sama”, as she asked to be called, to group after group of Scouts from the USA, Bolivia, Indonesia, the Netherlands or the UK. The ultra-cool Sama spent time with each group she met—and not as a self-centred star, but as a caring, kind and humble Scout—encouraging curiosity, answering questions and taking photos. You can imagine the surprise on the faces of Scouts as they discovered this young trailblazer is a commercial pilot, the leader of a foundation in Saudi Arabia dealing with health and
“I will never forget my Jamboree experience! I was already passionate about empowering young people with knowledge and skills so they can play an effective role in their communities. Now, more than ever, I am passionate about enabling more young women from Saudi Arabia—and indeed from all countries worldwide— to join Scouting.” HH Princess Sama Bint Faisal Al Saud
10 World Scout Foundation Annual Report 2019
social affairs and an active member of the WSF Board. And like other Saudi compatriots, this was her first time at a Jamboree and she was completely at home! For those of us who walked through the 2011 World Scout Jamboree in Sweden with Sama’s dad, HH Prince Faisal al Saud, as he launched the Messengers of Peace Initiative, it was a case of déjà vu. Like Prince Faisal before, Sama is a true leader. Inspiring, caring, a visionary and, above all, passionate about Scouting. During her five-day stay, she met hundreds of Scouts, joined countless activities and workshops and heard stories of Messengers of Peace actions by Scouts the world over, seeing for herself how the work her dad begun years ago with His Majesty The King of Sweden has permeated every corner of the World Scout Movement. The Jamboree was also special for Sama given her role as advisor to the Saudi Scouts and her support to ensure that women can quickly play their rightful role in the Movement. In this regard, meeting Chris Perry was a revelation. Sama and Chris brought together the Saudi female Scouts and some young women from the Boy Scouts of America to talk informally about the role of women in Scouting. BSA had just announced the extension of its Scout programme to girls nationwide and the Saudi women quickly discovered that what they were going through was not so different! Chris and Sama facilitated the discussion, giving them the space to talk and the opportunity to raise concerns, exchange ideas and share their hopes. Both teams left
with an incredible feeling, knowing that their dreams were well on the way to becoming a reality! “I am honoured to sit on the WSF Board and to work hard, as a volunteer, to raise funds to deliver more quality Scouting to young women and men the world over.” HH Princess Sama Bint Faisal Al Saud.
Postscript: Thanks to Chris Perry, Sama returned to the Summit Bechtel Reserve just prior to the publishing of this report. She participated in a Woodbadge course which—for the first time ever— featured an all-female troop, which was joined by an all-male troop to mirror the new-look Scouts BSA. She’s now completing her project work and is keen to support the roll out of more training courses back at home in Saudi Arabia. So, HH Princess Sama has joined the growing number of women leaders in Saudi Arabia (300 to date and growing) holding the world standard Woodbadge qualification. And just in time! They will also be able to join the volunteer efforts to support the COVID-19 response!
World Scout Foundation Annual Report 2019
11
BRINGING A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE Most Scouts journeying to the Jamboree had a similar experience: they left their home, travelled with their contingent and arrived at the Jamboree—the biggest camp they had ever seen—proudly under their own national flag… but not Martin! This 14-year-old Scout travelled from one camp housing 220,000 to a smaller one (the Jamboree) hosting 45,000, under the flag of a different country than his own. Why? Because Martin is a refugee, born and raised in Dadaab, one of the largest refugee complexes in the world. His nationality is South Sudanese. His family fled a cruel war back home and ended up in Dadaab, Kenya, where Martin was born and has lived all his life. He was selected by the Kenya Scouts as part of their national contingent because of the incredible energy and leadership that he has shown as a young Scout. Martin was the only representative from Dadaab, but it wasn’t intended to be so. Aden, his Scout leader from the camp, and Nasra, a fellow patrol leader in his troop were to be part of this incredible adventure, but Aden and Nasra were turned down for visas because of their Somali nationality. Life in a refugee camp is pretty restricted. The Kenyan hosts do their best, along with UNHCR, to provide all the essentials. Martin has a good (if overcrowded) school and even though the complex is huge (his “sub camp”, Ifo, has nearly 70,000 inhabitants), refugees can’t leave, and the daily routine can be soul-destroying and monotonous. This community has also become
12 World Scout Foundation Annual Report 2019
a pressure-cooker for all sorts of human and social problems and ethnic tensions are rife. Even before he was chosen for the Jamboree, Scouting had, quite simply, changed Martin’s life. It’s given him purpose—a role in his community—and equipped him with greater self-confidence and leadership skills. Like all of the Scout groups for the 1000-plus Scouts in Dadaab, his is active serving the community in the refugee camp. They have specialised in working with young people from the different ethnic groups, helping to build greater trust through Scout activities—a subtle and non-threatening way to start dialogue. The group has also started a Food for Life project, whereby the Scouts have learned basic agricultural skills and are themselves teaching and working with their parents to use each small amount of land around their shelters to grow vegetables, which can be monetised and help their families to make some extra income in the market. So, arriving at the Jamboree, Martin was unique, but he fitted in like everyone else. The freedom was amazing! Imagine living all your life in a restricted camp, among one (albeit large) community, and then being exposed to your peers from every corner of the world. Martin was living the dream! He took a leading role in a special videoconference to connect 40 Scouts at the Jamboree with Scouts back in Dadaab, helping to bridge the two groups so they could understand what each was experiencing. “Seeing Martin act like this was incredibly impressive”, said
Brunel Etienne from the World Scout Bureau. He did what so many others from international organisations fail to do: he helped other Scouts realise a “refugee” is not a “victim”, but a “leader”! And he led!” Back in Dadaab, Martin is proud to be a spokesperson for his Jamboree experience and he’s also very happy to keep in touch with his new Scout friends outside the camp in Kenya and around the world via his older brother’s telephone! In the long-run, he’s keen to continue helping his family and their community to make positive changes to the camp and he’s dreaming big for the future!
“Going to America was the greatest thing in my life. I made a lot of friends and I keep in touch with some of them. I think about the Jamboree everyday and wish I could go back.”
