Annexe to “60 years – part 8” | Union Internationale des Guides et Scouts d'Europe

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Appendix IX to father Jacques SEVIN’s book about The International Office of Catholic Scouts, in Le Scoutisme, Editions Spes, 1924, pages 336 to 338.

The International Office of Catholic Scouts was founded in London, during the Jamboree of 1920, on request of several leaders of Catholic Associations, among which the « Baden-Powell Belgian Boy Scouts” and the Scouts de France.

During a private audience granted to the earl de Carpegna, leader of the “Italian Catholic Scouts”, on June 28th 1921, The Holy Father Pope Benedict XV deigned to approve and bless the International Office of Catholic Scouts, in conformity with the established rules and accept the person of the late Mgr Tiberghien, later Archbishop of Nicée, as the official representative of the I.O.C.S. to the Holy See.

AIM

The I.O.C.S. is not an International Confederation the aim of which would be to manage and unify the existing national associations; it has no direct authority upon them. Its only ambition is to be a liaison and reporting agency aiming at:

1) Favouring the exchange of ideas and information between Catholic scout troops, especially about Catholic scouting, and enabling them to study together the moral and religious questions regarding scouting.
2) Establishing a real link between Catholic scouts throughout the world, uniting them fraternally thanks to a same Faith so that, during their journeys abroad, they may be received and helped in all ways by Scouts who are Catholic as they are.
3) To gain the sympathy of the Bishops and of the Clergy towards Scouting.

MANAGEMENT

Under the Honorary Patronage of His Eminence Cardinal Bourne, Archbishop of Westminster, the I.O.C.S. is led by a Chairman, the earl Mario di Carpegna, Scout Chief of Italy, with a Steering Committee composed of two delegates – a priest and a lay person – for each Association or affiliated national group. The Secretariat is temporarily settled in Paris, for geographic facilities, and entrusted to Scouts de France.

The International Secretary has a direct and official contact only with the International Commissioners of the affiliated Associations or the members of the Committee. The I.O.C.S. works in agreement with the International Bureau of London and is recognized by the International Commissioner Hubert Martin.

AFFILIATION

The I.O.C.S. recognises and affiliates only Catholic Associations, one per country. In countries where scout Catholic troops do not constitute a distinct confessional Association, but belong to a unique national Society, these scattered troops will be considered by the I.O.C.S. as a single moral body having the same rights as a proper Association. In order to get the recognition and the affiliation to the I.O.C.S., an Association (or, failing that, a national group or, failing that, an isolated troop) must send to the International Secretariat:

1) An application form, with a certain number of copies of its rules, according to the national Secretary’s request.
2) An official document certifying that it is approved by its ecclesiastic authority.

The International Secretary communicates these documents to the members of the Committee. The affiliations must be accepted unanimously. For the time being, the I.O.C.S. gathers about ten Catholic Federations.