ICCG World To Member and corresponding
Member associations of ICCG


25th October 2000

Dear Friends,

Thank you

Here we are again, after a very busy summer for most of us, and for those who were in Togo, after a World Gathering and Council Meeting so intense and full of experenices that it will mark the history of ICCG.

We will never be able to thank enough the Girl Guides of Togo for having made possible such an unforgettable expereince

A great sorrow

Unfortunatelly as you all know, the death of Consuelo Zea Echeverri on the 25th of September, caused according to the information received, by a fatal strain of malaria, cast a deep shadow on the enthusiasm with which we returned from Togo.

We wish to express once more to the Girl Guides of Colombia and their national team how deeply we share their grief and how strongly we beleive in the Hope of Christ that has always guided Consuelo.

You’ll find enclosed a Press Release from the Girl Guides from Colombia, its English translation done by the World Bureau WAGGGS and the message we put on line on our Web-site.

We also share the grief and worry of the Girl Guide Association of the Republic of Central Africa, who suffered a very serious coach accident as they were leaving for their national camp. Eight national executives, amongst them the General Commissioner Nadine Zamoniako, had to be hospitalized. For this reason, they were not able to participate at the World Gatheirng in Togo.

Some news

During the World Council meeting in Tové a new World Committe has been elected for a period of three years and new Regional teams have been proposed and approved. Please find enclosed their composition.

A good piece of news : Marie-Thérèse Marchand, member of the Bureau and Adminsitration Council of the Guides de France has proposed to undertake the secretarial work for ICCG on a voluntary basis. She will be our Executive Secretary and we thank her most warmly for her generous offer.

An Urgency

The composition of the Europe Team was the only team that could not be established during the Council meeting, due to a lack of proposals. The European assocations present, committed themselves to porpose possible team members at the latest for the 1st November 2000. This deadline is now apporaching fast. We remind therefore associations, including those who were not able to participate in the World Gathering, that they should examine seriously the possibility of appointing a leader of their association as member of the Europe Regional Team.

For this purpose, please find enclosed article 17 of ICCG’s Constitution and paragraphs 17-18, 19-20 and 21 of its Bye-laws, as adopted during the Concil Meeting and which rule from now on the procedures for designation of Regional Team Members.

We would be grateful if you could contact as soon as possible Elisabetta Brunella (address enclosed) the newly elected European Regional executive, so that the Europe Regional Team can be operational without delay and able to implement the programme agreed upon in Togo.

Report of the Council Meeting

This report is being prepared. In order to enable associations and Regional Teams to start working, please find enclosed the resolutions voted at the Council Meeting., as well as the letters to ICCG written by the Regions with an introduction by Jean Debruynne entitled « a packet of seeds ».

Some deadlines

During the course of its first meeting in Tove, Togo, the World Committee decided to hold its annual meeting from the 19th to the 26th January 2001 in Paris.

In order to promote cohesion between the different regional teams and work on the joint subject : « religious identity and open to all » voted at the Council Meeting, we have foreseen a meeting of Regional Teams from the 7th to the 14th August 2001. The Middle East is likely to host this meeting, since the experience of a multi-confessional society where Christians are in a minority is well represented there. The Lebanon could be the most suitable Country . Leyla Antaki, regional executive for the Middle East has been requested to investigate the possible venues and the cost of such a meeting. If the cost of holding the meeting in the Middle East should prove too high, the AGESCI Center in Bracciano could equally be a suitable venue. Elisabetha Brunella will expore the possibilities.

We are asking the Regional Team members to reserve those days in their Agenda.

Congratulations

This first letter of the new triennunm should be the occasion to congratulate the three new associations that have become members of ICCG : Guinea, the Lebanon and ZHP from Poland. ICCG has now 36 Member Associations.

World Youth Gathering

We should not let this opportunity pass without mentioning the big ICCG /ICCS event that took place on the 17th of August last summer in Rome in the framework of the World Youth Gathering. Coordinated by the elder branch of AGESCI, the theme of the evening was the cancellation of international debt. On this occasion, more than 15 000 Scouts and Guides rallied in the Villa Borghese gardens. We thank very warmly AGESCI for having taken up this marvelous challange revealing their talent and efficiency.

Thank you too to Ginny Radford, President of WAGGGS and Lesley Bulman, director of the World Bureau who for this occasion sent ICCG a message of friendship and solidarity.

What about your news ?

As you know, we expect to receive some news from you. You all wish that ICCG be a crossroads of information, so do not hesitate and write to us
Get in contact also by E-mail by adressed to our Internet Contact, Philippe Denoyelle. The address of our Web-site is http ://assoc.wanadoo.fr/cicg/

Our e-mail address is : cicg@wanadoo.fr

Please send us all information that you consider useful, and send also photographs.

We plan to write to you twice every three month. Our next letter will be reaching you before Christmas.

Hoping to hear from you soon

Jean DEBRUYNNE
World Chaplain

Françoise Parmentier
World Executive