Martin, Kenyan Scout from South Sudan
World Scout Foundation Annual Report 2019
13
“As leaders, we organise different activities for youth around the camp and focus on bringing children that have dropped out back to school. I want people to know that Scouting brings hope and life changing opportunities to the people of Dadaab.” Aden, Kenyan Scout from Somalia
14 World Scout Foundation Annual Report 2019
PROBLEM? WHAT PROBLEM?
Twenty-two-year-old Aden has faced more challenges than most, but despite this is an incredible role-model for helping others, bridging communities and leading positive change. Born in war-torn Somalia, his family fled the conflict, and ended up in Dadaab in Kenya. Life in a camp can be unbearable. Many people can simply become “institutionalised”, believing they might never leave and accepting the routine, but not Aden. Aden is now Martin’s Scout leader and has been the driving force behind numerous initiatives in the camp. For example, when a big wave of Somali refugees arrived and started cutting down swathes of trees for firewood and shelter, conflict erupted with the established locals. Aden and his Scouts stepped in, helping to bring the communities together, fostering dialogue and identifying positive solutions including tree-planting drives by Scouts on available
land belonging to local schools. Aden received the Messengers of Peace Hero Award in 2019. Aden’s Somali origin blocked him from getting a visa to the USA for the Jamboree. He’s had knocks in the past and compared to these the visa refusal was minor. So, Aden was ecstatic to take part in a Jamboree video conference, linking up with Scouts who did make it to West Virginia, to help them understand the life of the “other” camp—his home. Scouting has given Aden a sense of freedom and access to the world—even if it’s only virtual! And his latest project? Aden is excited to expand his Scouts’ existing Food For Life programme. He himself already grows vegetables and watermelon in the yard of his shelter and now also has 10 chickens. He plans to increase this number so he can give them to local families in the community to support their needs and income. This leader is ready for anything!
World Scout Foundation Annual Report 2019
15
“I met my neckerchief and it was nice to meet him and now I’m a Scout. I’m honoured to be a Scout.”
Yazan, Turkish Scout from Syria
16 World Scout Foundation Annual Report 2019
YAZAN’S COMPLICATED JOURNEY Yazan and three friends: Ali, Nurettin and Emin, journeyed to the Jamboree as part of the Turkish contingent. It wasn’t their first travel abroad—they are all refugees from Syria and each had ended up in Turkey via treacherous routes, following the horrific war in their homeland. After this complicated journey, at the Summit, 14-yearold Yazan’s outgoing, friendly and sunny personality led him to connect with the hundreds of Scouts he met and he shared his story, helping to create awareness of the situation faced every day by refugees across the world. Yazan explained how he and his family first fled from Aleppo to Damascus, the Syrian capital, then when political tensions further escalated, they escaped to Egypt to take refuge with his uncle. Yazan thought they were just going for a short trip. “But one month passed, then the second month and the third and we still weren’t in Syria. I missed my home. I missed my school. I wanted to go back, but we couldn’t as a big war had started in Syria”, he shared. They eventually moved on to Turkey and whilst it has been tough to be in a new country, far from home, this is where Yazan was introduced to Scouting, which he says has transformed his life. Scouting has helpedYazan shield himself from the worst traumas he has lived in his short life. On site, Yazan relished the opportunity to try out as many Jamboree activities as possible and to engage with as many Scouts as he could, using his Jamboree tech bracelet
to exchange information with Scouts from around the world. He enjoyed the Summit’s high adventure activities, including rock-climbing and zip lining, and engaging in discussions and activities at the Global Development Village and Better World Tent, including the video-link activity with Scouts in Dadaab, Kenya, alongside his new friend Martin. Back in Turkey now, Yazan is continuing his education, enjoying Scouting and supporting other refugees in his community. There are currently over 3.5 million Syrians taking refuge in Turkey. Since the outbreak of the war in Syria, Scouts have played a key role in supporting them, providing basic humanitarian aid and helping young refugees regain a sense of purpose through Scouting. In the Hatay area of Turkey, there are now 35 Syrian Scout units, and in the refugee camp in the Merkez District on the border close to Aleppo in Syria, there is a vibrant Scout unit with 200 registered Scouts run by several Syrian Scout leaders—some who were originally trained back home in Syria before they fled the war and others who have been trained by Turkish Scouting in the camps. They have reached over 5000 young Syrian refugees so far and are working to reach out to even more. As in Kenya, these young leaders are playing a vital role in “normalising” life not only for their young peers in the camps, but also for the adults in their community. Scouting has changed lives!
World Scout Foundation Annual Report 2019
17
18 World Scout Foundation Annual Report 2019
HOST COMMUNITY BENEFITS TOO Developing Scouting in the Dadaab refugee camp is a priority for the Kenya Scouts.To date, over 1000 young refugees like Aden and Martin have joined Scouting and are benefiting from a programme adapted to the context of the refugee camps and promoting a dialogue and culture for peaceful co-existence. 60 leaders have been trained so far, and a new phase of a Messengers of Peace project aims to continue to support the programme’s expansion so that more young people can benefit. The project aims to inspire young people and help to mitigate violent extremism in the North Eastern region of Kenya, where there is great resentment amongst young people in the refugee camps based on misperceptions of Somali and Kenyan-Somali nationals, compounded by the fact that close to 400,000 of these children are out of school in the region. This isolation and marginalisation has made these young people vulnerable to recruiters from radical organisations. Another major challenge faced—by host countries the world over—is how to avoid friction between the local communities hosting refugee camps and, in fact, to add value, if at all possible. The international community has completely changed how they run camps, with local communities now much more involved in the provision of food and other services to refugees, thus helping the local economy benefit from the huge increase in local population. No more are huge shipments of goods flown in from wealthy countries. Now, as much as possible is sourced locally.
