#16egsc: The Gateway to the Next Triennium

A Maltese delegation of Girl Guides and Scouts attended the 16th European Guide and Scout Conference and the concurrently organised 16th European Guide Conference and 23rd European Scout Conference. All were held between the 24^th and 28^th August in Split, Croatia.

Representatives from both the Scout Association of Malta (TSAM) and the Malta Girl Guides (MGG) attended. Chief Commissioner Anton Pisani, and delegates Mike Borg and Claudette Camilleri represented TSAM, while Chief Commissioner Claire Duff and International Commissioner Jeanelle Camilleri represented MGG. 

MGG Volunteer Stephanie Darmanin has been successfully elected as a member of the Europe Region’s Committee of the World Association for Girl Guides and Girl Scouts. This conference marks the end of Kevin Camilleri’s term as Chairperson of the Europe Region Committee of the World Organisation Scout Movement. Malta has had representatives at European Region Committee levels for the fourth consecutive year now.

The two global bodies, to which some 60 million Scouts and Guides from around the world belong, are WAGGGS – the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, and WOSM – the World Organization of the Scout Movement. Both bodies are organised in regions, with the Europe Region WAGGGS having 41 Member Organisations (MOs) and the Europe Region of WOSM gathering 40 National Scout Organisations (NSOs). The members of the two regions gather at a European Region Conference every three years. 

The concurrently held European Guide Conference and European Scout Conference are the general assemblies of the two regions with clearly defined mandates. Delegates of all MOs and NSOs of the two regions come together for four days to discuss and adopt regional policies, strategies and general orientations for the coming years. They report on past and current activities and also elect the regions’ governing bodies, the Europe Committee WAGGGS and the European Scout Committee of WOSM.

During the European Guide and Scout Conference, all delegations discuss matters of mutual interest and approve joint actions, which are also integral part of the regional plans agreed by the respective separate conferences.

For more information, please contact Elaine Attard on 79062323 (MGG)

About Scouting and Girl Guiding

• The Scout Association of Malta passionately believes in helping their members fulfil their full social, physical, intellectual, creative, emotional and spiritual potentials by working in teams, learning by doing and thinking for themselves.  Scouting provides opportunities for members to do this, and to continue to take risks in a safe environment and have their first taste of responsibility.
• The Malta Girl Guides Association strives to be a relevant movement where each girl and woman is valued, empowered and given a voice. The MGG’s vision is to provide challenging opportunities that promote leadership in girls and women. Through fun and adventure, members discover and develop their potential whilst making a positive difference in their community.
• Over 200 activities are offered throughout the year by the Scouts and Girl Guides around Malta and Gozo. This is possible thanks to the efforts of over 1,000 adult volunteers, members of both associations.  This has helped make TSAM the largest co-educational youth movement and MGG the largest girl and women’s only organisation in the country.
• Adults volunteering within Scouting and Girl Guiding contribute in excess of 400,000 hours of voluntary work each year to their local communities.
• The World Organisation of the Scouting Movement (WOSM) has around 50 million members while the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) has around 10 million members. Both organisations operate in nearly every country in the world.