International Scouting

International Scouting
San Francisco Bay Area Council

SFBAC International Scouting Committee
(*contact for more information)

*Jed Richardson, Chair
*Bob Russell, SFBAC International Representative

Committee Members

Mike Gleim	Alan Marples
Gary Jeans	Randy Wright
Jeremy Jeans

Upcoming Events

2011 World Jamboree Information Meeting at the YLTC	September 14th 7pm YLTC
World Jamboree Kristianstad, Sweden	July 27-August 7, 2011

Program Areas

International Scouting Day Gary Jeans

Over 100 Tiger Cubs, Cub Scouts, Webelos, Boy Scouts, and their leaders participated in the 2nd SFBAC International Scouting Day. The event was held in conjunction with the 51st World Jamboree on the Air (JOTA) at the Youth Leadership Training Center on October 18th, 2008, and was free of charge and open to all.

Participants took part in both outdoor and indoor internationally themed games and crafts as well as JOTA. The games were ones which were run at the 21st World Scout Jamboree in England. Games included the I Traded For (Kim's Game), Concentration game from Serbia, Four man Tug-of-War from Portugal, Welly Toss from the UK, Stilt Walking form Norway, and Shepherd's Game from Slovenia. Acivities and displays included an International Scouting Booth, a display of International memorbilia and patches, a chance to make a neckerchief and learn to tie the international friendship knot.

Attendees also had the chance to participate in JOTA and talk on an amateur (ham) radio to other Scouts and Scouters around the United States and other countries. We were able to reach Scouts in New Zealand and Australia. Scouts learned about amateur radio, Morse Code, and semaphore while working towards Cub Scout and Boy Scout advancement requirements. JOTA is the largest annual event of the World Scouting Movement- with over 400,000 participants in close to 200 countries around the world. The event is held every third full weekend in October and lasts for 48 hours in the time zone of the participant.

All units are encouraged to take part in the 4th SFBAC International Scouting Day and the 53nd JOTA on October 16th, 2010. Put it on your calendar now!

A. World Friendship Fund Jeremy Jeans

The World Friendship Fund is an opportunity for you to help support fellow Scouts who are in need. Started at the end of World War II, this program has helped restart Cub Scout packs and Boy Scout troops in many countries throughout the world. This program has helped provide equipment, uniforms, insignia, program materials, camping gear and translations of BSA literature into several languages.

Today, we have seen the development of new nations and democratization of others. What an opportunity for you to be a part, by giving a little, so that the youth of these nations can gain all that scouting has to offer.

We are currently promoting "The Power of One"; one person, giving only one dollar. Just think what would happen if all registered scouts and scouters in our council would give one dollar to the World Friendship Fund. In the scout law, we are asked to be HELPFUL. When you give to the World Friendship Fund in the San Francisco Area Council, you are helping promote international scouting, you are becoming a part of the worldwide brotherhood of scouting, and you are doing so through the "Power of One."

Be a part today by donating only ONE dollar. Each scout or scouter, giving one could make a huge difference in the lives of young people worldwide.

Please challenge your pack, crew, troop today - to ignite THE POWER OF ONE!

For more information you may contact Jeremy Jeans at Jeremy
_Jeans@yahoo.com or contact Jeremy at(510) 895-9800. You could also collect your troops contributions, take them to the council and make your donation to the WORLD FRIENDSHIP FUND POWER OF ONE. We have a certificate of gratitude for all troops that collect one dollar per registered member. If your troop donates $30 or more, we also have a beautiful ribbon for your troop flag that can show your support.

Venturing Crew 27 Jed Richardson
The goal of Venture Crew 27 is to promote cross-cultural experiences for young people through international travel and projects and through support of international Scouting events. The crew is sponsored by the San Francisco Bay Area Council International Committee and is open to all male and female youth between the ages of 14 and 20. We typically only hold meetings in order to plan for upcoming events. Past trips have included a service project in Chiang Mai, Thailand building homes for Habitiat for Humanity and a trip to the http://www.sfbac.org/files/images/Kandersteg_Chalet_and_Crew.jpg followed by a rail tour of Switzerland. For additional information please contact either Jed Richardson, 209-754-1543, jedrichardson@cal.berkeley.edu; or Bob Russell, 510-339-2716, rkrussel@pacbell.net
Photo 2 Photo 3 Photo 4

B. International Camp Staff

Scouting is a world-wide movement. The BSA solicits applications from Scouts 18-30 years of age from around the world to serve as International Camp Staff for its various council summer camps. SFBAC has been generally successful at securing one international Scout for each of its summer camps. The international staffer allows our Scouts to interact with an experienced Scout from another country and culture. Our Scouts discover how Scouting is different in other countries but is still built on the same basic values and skills that we use in the US. In the past few years, our Scouts have met Scouts from Taiwan, Egypt, South Africa, and the UK.

International Scouting Opportunities

Kandersteg World Scout Camp, Kandersteg Switzerland

Click here for more information

C. Philmont International Scouting Conference

Every two or three years the Philmont Training Center hosts a conference on International Scouting. This conference brings together Scouters from around the country who are doing International Scouting in one form or another: going to world jamborees, camporees, or other international events; going to Kandersteg or other international Scout camps; hosting their wn international camporees or other camping events; hosting foreign Scout units from a few days to a few weeks while they tour the US. Generally, foreign Scouters also attend, as well as international professionals from various regions of the world. The opportunity for both formal and informal discussions about the practice and future of Scouting worldwide is nonpariel.