Association Guides and Scouts Cattolici Italiani (AGESCI)
L 'AGESCI, Scouts and Guides Association is a Catholic Italian Italian scout, that is, according to its statutes, to educate young people through educational track method by Robert Baden-Powell around 1907, inspired by the Law and Promise Scout.
The association
L 'AGESCI officially born May 4 1974, the union of two organizations, the Association of Italian Catholic Scouts (ASCI) el'Associazione Guide Italiane (AGI). L 'AGESCI Corps and the National Youth Explorers and explorers Italiani (CNGEI) make up the Italian Scout Federation (FIS), a member of the World Scout Movement (OMMS or WOSM) and to the World Guide and explorers (or AMGE WAGGGS). L 'AGESCI is an organization recognized by the Civil Defense (with which it is involved in almost all the emergencies occurred in Italy since the 1976 earthquake in Friuli), the CEI, and has signed Memoranda of Understanding with the Ministry of' Environment and the Ministry of Education. Maintains relations with the Scout Movement Adult Catholics Italiani (MASCI). The official organ of the press is the head Scout.
Organization
L 'AGESCI has a vertically divided into four levels: national, regional, local level (which does not follow a strict geographical division and that does not take into account administrative boundaries such as municipalities and provinces), group level. The groups are actually quite independent organizations in local, regional and national. Each of these levels has a complex structure whose purpose is aimed at 'educating children, teens and young adults. The members are divided into two categories, the younger members, those who live their personal experience of growth, and the adult members, who held the education proposal by the association.
Affiliated to 'AGESCI is Südtiroler Pfadfinderschaft [2], Association of Catholic Scouts German working in the autonomous province of Bolzano. At the regional level, in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, have signed a cooperation agreement [3] between AGESCI and Slovenske Zamejske Skavtske Organizacije (SZSO), organization of the Slovenian minority Scout, found in the provinces of Trieste and Gorizia.
The Group
The group is the structure that more than any other is in contact with the unit after educandi (further breakdown of the group) and that more than any other place the educational purpose of the association. It is composed of leaders and adults in educational service that form the community leaders, and that out of the mandate in its entirety, have the direct responsibility of the boys made up the service. The community leaders carries on education first and foremost through the drafting and implementation of an Educational Project. The components of the heads have to be able to carry out their educational service, first of all join a Membership Pact, which sets out the ethical and moral principles of adults who respond to such a special vocation in the service, and in the course of a number of years, take a required training, after which a patent is issued that recognizes both nationally and internationally the way done and the expertise gained. Only by this time may bear a particular fazzolettone called Gilwell heads and be seen.
Within the community leaders may be people with different levels of training to perform the service with the children is the community leaders who will assume the responsibility of office, at every level, is trust. The legal representatives of the group, called Heads Group, are two, a man and a woman, elected in accordance with the Statute of the community component parts. As for the younger members, then the educandi, children, teenagers and young adults, there is a split into three age groups called branches:
- Branca Lupetti and Coccinelle (L / C) - children and from 8 to 11/12 years
- Branca Explorers and Guides (A / G) - boys / and 12/13 to 16 years
- Branca Rover and Scolte (R / S) - young people from 16 to 20/21 years
The children of each branch activities are carried out in groups called units: For coccinelle the circle for Lupetti the Branco, for the scouts and guides the Department for the rover and the scolte Clan, with a first time called Novitiate. The department is actually predominant membership in the squadron.
Each unit can be mixed (male and female), monosessuale, parallel (two units composed only by males and females only by living a number of activities planned during the year). The joint teams are led by two Heads patented a woman and a man, according to the principle for which any role at all levels, is given jointly to two people of different sex (diarchia). In addition to these there is an Ecclesiastical Assistant, which is mandated by the Bishop of the Diocese in which the group belongs.
The leaders pursue their education through a scout, whose general principles are outlined by Robert Baden-Powell and a different methodology for each branch, which gives concrete tools. The group usually (but not the rule) is in contact with a parish, he takes the name of the location followed by a number (for example: Terni 2)
The Zone
The Zone collect, within a framework that territorial changes according to needs identified by the regional level, several groups from a minimum of six to a maximum of twenty. Task of Zone is to promote the growth and formation of the Community heads through events, meetings and other means at its disposal. Still, it must act so that there is dissemination of Scouting in its territory, through the opening of other groups, is to create links with local authorities, and municipal and provincial governments, associations, organizations, dioceses, and so on., should encourage the meeting and confrontation between different groups, has the power to create and implement events for the children of groups that compose it. The legal representatives of the Area are the two leaders (always a man and a woman) elected by an assembly.
The Zone is structured as follows:
- Congress Heads of the Area;
- Assembly of the Area;
- Area Committee;
- Council Area;
each of these four tasks and have different compositions. The objectives, priorities, procedures and timetables to meet them, are the contents of the Project Area.
The Region
Unlike the Zone is a region that is identified at local level, with the administrative region of belonging. It has several tasks: implementing a link between different areas, in collaboration with the Education Heads of National level achieved the first of two training camps for leaders (Field Training Methodology, CFM), disseminates information through the management of its site and the press, it enhances the knowledge and experience to the regional higher level is concerned, for their level of care for relations with the civilian agencies, if any produces events for young members. The legal representatives of the Region are the two leaders (always a man and a woman) elected by an assembly.
The Region is structured as follows:
- Heads Regional Conference;
- Regional Assembly;
- Regional Committee;
- Regional Council;
each of these four tasks and have different compositions. The objectives, priorities, procedures and timetables to meet them, are the contents of the Regional Project.
