​​“We need to equip and empower young people to take what they have learned within scouting and apply it beyond our Movement”

​​I joined scouting as a Beaver in my local scout group. As I grew up, I became more aware of and interested in what was happening beyond my group. I became a Youth Representative to learn more about the opportunities available but also so that I could contribute to the exciting things that were happening. It was in my capacity as a Youth Representative that I was nominated to represent Scouting Ireland at WOSM’s Agora in 2012. Those five days changed my life.

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​​I attended the World Scout Jamboree in Sweden in 2011 as IST (International Service Team), so I had experienced international and WOSM events before, but Agora was different. It introduced me to Youth Empowerment, both in theory and in practice. It was a genuine example of an international event run ‘for Rovers, by Rovers’ supported by adults, not run by adults with youth representatives or youth perspectives included. I spent five days learning from other enthusiastic Rovers, sharing different perspectives on scouting and how to empower young people - I was hooked. I applied to join the planning team for Agora 2013, and I was lucky enough to be accepted. It was both terrifying and thrilling at the same time. Objectively, if you heard that a 20-year-old, who was studying to become a primary school teacher and had little-to-no event planning experience, was selected as one of four volunteers to deliver and develop a European Scout event, you would think it was a little odd – I loved every minute of it. I had the honour of returning as Coordinator of the Planning Team for Agora 2014, and later that year, I was elected Youth Advisor to the World Scout Committee. That was ten years ago. I still can’t fully wrap my head around everything that happened since then; the amazing opportunities, the wonderful people I met, and the incredible work I had the honour of contributing to.

One of the things I loved about scouting growing up was the diverse range of self-directed learning opportunities offered by youth programmes, first the Catholic Scouts of Ireland’s youth programme and then Scouting Ireland’s One Programme. I thrived within the frameworks that embraced the ‘personal progression’ element of the Scout Method; it afforded me opportunities to push myself to achieve higher standards, often the highest standard possible. This, coupled with the empowering experiences I had working with Scouting Ireland’s International Team and different European and World committees and teams, has instilled a distinct confidence in me. I’m lucky enough to be in the position now that a part of me believes that I could probably achieve anything I set my mind to (within reason), both in my personal and professional life, once I take the time to put a proper plan in place and I identify which ‘more knowledgeable others’ I need to consult and ask for guidance. I’ve said it before and will say it again – I believe I am the product of the Scout Method implemented well.

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​​I believe that scouting has influenced almost every aspect of my life. Scouting created a safe space for me to learn, grow, and try things I was interested in without necessarily having the skills or experience some might deem relevant. The non-formal education aspect of scouting gave me ample opportunities to develop ‘soft’ or ‘transferrable’ skills without ever opening a book. I was then challenged to apply those skills in new, often more daunting contexts. Each success I experienced helped to build my confidence so that I was ready for what came next. All the while, I was working within a network of supportive, affirming, friendly people who I knew would help me if I needed it. In my professional work, I often remind people that the best way to set a child up for success is to ensure they feel safe, supported, and happy. Scouting offered me that environment, both locally and internationally.

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​​It is said that we are the sum of our actions, but I know where I am today is the direct result of the belief and support from others within scouting and the opportunities they created for young people like me. I was nominated to attend Agora 2012. I was welcomed to Scouting Ireland’s International Team and empowered to contribute in a way that benefited the team and was also meaningful for me. I was accepted to join the planning team for Agora 2013 and coordinating Agora 2014. Structures were created within the World Scout Committee to allow Youth Advisors to assume meaningful responsibilities. I don’t believe anyone knew at the time what a profound impact their actions would have on my life. Although I am focusing on how adults using their positions to create opportunities for young people benefitted my development, I know countless other young people also learned and grew within the spaces they, and others like them, created and continue to create.

They say it takes a village to raise a child; in my case, it has taken a worldwide community of volunteers, committee members and professional staff over a decade of offering support, encouragement, and mentoring to get me to where I am. I am acutely aware of how lucky I am with the people I have met and the experiences I have had. I am doing my best to ensure that as many young people as possible have a richer, even more, diverse range of experiences and opportunities available to them to support their personal growth and development. One example was when I led the Task Force charged with evolving the World Scout Youth Forum and World Scout Conference into one event. As a result of our consultations, not only did we propose a format for the new event, but we also drafted guidelines and a resolution to create a WOSM Youth Engagement Strategy. Hopefully, this work will help us continue our progress on this front.

 

​​It is really important to me that young people are recognised and valued as the vibrant, innovative, potential-rich resource they are and that they are welcomed into structures and systems designed for them in scouting. In our efforts to achieve the Mission of Scouting, we need to ensure we are empowering young people to engage with and put their own mark on whatever aspect of the structures and systems that excites them and that it is done in a supportive and affirming, yet reasonable way. More than that, we need to equip and empower young people to take what they have learned within scouting and apply it beyond our Movement into whatever communities or societies are meaningful to them.

​​I was reminded recently that Kofi Annan once said, “You are never too young to lead, and we are never too old to learn”. Intergenerational dialogue, adults and young people working together has been a cornerstone of my scouting experience. I still need to do some work to come to accept that I have transitioned now to being an ‘adult’ rather than one of the ‘young people’, but I believe it is our responsibility as the ‘adults’ to do everything we can to create and hold those spaces for young people so that we can learn from them, and also so they feel ready to step up and lead.

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​​To do this, we need to continue fostering environments to help young people feel safe, supported and happy and to create spaces where they feel empowered to explore, innovate, and apply their passion and drive to realise change in meaningful ways. If we can achieve this, scouting can continue to instil a sense of self-belief in young people and inspire them to engage with the breadth of possibilities they could create with or for others. The beauty of this is we already have everything we need to achieve it – we have strong institutional structures, amazing educational programmes, and wonderful regional and world events. Rather than rushing to build new structures or establish different systems, I believe we need to focus first on maximising the potential of these existing opportunities to ensure our efforts can be sustained over time. This is part of what I am trying to achieve in my current role as Coordinator for the area of Innovation in the European Scout Region.

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​​Our world is changing, and we are living through environmental and societal catastrophes. The Scout Movement has grown and evolved to meet the needs of our members since it was founded, and I have witnessed it continue to evolve in my lifetime. Today’s young people will face challenges our parents never dreamed of. I believe scouting has all the ingredients needed to continue empowering young people to offer nuanced solutions to create a more peaceful, inclusive, and sustainable world. We adults just need to be brave enough to embrace our role in creating and holding a safe, supportive, and affirming space for them to do it. After that, we can just step back and watch the magic happen!

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​​Máire Fitzgerald

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