And Scouting too is also making an impact outside of the camp, as well as inside. Prevention of deforestation is one of the major steps and this was greatly appreciated by the local community in Dabaab. And now the refugee groups have inspired the development of Scouting in the public schools near the camp. Young Kenyans, who have not benefited from Scouting before, are now getting the same leadership development programme and anti-radicalisation benefits (in an area of high unemployment where young Kenyans risk the same influences as the refugees), all thanks to the Kenyan Scout Association and their new members from Sudan and Somalia! The impact is clear: through Scouting, young people in the refugee camps are building a more resilient host community; tackling environmental degradation, which affects everyone; promoting dialogue to build bridges; supporting their own families via the Food For Life programme; and sharing this with young people from the host community so it benefits too, and taking on leadership roles thus changing stereotypes among their Kenyan hosts. And vitally, these young people from the different communities living side by side are now getting to know each other better and making friends thanks to Scouting. The friction will still exist, but with Scouting’s help, and young leaders like Martin, things are looking up!
World Scout Foundation Annual Report 2019
19
ONE FOR THE YOUNGER GENERATION!
The phenomenal Korean Pop sensation, NCT DREAM, performed at the World Scout Jamboree to hordes of international Scout fans, including a good number of very happy Koreans! This not only added to the incredible experience of the participants, it also provided a unique experience to the band to discover Scouting. “It was such an honour for us to take a part in World Scout Jamboree and it was such a good experience for us to meet and talk with friends from many different countries”, said NCT DREAM member Renjun. NCT DREAM, designated as one of the Foundation’s global ambassadors in July 2019, gave a special
performance of their single “Fireflies” as well as an array of their other hits. The “Fireflies” song was developed as a special collaboration between SM Entertainment and the World Scout Foundation, with the song skillfully penned by our own BP Fellow, Alexander Karlsson! A share of profits from streams of the single over one year will be used fund local Scout activities in developing countries. Following the Jamboree and to mark the third anniversary of NCT DREAM, the band released an official music video for Fireflies featuring the six artists at the Jamboree.
Contribute to the fundraising efforts of NCT Dream’s “Fireflies” single by listening to it here:
20 World Scout Foundation Annual Report 2019
World Scout Foundation Annual Report 2019
21
“This feels like the whole world!”’ BSA Scout
22 World Scout Foundation Annual Report 2019
THIS IS THE WORLD!
While the Boy Scouts of America worked alongside Scouts Canada and the Mexican Scout Association to run the Jamboree, Mike Surbaugh, BSA Chief Scout Executive at the time, played a key role in its organisation. He was ever-present, ensuring his team was well supported during the entire event and in the little “off time” he had, he was seen walking around with visitors and colleagues, talking to participants to hear how Scouts themselves felt about the “customer experience”. ‘I never doubted that this was going to be an incredible experience for many Scouts from countries overseas,
but I wasn’t sure for Scouts from the United States. They’d all seen similar kinds of programme slots at the National Jamboree a couple of years ago or at their own Councils’ events. So, I was surprised at how much it impacted our Scouts. Not the “high tech” or “high adventure” elements of the programme, but the “international dimension”. One Scout from Texas spoke for them all. When I asked him what he thought of the Jamboree, he explained that he was SO happy here, he didn’t want to return to the USA at the end. I explained, you’re in the USA! West Virginia IS THE USA! “Maybe, Mr Surbaugh”, he went on,“but this feels like the whole world!”’
World Scout Foundation Annual Report 2019
23
THE GIFT OF LEADERSHIP
Most Scouts were able to make their own way to the Jamboree, but some struggled, for financial or political reasons. This is where great friends of Scouting come into their own. Thanks to Phil and Geda Condit, Njood and her team of Saudi girls, who needed “special support”, and two other Scout groups—one from a poor community in Mexico and a second from a poor suburb of Atlanta— were able to make the journey to West Virginia too. As a result, women and girls all over Saudi Arabia will benefit from the hope inspired by this first team and Scouting’s leadership development programme and Saudi society will be changed forever. And the teams from Atlanta and Mexico have been no less effective upon their return home, bringing back
24 World Scout Foundation Annual Report 2019
with them the experience, the inspiration and the tools to make a difference in their communities. And Phil and Geda didn’t stop there! The Jamboree lives on, thanks to them. One of World Scouting’s partners at the Jamboree, Future Generations University, has identified 18 Jamboree participants from Africa and South Asia as candidates for the university’s degree programmes, and they are now following Diploma, Bachelors or Master’s Degree courses. With Geda and Phil’s support, the spirit of leadership, community service and true Scout spirit is being reinforced by sound academic support. 18 communities from Bhutan, Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco and Tunisia will be stronger, more sustainable and more hopeful, thanks to them. Thank you!
“Scouting offers an opportunity like no other.” Phil Condit World Scout Foundation Annual Report 2019
25
6% MORE AUT ONOMOUS
6% MORE RESPONSIBLE 7% MORE COMMITTED
9% MOR ES TO A CO ENSE OF BELON MMUNIT GING Y
ALLY
8% MORE CULTUR SENSITIVE
26 World Scout Foundation Annual Report 2019
18% MORE PHYSICALLY ACTIVE
10% MORE CONSCIOUS OF NATURE
6% MORE SPIRITUAL
THE IMPACT OF SCOUTING
The Jamboree stories shared in this report are just the tip of the Scouting iceberg. When it comes to building a better world and tackling the biggest issues facing society, 54 million Scouts in over 1.5 million communities walk the talk on a daily basis. And we have more hard evidence from the second phase of the study “Measuring Scouting’s Impact on the Development of Young People”, which again concluded that Scouting makes a difference in the lives of young people. It’s becoming globally validated—Scouts are better leaders!
9% MORE SUPPORTIVE
The 2019 impact report, this time focusing on France, Mexico, the Netherlands and Saudi Arabia, highlighted that Scouts score higher than their non-Scout peers across all categories of personal development and leadership attributes and substantiated the results
of a prior ground-breaking study conducted by World Scouting in 2017. In this study, validated by an external evaluator, Scouts were compared with non-Scouts peers aged 14 to 17, across a set of skills, attitudes, knowledge, and behaviour considered to be developed through Scouting. Across the board, Scouts demonstrated higher self-esteem, self-confidence, and interpersonal skills as positive effects of Scouting and noted how Scouting made them better leaders and more responsible citizens. Your continued investment will enable Scouts to continue this amazing leadership journey. And World Scouting is planning to develop further tools, resources and expertise to enable National Scout Organisations to conduct similar research. If you wish to support an impact study in your country or a particular location, we will happily bring you into the team!