The National
The National level is the reference for all members. It ensures, through a multitude of structures, linking the regions. Specific tasks of the national level are to identify policies to address the association of the methodology used to update and preserve the richness of the method, to heal relations with the civilian agencies at state level, finding the material and financial resources to pursue the objectives set, disseminate appropriate information through the most suitable.
The legal representatives of the association, in this case, the President and the President. The Chief Guide and the Chief Scout have the task of representing the association in its entirety, both in Italy and abroad, as well as to ensure the implementation of the principles and other recognized by the Statute.
The National is structured as follows:
- General Council;
- National Council;
- National Committee;
- Economic Committee;
- National Uniforms and Badges;
each of these four tasks and have different compositions. The objectives, priorities, procedures and timetables to meet them, are the contents of the National Project.
Method and educational proposal
The Association has its own method of education inspired by the experience of Robert Baden-Powell. This method supports the growth and development of a person embracing a whole by tapping those that educators call the heads of the four points B.-P.: health and physical strength, manual dexterity, the formation of character and service of others. What ultimately aimed Baden-Powell and that it will still Scouting is to train people of good citizens to leave the world a 'better as we have found. The method scout bases its strength on the value of learning by doing, through experience of living outdoors, community life, to challenge themselves. Many are the "pillars" of the method are explained, along with practical tools in the methodological rules of the association.
- Education and outdoor life to essentials;
- Citizenship education;
- Education and global peace;
- Education and coeducation to (the education of emotional-sexual dimension);
- Education in the faith (proposed Catholic);
Another important element of the Scout method is the symbolic language, through which strengthens a set of values that through the spoken and gestural encrypted and is transmitted immediately recognizable more deeply. The educational proposal is implemented and demonstrated by the activities and opportunities in the three proposals Branche (see Organization). Each branch has its own special features to better adapt to different age groups and hence the different needs that arise in children, adolescents and young adults. Also important is the personal progression in which each tries to improve giving of goals on four points: myself, relationships, relationship with the group, and relationship with the faith.
Branca Lupetti and Coccinelle
The branch L / C (8-11/12 years) have as a central element of the educational proposal fantastic game and the environment. As regards the Lupetti / environment is the Jungle, and has been adapted from B.-P. Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling in which the author had given permission for the necessary changes. For Coccinelle fantastic environment is that of Wood-based story Seven points blacks written by Christian Ruschi of Punta Branca and the L / C of national 'Agesci.
In the branch L / C everything revolves around the game, and then knowing how to follow precise rules and perhaps complex, knowing how to lose and know how to win, and team play for the team, and the happy family atmosphere that the leaders have to create all units' inside of the small community in which everyone is a brother of the other, which has the look of horizontality of the needs of children than the verticality formed from different ages. Children must know how to take the commitments that the leaders agree with that almost always have unique names (taken from books of reference) of the Environment: the leaders will flock therefore the names of Akela, Bagheera, Kaa, and so on, while Rim leaders will Arcand, and I Scibe. The commitments are then checked with Old Wolves and Coccinelle Older and displayed at the headquarters of the unit. The branch L / C as a reference and as a spiritual patron San Francesco and Santa Chiara, two figures that are simple and readily understood by a child.
Branca Explorers and Guides
The branch E / G (11/12-16 years) have as a central element of the proposed educational adventure. It is the bait of education available to department heads to offer the boys opportunities for growth. The department is made up of squadrons (6 / 8 members of the same sex) and they are the first point of growth of boys. The squadrons take names of animals (according to tradition expressed by Baden-Powell in "Scouting for boys"). In them we are not talking about the vertical hierarchy, but the biggest help the least in the "transfer of knowledge" (the competence and knowledge of the technical scout, habits, rules of behavior are passed without there being a teaching type nozionistico) beginning to live this way, the scouting, in a spirit of service that will develop better in the community A / S. The biggest responsibility was also the smallest.
It is the squadron, and then, the core of the department, in which children live most of the activities: exit (usually with accommodation and monthly), winter and summer camps, businesses. The largest are often part of the squadron, a structure created to meet the needs of the largest in the department, which often differ from those of children.
The Department as a whole has two basic structures to ensure the leading role of children:
- Council of Law: the Plenary Assembly of the Department. This is a design and verification of assets.
- Council Heads: formed by the department heads, heads and squadron dall'assistente cleric. It is the management of the life of the department. Here the boys (squadron leaders and therefore the most experienced of the community) and their leaders make decisions, plan, observe and verify the performance of a regular ward. It is an instrument used to be aware of their responsibility for things and people, and simultaneously help older students prepare for the climb in Branca R / S.
It is the responsibility of department heads during the year to ensure a climate of permanent Company: it means that companies must succession without downtime. The branch E / G's patron Saint George.
Branca Rover and Scolte
This Branca (16-20/21 years) differs from the others because of the presence of two different times: the Novitiate (usually one year) and the Clan / Fire. The first time usually lasts one year and is a very special to know the different way of living the Scouting at an age in which the choices are becoming central to the lives of adults that will be. The main points of this branch are the community, service and the way (the real way to go on foot). After a period of "running" of the novitiate, during which the boy or the girl decides whether or not to continue its path scout enters into Clan / Fire. In most groups, the period of the Clan / Fire takes about 4 years and will end with the departure scout.
The Clan / Fire, differently from the other scout unit, was felt so deeply Community, sharing and present, as never before, the life of the rover or scolta. The Clan / Fuoco has at its base a paper written by the community (usually every 3 or 4 years, when, that has made the replacement of people in the Clan): Clan of the Charter. The patron saints of this branch are St. Paul and St. Catherine.
for information:
www.agesci.org
