By Dr. Jacques Moreillon

During 15 years in this position, you can imagine that I have been presented with many gifts on my 500 missions for Scouting in 110 countries. To tell you the truth, I have been quietly donating them, bit by bit, to the Las Vegas International Scouting Museum in the United States, and as my term ends, I am also donating some of my papers for preservation and eventual research.

Why Las Vegas? Simply because it was the only existing Museum that offered to put them on display and and make them accessible to the general public, something for which the World Scout Bureau in Geneva is not prepared - neither is my home, nor is my wife!

It was a surprise when the museum invited me to Las Vegas - as one of my last official acts as Secretary General, to inaugurate the "Jacques Moreillon Room" of the museum, in its temporary quarters. I was amazed that each and everyone of these 750 items is already catalogued in this collection, not counting what was in my suitcases and a few more things to come!

While it was difficult to part with things that bring back so many wonderful memories of friends and experiences, many more people can now appreciate them, and thus can have an idea of the variety within World Scouting. It feels like being at a World Scout Jamboree.

I also am very grateful to Dr. Robert Horne for his financial contributions over several years to support important World Scouting projects, including several that were crucial to starting or restarting Scouting in formerly communist countries. For this, someday, I hope there will be a suitable tribute in his museum.

For those who like anecdotes, there is another story behind this story: Several years ago, Mrs. Solange Marchal, who lives near Geneva, asked for our help to find a place where her late husband Claude's remarkable Scouting collection could be moved from their large home and soon be on public display, and possibly result in some financial support for World Scouting. Through the Baden-Powell World Fellowship she met Dr. Horne who was starting a museum in his hometown of Las Vegas, Nevada. He already owned some important collections of US Scouting items.

She visited Dr. Horne and learned that Las Vegas attracts a huge number of family visitors each year, and that there is a wide range of speciality museums in town. The deal was struck, and soon the incredible Marchal Collection was in Las Vegas, and available for viewing in its special room.

In the Marchal collection were about 150 items donated by my predecessor, Dr. Laszlo Nagy, who retired in 1988, so my contribututions were building upon history.

I mentioned that the museum is in temporary quarters, but planning is well advanced to break ground for a new building. Architects have mapped out a facility which will fascinate those interested in Scouting memorabilia - mostly American and European for the moment - and also those who want to learn more about Scouting, and those who want to do professional research into the archives of World Scouting.

May I end with a "commercial"? I also hope that, with time the Las Vegas International Scouting Museum will also have a "World Scout Foundation Room"! In case Baden-Powell Fellows have memorabilia which their kids will not want to inherit, this is the address of the Museum: Mr. Robert Lynn Horne, M.D. President Las Vegas International Scouting Museum 2915 W. Charleston Blvd, Suite 4 Las Vegas, NV 89102 USA

http://www.boyscoutmuseum.com/