To read the full 2019 report on the impact of Scouting, please scan here:
13% MORE ENGAGED IN CONTEMPLATION ABOUT RELIGION World Scout Foundation Annual Report 2019
27
In September, our Honours Programme Members witnessed Scouting’s impact first-hand in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on a Field Visit to the Ticket To Life programme for street children, as covered in our 2018 Annual Report and generously supported by Doris and Hans Imholz since 2013. They accompanied Dhaka Scouts to the central railway station to meet the street children they help. They then visited Scout groups linked to shelters (where the railway station street children are placed by Scouts if they can’t be returned to their families) and spoke to Scouts who had come through the programme. They saw first-hand how Scouts had given hope, purpose, support and a family to discarded children. To date, Scouts have helped thousands of children to either return to their families or find a place in a shelter, to join a Scout group—if they wish—and successfully finish their education. Most have learned vocational skills and some have even progressed to university. “I am intensely proud of what Scouts do in Dhaka in serving their communities and those who need our help most. These two days will stay with me forever”, said 16-year-old Tiffany Hjelm, BP Fellow and daughter of Honours Programme member Christina Hjelm. TicketTo Life is currently running well in five countries— Bangladesh, Indonesia, Nepal, the Philippines and
28 World Scout Foundation Annual Report 2019
Thailand—and over the next four years, thanks to Doris and Hans, it will be strengthened and rolled out in two additional regions. World Scouting has taken time to work with the National Scout Organisations involved and within existing community and volunteer structures, to ensure that these programmes are sustainable in the long-term. The Scouts in these countries aim to identify and reach at least 250 new Ticket To Life Scout groups and directly transform over 10,000 lives. That’s just one programme and in only five countries. What’s the global impact? Scouts have been able to measure the collective impact of the global Messengers of Peace Initiative since 2013, through verified service hours, and projects matched against the United Nations SDGs. These efforts were recognised by the United Nations, in November 2018, as the largest popular contribution to the world’s plan to save our planet—the SDGs—and Scouting pledged to deliver 4 billion service hours by 2030. This is in addition to impressive membership growth: in just ten years, the Messengers of Peace Initiative has helped Scouting grow from 37 million to 54 million members globally, underscoring what a vital investment this initiative is for Scouts and their communities around the world. “This initiative has to continue”,
says Ahmad Alhendawi, WOSM Secretary General. Momentum also continued to build in 2019, boosted by the Alwaleed Philanthropies supported Scouts for SDGs campaign to inspire and enable more action, and by the end of 2019, the total number of community service hours delivered was closing on 1.5 billion! “I’m heartened by the fact that, on the initiative of His Majesty the King of Sweden, a number of existing donors, like HRH Prince Alwaleed and his team at Alwaleed Philanthropies and the Imholz and Bildt families, will dedicate their contributions to Messengers of Peace to ensure a globally balanced group of donors for the programme moving forward and to ensure a sustainable second phase of innovative Scout impact to empower more young people and contribute to the SDGs. On behalf of 54 million Scouts (and counting!), I’d like to say thank you to every single BP Fellow for investing in Scouting!” adds Ahmad. The vital leadership skills young people develop in Scouting helps with the “normal” challenges of life in the UK, Turkey, Kenya, Bangladesh or the Philippines. And we are now seeing that Scouts around the world are turning their leadership to the largest global challenge we have faced in many years: the COVID-19 crisis. The same skills, resilience, leadership and values count, no matter what the challenge is! That’s Scouting!
“I am intensely proud of what Scouts do in Dhaka in serving their communities and those who need our help most. The two days will stay with me forever!” Tiffany Hjelm
FUNDRAISING
“2019 got off to a slow start for the Foundation” reports Dato Soo Keng Yeoh, Board Member, “but thanks to the help of our teams in Korea and Luxembourg, a very well-connected Swedish Honours Programme Member and the personal intervention of His Majesty The King, the year ended will lots of promise. We received USD 5.8 million in cash and firm pledges and donations (2018: USD 7.5 million), and thanks to your help in recruitment, membership of the World Baden-Powell Fellowship increased by 96 to 2552 (2018: 2456). Four key events were held during the year. Firstly, the 2019 WSF Investor Conference and 72nd BP Fellowship Event, in Seoul, Republic of Korea, in early April 2019, hosted by the Korea Scout Association, with the support of the Korea Scout Foundation. The event generated USD 720’000 in donations and an incredible 29 new Baden-Powell Fellows plus 16 new or upgraded Members of the Honours Programme were presented at the Gala Dinner jointly hosted by Chairman Suk Won Kim and Chairman Baik. His Majesty highlighted the growing number of service hours contributed by Scouts to the SDGs and the incredible Scouts who had spoken about Scouting’s impact at the Investor Seminar. H.E. Ban Ki Moon, former Secretary General of the United Nations, also gave an address, mentioning his time as a Scout and the particular importance of Scouts in environmental
30 World Scout Foundation Annual Report 2019
leadership. Chairman Kim and Chairman Baik filled the room with their friends and colleagues, including the owner of SM Entertainment, a K-POP management company. His Majesty demonstrated his musical knowledge during a side-line chat with Chris Lee, SM’s owner, and persuaded Chris to have one of his groups join the Scout family.
new BP Fellows and Honours Programme Members, predominantly from Luxembourg. The Gala Dinner also marked the culmination of a very special day for Prince Guillaume who was recognised as Chief Scout of Scouting in Luxembourg earlier that afternoon. A Board Seminar and meeting of the Foundation Board also took place in the Grand Ducal Palace at this time.
Chairman Suk Won Kim, a long-standing member of the WSF Board and President of the Korea Scout Foundation, also hosted a stunning Regal Circle dinner in an historic venue in Seoul.
