Roots Go Back to 1920 World Jamboree
VATICAN CITY, 30 MAY 2006 (ZENIT)Here is the description of the
International Catholic Conference of Scouting which appears in the
Directory of International Associations of the Faithful, published by
the Pontifical Council for the Laity.
* * *
Official name: International Catholic Conference of Scouting
Acronym: ICCS
Established: 1948
History: ICCS started out as the International Office of Catholic
Scouts, which was established in 1920 at the first World Jamboree, by
the French Jesuit Jacques Sevin (Scouts de France), Count Mario di
Carpegna (Associazione Scout Cattolici Italiani) and professor Jean
Corbisier (Baden Powell Belgian Boy Scouts).
The initiative was blessed by Benedict XV in July 1922 and a statute was
adopted by Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Chile, Ecuador, France, Italy,
Luxembourg, Poland, Spain and Hungary.
Between 1946 and 1947 the officials of the Catholic Scout Associations
re-established contacts that had been broken off during the Second World
War, and decided to meet every year.
In June 1962 the Holy See approved the statutes and charter of the
association which was renamed the International Catholic Scouting
Conference (lCSC), and later the International Catholic Conference of
Scouting (lCCS). As an international Catholic organization, ICCS is a
member of the Conference of ICOs, and has consultative status on the
World Scout Committee.
Identity: As a forum for Scout leaders and educators, enabling them to
share their educational experiences, ICCS offers an opportunity for all
its members to receive instruction and information.
Its particular purpose is to contribute to the comprehensive education
of young people through the Scouting educational method enlightened by
the Catholic faith; to guarantee the active presence of Catholic Scouts
in the Church; to encourage dialogue between the Catholic Church and the
World Scout Movement.
Its twin linkage with the Catholic Church and the Scout Movement
requires ICCS to relate to a variety of national and international
institutions in which it is committed to fostering the development of
programs for education in the faith and to protect respect for the
choice and expression of faith.
ICCS pursues its aims by organizing seminars and debates on the
spiritual dimension of Scouting education, education in the faith, the
relationship between belonging to the Church and membership in the Scout
Movement, and interfaith dialogue in Scouting.
ICCS plays a part in the international activities of the Catholic Church
(World Youth Days, forums, seminars) and the Scout Movement (world and
regional conferences, jamborees). It bases its work on the Constitution
of the World Organization of the Scout Movement, and the Scouts I
Catholic Charter approved by the Holy See in 1977.
Organization: The supreme governing body of the ICCS is the World
Council, which meets every three years, attended by the officials of the
member organizations.
The World Council elects the secretary-general who coordinates the work
of the conference worldwide, assisted by a general secretariat and the
members of the four regional secretariats for Africa, Asia-Pacific, the
Americas and Europe-Mediterranean. Catholic Scouting associations, and
Catholic Councils and Committees of multifaith Scouting Associations are
members of ICCS.
Membership: ICCS has 53 member associations in 50 countries worldwide.
Publications: Info, a bulletin published every two months; Signes,
published three times a year; and Cahiers, a six-monthly reflection and
animation journal. All three are published in French, English and
Spanish
Web site: www.cics.org
Headquarters:
Conference Internationale Catholique du Scoutisme
Piazza Pasquale Paoli, 18
00186 Roma
— Italy
Tel. (39) 0668.65270
—
Fax 0668.65211
E-mail: cics-iccs@cics.org
© Copyright 2006
—
Libreria Editrice Vaticana [adapted]
ZE06053026
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