Zellhof, Austria October 2023.
Meeting Minutes
Goose network meeting 11.10.23
- Welcome and address from Papa Goose
- Introductions
- Overview of the Goose network (Rebecca)
- Goose Game
- International Centre Day
- International Centres Day – this year run by Pax Lodge and won by Zellhof. Only 3 centres took part.
- Discussions about why so few centres take part and if there was another way.
- Is the date (middle of July) the best date? Could information be sent out earlier and give more time for centres to submit their entry on a specific date
- Are we making enough of connections e.g. in 2020 more was online/social media where centres can see each others submissions
- Mood of the room is to be more flexible on the date/length of time to complete the task
- Still keep a specific day – make more connections and share stories and examples on social media with other centres. Hopefully this would get teams a little more competitive to see what others have done!
- Camp staff seminar (last one was prior to the pandemic)
- Camp staff Seminar – Úlfliótsvatn (Iceland) offered to host in Spring 2023 but then nothing moved forward. Last one was in 2019. Do you go to visit the centre and get a view of the host centre or does it need to be more of themed event. Intended for staff under 26 an event to help develop young volunteers or staff in leadership skills, knowledge etc to enable them to take on a bigger role at your centre and excite them about what they can do within Scouting/Scout centre. Usually takes place over Easter, planning begins in Autumn. Funding is a big reason why centres don’t send participants. Timing doesn’t work for all centres due to Easter celebrations or if programme is happening at the centre. Some Centres do not have long term volunteers so wouldn’t send a volunteer who is about to finish their time. Could there be Erasmus planning. Do we want this to continue? Do we have a team to organize the next one? What is the value of running this event? Its in our core values to train young people in leadership skills, it is good to give the young people a chance to make those connections. Could we start looking at a centre with access to funding e.g. Erasmus who could start the conversation and the process now to try and get funding, someone in the NSO who knows how to access the Erasmus funding. Is there other avenues of funding available? Úlfliótsvatn (Iceland), Scout Valley (Lithuania) and KISC (Switzerland) to start the conversation and look to run a seminar in Autumn of 2024.
- Camp managers meeting (usually before the CMC or a separate meeting when CMC does not happen). Get together at one of the centres to discuss topics of interest to each centre. Less formal than CMC
- Staff exchange – volunteers from one centre has gone to visit another centre. Exciting opportunities for volunteers to see how other centres operate. Many of these events haven’t happened since Corona. Good opportunity to discuss whether we continue with these. Exchange programme – doesn’t work so much with Our Chalet. We tell our volunteers about the network and encourage volunteers to move on to another centre. Promote within the centre. Who is the exchange programme coordinator? Exchanges have happened without going through the coordinator centres have communicated directly with the other centre. Houens Odde have exchanged with KISC. How do we tell our volunteers about the other centres? Life after KISC session for volunteers to explain what you do when you go home, can we do something as a standard across all centres which specifies details about the centres and what opportunities are available. Goose network website should be kept up to date by each centre. An easier way to communicate with each centre would be useful. Is there any benefit of having an exchange programme coordinator?Goose meeting – part of CMC and also on the alternate years. At the end of the meeting tomorrow we need to think about what happens in the alternate years. Do we need to meet more frequently, perhaps online? If anyone has any ideas of what the Goose Network can do in the future, pass on your ideas to the new Papa or Mama goose and it would be good to get some fresh ideas. We must reflect if that the Goose Network is something we want to continue. We need to decide what is important to us and continue to do what we want to do and to help and support each other.
- Goose Game (Tanya) – Our Chalet have started using it a lot more than previously. Other Centres have also been using it. The game gives the participants the opportunity to learn about the different centres. As you move around the board you land on a centre and play an activity related to that Centre. There is also an online version. Our Chalet have been using it and have received good feedback about the game. If new centres are added you need to make sure that you get added to the game. There is also a patch, Tanya recently sent an email out regarding the patch. If you didn’t get the email please reach out to Tanya. If you want to update your activity that is possible.
- Goose Network Policy (Michi) – are there any new members or candidates? The goose rules mean we need to decide if they can join. Who can join? Who should be part of it? We all want to be open and allow everyone to join if they want to contribute. To save the uncomfortable feeling of having discussions about whether or not a centre should be joining we should have transparent policies about joining and about being an active member of the network. At some point we need to make sure all centres are participating or at least communicating. Make everyone self accountable for being part of the network. How formal do we want the network to be? Suggestion to have a mentor centre attached to a new centre. Two goals – new member goal and full centre goal. Michi suggested a new proposal for new centres joining and for ensuring that existing members are still being active. Voted and approved by the members at the meeting.
- Goose network events and host
- Camp staff seminar three centres decided yesterday. Location TBC
- Zellhof won the International Centres Day this year so they will be host in 2024. Plan to follow included survey to members regarding what they would like to see and how changes could be made. Conversation also with Pax Lodge as they hosted this year.
- Goose Network Meeting (October) do we need to have a meeting every year or stick to alternate years? Do we need to have more meetings throughout the year? Do we want to have an in person meeting at the same time and place of the camp staff seminar? Also manager available for training session or workshop for the camp staff seminar.
- Election of new Pappa/Mamma Goose
- What is the role? To coordinate the network, to motivate the elements. Full list on the website
- It can be two people – perhaps there is someone who knows they can fulfil a few of the requirements but not all.
- It doesn’t have to be a manager – think about the people at your centre if there is someone that would fit the bill
- Length of term 2 years
Nana Klingenberg (Houens Odde) has proposed herself but requires another person to work with.
Živilė Dragūnė (Skautų Slėnis) has agreed to be joint Mamma Goose. Congratulations both!
- Golden Goose Award proposed by Jack Higgins (KISC) supported by Pappa Goose to be awarded to Tobias Simonsen. Further support given by others in the room. Concerns raised by Michi regarding the entire idea of giving awards as there are others who have also given lots to the group but that some people get awards for their contributions whereas others are not recognized in the same way. Recognising others is rooted in the Scouting methodology and it doesn’t mean we are putting anyone else down. Going forward to avoid awkward conversations in the future do we need clear criteria of what is required for Golden Goose. There is also bronze and silver but these are not given out, should they remain? How do we ensure that we have a fair approach to the Golden Goose award? Should groups be given awards for their contributions and attendance at events?
- Vote taken on the proposal for Tobais for members in the room – 13 yes, 1 no and 1 abstain
- Keep it as we have it now that there is no specific criteria, however if there is a member who is especially passionate about the Golden Goose Award should take it forward and make that criteria.
- Pani has asked everyone in the network to make sure that we all give our support, encouragement and friendship for Nana and Sevile in their new role as Mamma Goose.
- Nana presented outgoing Pappa Goose Carlos with a thank you gift for all his time as Pappa Goose.
- Carlos presented Rebecca with a gift as a thank you to Zellhof for hosting the Goose network meeting and ECMC.