In late November, WSF Board Member Siegfried Weiser hosted a spectacular Regal Circle Event in Paris at the offices of La Biosthétique, overlooking the Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower. James Pooley and Laura-Jean Anderson were recognised as new Regal Circle Members and thanked for their ongoing support to Scouting. Hans and Doris Imholz were then recognised for their considerable support over a great number of years to Scouting and welcomed to the Baden-Powell Circle. Siegfried and Yasmine were also welcomed to the Baden-Powell Circle and recognised for their significant and unwavering support over the years. A member of the Board since 2008 and former Chairman of the Board, Siegfried has been a longstanding champion of Scouting and in particular the Messengers of Peace Initiative. As a result of Siegfried’s dinner, Nils Bildt joined the Regal Circle in early 2020 and Doris and Hans Imholz have extended their support to Messenger of Peace—more news on this to come!
In September, Honours Programme Members joined a Field Visit to Dhaka, Bangladesh. Inspired and moved by what they saw, they raised over USD 40,000 to expand and sustain the local Ticket To Life projects in Bangladesh and a programme in the children’s leukaemia hospital they visited, run by Dhaka Rover Scouts. Luxembourg City in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg was the location for the 73rd Baden-Powell Fellowship Event in early October, thanks to the kind invitation of HRH The Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume of Luxembourg, Member of the Foundation Board (or Prince Guillaume, or simply “Guillaume”, as he likes to be called in Scouting). In our Fellowship tradition, the Gala Dinner at the Grand Ducal Palace provided a wonderful opportunity to formally welcome 11
“Thank you to all of our supporters for your generous support and continued commitment to Scouting worldwide!” Soo Keng Yeoh, WSF Board Member
World Scout Foundation Annual Report 2019
31
THANKS TO OUR INVESTORS IN 2019 1st Melbourne Tigers Cub Pack Mr Jan Olav Aamlid Mr Glenn A. Adams Mr Andrea Paola Aguilar HRH Prince Alwaleed bin Talal bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud Mr Guillermo Alarcon Mrs Adriana Alarcón Mr Ruben Alonso Palma Mr Andres Alvarado Mr Alex Villamil Alvarenga Mrs Alicia Alvariño Mr Miguel Angel Pinel Amador Mr Folli Herbert Amouzougan Mr Fernando Javier Macias Arditto Mr Jose Armando Mrs Carmen Arnaez Mrs Ana Arteaga Miss Annie Margaret Asquith Ms Humayra Ibnat Badhon Mr Byung-Soo Baik Mr Jung Soo Baik Mr Thomas S. Bain Mrs Patricia Y. Bain Mr Thomas F. Baltutis Mr Diego Barberena Mr Vitor Aires Barbosa Mr Luciano Barredo Mrs Margaret W. Bartlett Mrs Cecilia Crousillat de Becerra Mr Ernesto Soto Bedoya Mr Exequiel Beker
32 World Scout Foundation Annual Report 2019
Mrs Gina Benavides Mr Frans Bergkvist Mr Nils Bildt, Ms Sc, DHS, Colonel Life Guards Mrs Vanessa Bisetti Mr Nathan Block Mr John Blouin Mrs Margot C. Bogert Mr Andrew Bolton Mr George Botros Mr Stewart Bowman Mr Jan Hendrik Buchmann Mr Brendan Bullard Mr Thomas Bürger Mrs Mercedes Bustamante Mrs Alejandra Cabrera Mr Andrés Cáceres Mrs Nurys Caceres Mrs Ana Calatayud Mrs Karina Callirgos Mr Abel Osbaldo Reyes Cam Mr Juan Camilo Mr Guillermo Cano Mr Raul Cantella Mrs Kayla Capeloa Mrs Cecilia Carino Mr Mario Paverik Cremer Carrillo Ms Diana Carrillo Tiburcio Mr John Brent Carswell Mr Brodys Casado Mrs Maria Laura Castañeda Mrs Lina Castillo
Mrs Ximena Castillo Mrs Ludmila Cechova Mrs María Fernanda Chacón Mr Kendrick M. Chan Mr Lucas Omvula Chan Mr Chul One Chey Mr Alexander William Chin Mr Byoung Oh Choi Mr Christer R. Christensson Mr Todd A. Christian Mr Sae Jun Chun Mr Yong Jin Chung Mr Yeun Taek Chung Mr Kyung Han Chung Mr Kent D. Clayburn Mr & Mrs Phil and Geda Condit Mr Enrique Cordova Mrs Malena Cortegana Mr William F. "Rick" Cronk Mr Eduardo Dancuart Mr John Michael Davis Mr Massimo De Luca Mrs Stephanie Dean Mr Robert "Bob" Dees Mrs Laura Delgado Mónico Mr John Dellinger Mrs Ximena Door Mrs Irma Dorich Mr Keegan Eatmon Mr Daniel Jay Egelund Mr Eric Thrinh Egelund Dr Jens Ehrhardt
Mr Thomas M. Elliott Mrs Ursula Borgil Elving Mr Andrea Enamorado Erik Frank Trust Mr Martin Everitt Mr Alex Faia Mr Luis A. Feliciano Mr Marcos Clayton Fernandes Pessoa Mr Jose Fernández Mr William Galvez Fernandez Mrs Silvia Figueroa Dr William Finerty Mrs Ines Fisher Mr Luis Flores Rev Eugene A. Foley Mr Patrick Foster Mr Md Foysal Mr Alfredo Friedrich Mr Thomas Frostberg Mrs Marianne Frostberg Mr Birger Frostberg Mr Marek Fukas Mr Jack D. Furst Mrs Bettina Gómez García Mr Antonio Garcia Mrs Ana Garnica Ms Ana Kristy B. Giacoman Favela Mrs Kathleen Godfrey Mr John Anthony Golden Mrs Gabriela Gonzalez Mrs Nicole Gooderson Mrs Pauline Grangette
Mr Alex Guerrero Mr Pedro Guerrero Mr Rafael Guerrero Mr Alonso Guerrero Castaneda Mr Rodrigo Guerrero Mr Carlos Guerrero Mrs Ana María Guerrero Mr Leonardo Gutierrez Mr Ricardo Gutierrez Dr Jong Han Hahm Mrs Jennifer Hancock, Esq Miss Kaitlin Hancock Ms Jaelin XiaoJu Hancock Mr John C. Hanson Mr Sage T. Hardy Mr Johnny Harth Mr Richard Hathaway Mr Keijun Hayashi Mrs Myriam Heidelberger-Kaufmann Mr Kari Heinistö Mr Adonay Hernández Mrs Olga Palaviccini Herrera Mr Tom Hickey Mr Rocio Hinostroza Mr Lance Hirsch Mr Benjamin Hirsch Mr Thomas Hirt Mrs Christina Hjelm & Family Dr Marshall E. Hollis Mr Gun Hee Hong Mr David B. Huestis Mr John O. Hunnicutt, III
Mr Fernando Indacochea Mrs Lisa Infante Mrs Valeria Irala Mr Sali Jaimes Mr Matej Jediny Ms Jiwon Jeong Mr Robert Af Jochnick Ms Eva-Marie Johansson Mr Derek Jones Mrs Sylvia Kahn Mr Ebrahim Karachiwalla Mr Tadao Kato Mr Stephen Kent Ms Hannah Kentish Mr Alexander James Killby Mr SeungSu "Sonny" Kim Mr CheongHo "Danny" Kim Mr Ji Tae Kim Mr Nam Jung Kim Mr Kwan Hyo Kim Mr Seungki Kim Ms Yoojin Kim Mr Ji Woo "Eric" Kim Ms Delaney Seohee Kim Ms Han Bee Kim Mr Tae Yang Kim King Abdullah International Foundation King Abullah bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue, (KAICIID) Prof Dr Sung Hee Kirk Mr Marcus Klapdor
Mr Ulf "Fast häl" Klingnäs Mr Mark Knippenberg, MSc Mr Toru Kobayashi Mrs Noriko Kobayashi Mr W. Robert Kohorst Mr Lars Kolind Mr Jan Kovacik Mrs Nicole Kuzmin-Nichols Mr Ig Hyeon Kweon Mr Andreas Lackner Mr & Mrs Jaime & Susana Lam Mrs Samantha Siu Lam Mrs Veronique Lardillier Mrs Gretel Lay Dr Solomon Kui-nang Lee Mr SangKyun Lee Mr Jae Ho Lee Mrs Patrícia Legarda Mr Enrique Leon Mr Jaime Infante León Mr Heung Keun Lim Ms Bulgan Lkhamdash Mr Julio Enrique López Marín Mrs Karen Lina López Mrs Karin Lühr Mr Åge Lundström Mr Donald MacDonald Mr Douglas MacDonald Mr Francisco Javier Macías Valadez Treviño Mr Stefan Mahlstein Mrs Camila Maldonador
Mrs Doireann Mangan Mr Felipe Marqueis Fernandes Mrs Cynthia Jacqueline Marquez Cardoza Mr Jose Luis Gil Marroquin Mrs Shantal Martinez Mr John Clive Cecil May Mr Matthew May Mr John May Mr Bruno Mazzini Mr Bruce McCrea Mr Joseph M. McDermott Mrs Maria Paz McKinnon Ms Savannah McMillan Mr Sergio Velasco medina Mrs Emma Meegan Mr Valentin Meidl Mr Sebastian Meitz Mrs Claudia Meléndez Mrs María Isabel Mendoza Mrs Nelly Bolivar Mendoza Mrs Gisella Millares Mr Hiromasa Mizushima Mrs Pauline Molina Mr Mario Molinelli Mrs Ruth Morales Mrs Camila Moreno Mrs Roslyn Morgan Mrs Marina Arce Muñoz Dr L. Craig Murray, PhD Mr Jacob Murray Mrs Ximena Navarro Mr Daniel A. Nelson
World Scout Foundation Annual Report 2019
33
Mrs Maria del Carmen Nevares Mr Pablo Nieto Mr Pablo Antonio Nieto Passano Mr Enrique Nomura Mr Johan Norrfjärd Mr David Norris Mr Giacomo Leonardo Ocampo Fenton Capt Leonardo Carlos Ocampo Guadarrama Mrs Alejandra Ojeda Mr Kenneth Okonkwo Mr Julio Olaechea Mrs Leslie Osterling Mr Junbert Teovisio Pabon Ms Andrea Palomo Robles Mr Sergio Galvez Pancorbo Mrs Mónica Pancorbo Mr Prakash Raj Pandey Mrs Teresa Carrillo Paredes Mr Wankyu Eddy Park Mrs Silvia Zaldivar Peña Mr Jean Perea Mr & Mrs Wayne M. and Christine Perry Mr Martin Persson Mrs Luisa Piedra Mrs Sarita Arakaki Pinedo Mr Todd R. Plotner Mrs Gabriela Polay Dr Derek R. Pollard, OBE Mrs Ilda Polo Mr James Henry Pooley Mr Pascal R. Poumailloux Mrs Krischelle Provido Mrs Geraldine Quiroz R + E Arcus Klinik GmbH Mr Ansori Rahmad Adi Mrs Jimena Ojeda Ramirez Mrs Pilar Ramirez Mr Jørgen Guldborg Rasmussen Mr David Raynor Mr Jean-Bernard Rebord
34 World Scout Foundation Annual Report 2019
Mr Pit Reckinger Mr Ben Reckinger Ms Camille Reckinger Ms Lou Reckinger Ms Franca Reckinger Mr Craig Rens Mr Allen Rickert Mrs Jore-Annie Rico Mr Hector Robledo Cervantes & Family Mr Carlos Rodriguez Mrs Karsten Rodriguez Mr Eduardo Rojas Mr Rey Ruediger Mr Matthias Rufener Mrs Adoración Ruiz Mrs Franziska Saager Mrs Betsabe Tapia Saavedra Mr Rocio Salas Mr Renato Salazar Mr Álvaro José Torres Salvador Mr Raúl Sánchez Mr Mohammad Anisur Rahman Sarkar Eiyahiya Mr Friedemann Scholz Mr Michael Schunemann Mr Peter Schunemann Mr Douglas S. Schwab Mr Tobias Schweigger Mr Carlos Secada Mr Marc Secretan Prof Dr In-Soon Shin Prof Dr Won-Jun Shon Mr Gonzalo Siu Mrs Karen Smith Mr Henrik Söderman Mr Nicolás Solórzano Mrs María Angela Sotelo Mrs Sherley Southworth Mr Tomáš Štefunko Mr Thijs Stoffer Mr John Alexander Sutin
Mrs Isabel Tabja Mrs Karen Techaira Mr Raymundo Tamayo Mr Andrew Tanner Mr Jorge Tavara M. Mr Robert Taylor Mr & Mrs Gregory S. and Deciree Thomas Mrs Daniela Torres Mr Jukka Tulivuori Mr James S. Turley Mr Craig Turpie Mr Yasuki Usami Mr Vincent Vaerman Mr Pratik Vaiyda Mrs Liceth Vallejo Mrs Yeniffer Vera Mr Shivank Verma Mr Mark Luis Villamar Mrs Erika Villena Mr Thomas Virenfeldt Mrs Jessica Vivas Mrs Anna Volcan Count Hans-Eric von der Groeben Dr Christopher von Roretz Mr Daniel L. Walters Mr Siegfried Weiser & Mrs Yasmine Bensultana Mr Beat Daniel Wenger Mr James S. Wilson, D.M. Mr Jones Chung-Hie Wong, OStJ Ms Caitlin Wood Mr Nicolas Wurth Mr Jimmy Yee Mr Yoon Soo “Gene” Yoon Mr Phillip Myles Zabriskie Mrs Sandy Zavala Mr Eduardo Zelada Mrs Silvia Zetina Mr Brian Zutta
FINANCIAL SUMMARY
“2020 is presenting many challenges, but 2019 was an interesting year in terms of our investments. Despite the continuous concerns for global growth and turbulent political developments, the growth of the US economy supported a positive financial climate and growth in our portfolio. The Board decided, on the advice from its Investment Committee, to change the investment manager to JP Morgan Private Bank Switzerland. Although moving investments does not take place quickly, the first results of this change are already rather promising with a 18.6% return of investments (-7.3% in 2018)”, reports Jens Ehrhardt, Board Member. The Foundation’s assets, including funds held abroad, reached just over USD 66.9 million on 31 December 2019—up from USD 63.6 million the previous year. The Board has been able to continue its grantmaking to World Scouting by providing a total of USD 6.7 million in 2019 (2018: USD 7.4 million). And this is considering that for 2018 and 2019 the Foundation has pre-financed the Saudi annual donations for Messengers of Peace totalling USD 4 million. This amount is
36 World Scout Foundation Annual Report 2019
expected to be transferred to the Foundation in the second quarter of 2020, so the endowment will be under less stress when it arrives. The fundraising strategy developed over the past years is coming to fruition, resulting in more project donations from current and new higher value donors, balancing the large initial investment by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the Messengers of Peace Initiative in 2011. Discussions are ongoing to continue Messengers of Peace funding beyond 2021 and we are looking forward to continuing our very substantial support to World Scouting in this vital programme. The online Scout Donation Platform continues to provide a well-tested and easy system for investors of all kinds to directly fund and support local Scout projects. After a well-organised start-up phase, this platform is running smoothly and ready for more business! Visit https://donate.scout.org and please remember that all of your donations can be counted towards your ongoing Fellowship!
The Foundation’s administration and staff costs remain covered by a special fund established by a small group of existing donors. Members of the Board continue to make significant contributions to ensure that this fund remains viable for the years to come. This means that the Foundation can continue to assure new investors that every new gift to the Foundation goes entirely to Scout projects. No fees or expenses are paid to Officers or Members of the Board or of its SubCommittees. The World Scout Foundation is an independent, not for profit, charitable organisation, established under Swiss law, and also independently recognised under the laws of Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Japan, United Kingdom and United States of America (501(c)3). Contributions to the Foundation, in these and other countries, are regularly made through National Scout Organisations. PricewaterhouseCoopers audits the World Scout Foundation accounts and financial statements, annually. Please contact the WSF office in Geneva for a copy of the complete audited financial statements.
WSF ASSETS (in million USD)
RETURN ON INVESTMENTS (%) 18.6
20
80
16.1
15
71.5 69.0
70
71.0 10
5.2
66.2 63.6
5 0
60
-5 50
2015
2016
2017
2018
-10
2019
-7.3 2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
GRANT TO WORLD SCOUTING (in million USD)
FUNDS RAISED IN CASH & FIRM PLEDGES (in million USD) 10
-2.9
10
8.6
9.0
7.5
8
9
8.0
5.8
8
7.4
6
6.9
6.7
7
3.4
4
6
2.3 2
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
5
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
World Scout Foundation Annual Report 2019
37
GOVERNANCE The first meeting of the WSF Board took place in Seoul in early April 2019 and the second meeting at the Grand Ducal Palace in Luxembourg City in October preceded by a Board seminar led by His Majesty, addressing the investment portfolio and child safety in Scouting. Key decisions taken by the Board during this year included to:
• • •
• • •
Approve the annual grant to WOSM of USD 2.8 million; Approve the 2018 audited Financial Statements; Reappoint the following Board Members: Mr Kent Clayburn, Mr Fredrik Gottlieb, Mr SukWon Kim, Mr Lars Kolind, HRH The Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume of Luxembourg, Mr Geoff Morgan AM and Mr Wayne Perry; Approve the election of HH Princess Sama Bint Faisal Al Saud (Saudi Arabia) and Mr Yorimasa Matsudaira (Japan) to the WSF Board; Approve the new WSF Data Protection Policy; Change the investment manager to JP Morgan Private Bank Switzerland, following an in-depth review of the portfolio management set-up and a robust selection procedure;
38 World Scout Foundation Annual Report 2019
• • • •
Work to broaden the investor base, with a focus on exploring corporate fundraising opportunities as well as significant funding opportunities via private foundations; Appoint Johannes Jonas as Chairman of the Grantmaking Oversight Committee; Appoint Hector Robledo Cervantes as Chairman of the World Scout Foundation and recognise and thank Lars Kolind for all he achieved in his second term as Chairman; Postpone the appointment of a Chairman-Elect to the spring 2020 Board Meeting.
The Audit Committee met once in April before the Board Meeting and the Nominations Committee met twice, before each of the two 2019 Board Meetings. The Investment Committee held three meetings in 2019: two in person and one via conference call. A great deal of additional work was carried out in 2019 by Investment Committee Members to review and ultimately change the investment manager over the course of the year. The Grantmaking Oversight Committee met twice in person, ahead of each of the Board meetings. It clarified the need to go beyond the original remit to evaluate the tangible impact of the grants and selected projects in South Africa and Haiti for specific oversight.
“We are all ambassadors for Scouting and need to continue to work hard to support its growth and development worldwide.” Hector Robledo Cervantes WSF Chairman
World Scout Foundation Annual Report 2019
39
BOARD & SUB-COMMITTEES
Honorary Chairman Officers Chairman Past Chairman Chairman Elect Treasurer Secretary Director
BOARD Ex-Officio Chairman, WSC Vice-Chairman, WSC Secretary General, WOSM
40 World Scout Foundation Annual Report 2019
Members HRH Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume of Luxembourg HH Princess Sama Bint Faisal Al Saud (Saudi Arabia) Masaya Arao (Japan) H.E. Faisal A. Al-Muaammar (Saudi Arabia) Byung-Soo Baik (Korea) Hector Robledo Cervantes (Mexico) Margot Bogert (USA) Lars Kolind (Denmark) Kent Clayburn (USA) Vacant William F. ‘Rick’ Cronk (USA) Fredrik Gottlieb (Sweden) David B. Huestis (Canada) Jens Ehrhardt (Germany) Johannes Jonas (Germany) John Geoghegan (Ireland) Suk-Won Kim (Korea) John Leece, AM (Australia) Yorimasa Matsudaira (Japan) Geoff Morgan, AM (Australia) Abdullah O. Nasseef (Saudi Arabia) Wayne M. Perry (USA) Craig Turpie (UK) John A. Sutin (Switzerland) Edward Andrew “Andy” Chapman (USA) James S. Turley (USA) Ahmad Alhendawi (Jordan) Thamnoon Wanglee (Thailand) Siegfried Weiser (Germany) Rob Woolford (UK) Alexander Wong (Hong Kong) Dato Soo Keng Yeoh (Malaysia)
His Majesty The King of Sweden
AUDIT
INVESTMENT
GRANTMAKING OVERSIGHT
Chairman
David B. Huestis (Canada)
Members
John Leece, AM (Australia) Hector Robledo Cervantes (Mexico) James S. Turley (USA)
Ex-officio
Fredrik Gottlieb (Sweden) John Geoghegan (Ireland)
Secretary
Mark Knippenberg (Netherlands)
Chairman
Kent Clayburn (USA)
Members Jens Ehrhardt (Germany) Fredrik Gottlieb (Sweden) John Sutin (Switzerland) Rob Wooldford (UK) Ex-officio
Hector Robledo Cervantes (Mexico)
Secretary
John Geoghegan (Ireland)
Chairman
Johannes Jonas (Germany)
Members Edward Andrew “Andy” Chapman (USA) John Leece, AM (Australia) Siegfried Weiser (Germany) Alexander Wong (Hong Kong) Ex-officio
Hector Robledo Cervantes (Mexico)
Secretary
Nicole Gooderson (Switzerland)
World Scout Foundation Annual Report 2019
41
ONE YEAR ON...
Last year we reported on the actions of courageous Indonesian Rover Scouts, who had once again put their disaster management training into action when earthquakes struck their Province in September 2018, helping survivors and recovering bodies from the rubble so they could be returned to loved ones. As 2019 was coming to a close, over 500 of these trained Indonesian Rover Scouts dropped everything to once again volunteer as first responders after torrential downpours—the most since records began in 1886—struck the Greater Jakarta Area on 31 December. Equipped with their orange helmets, they joined the search and rescue operations over the next days; evacuated residents, guiding children, babies and elderly persons through waist-high waters on ten rubber dinghies; operated an emergency base
to manage health checks and hand out food, clothes, sanitary supplies and clean water to survivors, and more. This incredible country-wide disaster management training in place since 2015 and now imbedded in the Youth Programme in Indonesia—and in more than 20 other countries—has been possible due to the longterm support from HRH Prince Alwaleed and his team in Alwaleed Philanthropies and Messengers of Peace funding. Time after time, we see the impact of the initial investment, especially in countries facing cyclical natural disasters and we know that whenever and wherever disaster strikes—including most recently with the COVID-19 situation—Scouts will always be there, putting their training into action to serve others and rebuild communities.
Download our 2018 Annual report here:
42 World Scout Foundation Annual Report 2019
World Scout Foundation Annual Report 2019
43
We wish to warmly thank all our Members and partners around the world for making 2019 another memorable year. Thank you also to all of our donors, Baden-Powell Fellows or not, who have shown so much generosity and commitment to World Scouting enabling Scouts around the world to show incredible leadership and help build a better world.
Design and Editorial: John Geoghegan, Nicole Gooderson, Sonia Tejpal-Mützlitz, Mark Knippenberg. Photo credits:Yoshi Shimizu; WSB Inc./Victor Ortega; Takuma Ishii SAJ; Hank Hyungkyu Jang; Jean-Pierre Pouteau; Nuno Perestrelo; Kangtaufik94; Sakura Doody; Nicole Gooderson; Frans Bergkvist; Brunel Etienne; Nelson Opany. All rights reserved. Copyright: 2020 World Scout Foundation. All rights reserved.
44 World Scout Foundation Annual Report 2019
World Scout Foundation Annual Report 2019
45
A CONTRIBUTION TO SCOUTING IS AN INVESTMENT IN THE FUTURE Rue de la Navigation 1, 1201 Geneva, Switzerland Postal address: PO Box 2116, 1211 Geneva 1, Switzerland Tel: +41 22 705 10 90 Fax: +41 22 705 10 99 info@worldscoutfoundation.org www.worldscoutfoundation.org