Saúl generates financial and environmental sustainability within his group.

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On a previous newsletter edition we presented some of the fundraising activities that groups originated from Scout Experience, Ready for Life have accomplished to participate in camps and to achieve their financial sustainability. In this article we are presenting Saul’s story, a member of the Dragons troop from Group 101 in Mariano Matamoros, who decided to make an additional effort and not only to raise money but also to contribute to the environment in his community.

Before learning about the transformation Saúl has gone through in this year it is important to mention his background. In the beginning of 2015 his parents decided to take him to the scout center expecting that Saúl would improve his social skills and would make new friends, he was a quiet and introverted young man with little interest in becoming involved in other activities, but was also creative and responsible.

The first few weeks with the scout group were not easy for Saúl, he struggled in relating to his peers, but with the support of the group’s chiefs he became more and more outspoken. His scout mates accepted him as a member of the Dragons patrol in return of him becoming more social; it all came together in a natural way. Nowadays, Saúl is a young man who has many friends, which has helped his creativity and many ideas create a bigger impact.

While observing the group´s fundraising plans, Saúl saw the opportunity to combine taking care of the environment, a subject his enthusiastic about, with raising money for his group, which is the reason why he started recycling aluminum cans, plastic bottles and other disposable materials that he sold in order to obtain money for group 101. He also made a presentation explaining how the rest of his peers can raise money by doing this type of activities. He received an ecology badge in return for his efforts.

Saúl has set an important example for the financial sustainability in his group and the environmental sustainability in his community. He is also friendlier, confident in his leadership skills and keen in searching for information to solve problems and to set an example for his peers. He also motivated his parents into becoming more involved with the group by promoting training in environmental care within the members of the group. He is considered another case of youth development and social impact that Scout Experience, Ready for Life has accomplished.

A remarkable visit for Scout Experience.

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From March 20^th to the 23^rd, Scout Experience, Ready for Life was honored by the visit of various people that heighten the project, benefitting scout groups 101, 102 and 103 from the Baja California province.

The first group of visitors arrived in Tijuana on Friday March 20^th. The group was led by Víctor Blake, the President of Asociación de Scouts de México, A.C., José Luis Cárdenas Interim National Scout Chief, Francisco Macías Valadez President of the Audit Committee.

On Saturday 21^st they were also joined by the organization´s Representative National Treasurer Raul Díaz and on the following day by Jaime Buendía, Director of Administration and Finances.

A heavy work schedule was carried out during the days of their visit, which gave the visitors an opportunity to interact with the project members as well as the beneficiaries. The activities started on Saturday March 21^st with a visit to the project´s three scout centers, where they were able to meet the Cub Scouts from every group and closely observed the educational objectives that are worked on, the monitoring and evaluation that has been done, also the community’s participation and the work executed by volunteers during the activities.

At Mariano Matamoros scout center, we had the opportunity to have students from the University of San Diego participating in activities with our visitors and with parents from group 101 during a cleanup activity at the scout park. At the end of the event, our guests traveled to the Iron Scout event, where different groups from the Baja California province participated.

On the Sunday March 21^st the visitors had a gathering with the international volunteers from the project. Towards the end of the event different presentations ensued from different functional areas from the scout centers, finance, monitoring, partnerships and communications. The inputs and added value that Scout Experience produces for ASMAC were also presented.

The closing of activities was on Monday March 22^nd with a reunion of ASMAC´s Audit Committee. Besides the aforementioned visitors, other partners from USAID México’s Audit, whom also contribute as advisers on important fiscal topics for the development of the organization participated. During this meeting the project´s financial status was revealed, along with the sustainability strategy of groups 101, 102 and 103.

There was a total of three days of intense work and reviewing of policies, procedures and tools that the project has. The National Board was well represented by their president, the National Executive Team as well by José Luis Cárdenas. We would also like to thank the Audit Committee, and most importantly their president, Francisco Macías Valadez for their ongoing support and their inputs in favor of transparency in the use of resources. Their visit benefits the organizational development that supports the project, as an added bonus to the work that is done to impact children and young people from vulnerable communities.

Young people working on the sustainability of their groups.

A noticeable trait in every Scout is the maximum use of their capabilities to overcome difficulties, this is also valid as a group, where the sum of all efforts creates a positive collaboration to accomplish collective goals.

Within the current needs that all Scout groups have, there is the matter of obtaining funds for the different activities that they carry out, such as camps, excursions or province and national events. The search for different methods to raise money involves the use of different social abilities, creativity and planning to accomplish a goal.

Fundraising is also an imperative necessity that presents itself with the Scout Experience groups, given that they originated from vulnerable communities. Groups 101, 102 and 103 became aware of such requirement and found different creative ways of transforming the challenging circumstances they endure.

Scouts from group 101 (Mariano Matamoros) with help from their families, sell candy and snacks outside of the Scout Center, when the date of a camp is approaching they ask their families for support to obtain the necessary resources for their activities.

In group 102 (Camino Verde) the fundraising activities vary. Every Thursday they set up a booth at the community market that traditionally operates in various neighborhoods, where they sell clothes and other useful effects. They also sell different types of snacks to their neighbors and when there are special events, they sell small lunches. This past week they sold “burritos” at the province level forums.

Group 103´s strategy so far is to organize different activities on special holidays such as a Christmas raffle, a fair to celebrate Mexico´s Revolution anniversary or making candy skewers for Valentine’s Day. These types of activities besides facilitating their money income, they facilitate community participation in the Scout center.

All of the activities done by the groups are permanent and will increase in the coming months, so they can have the opportunity to participate in different events such as Iron Scouts, camps and excursions. You can also help our young Scouts create a social impact! Please donate at www.scoutsmx.fundwise.co with a credit or debit card or in cash.

Scouts of the World Award, young people serving their community.

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If the reason behind Scouting had to be summarized in only one phrase, it would be the following quote by its founder Robert Baden –Powell “Try and leave this world a little better than you found it”. This phrase guides every scout’s work and of course, is one of the pillars that hold Scout Experience, Ready for Life.

The work that all of us scouts carry out has adapted to confront all of the challenges that are presented nowadays. This is specially witnessed with the rover crew (young people between the ages of 17 and 21 years old) since they already have qualities and the potential to transform their community, besides the typical adventurous spirit from this stage in life. A new opportunity has sprung for them in the past years, a special appreciation of their work, the Scouts of the World Award. This award allows young people to discover the trials to overcome in order to accomplish the millennium development goals and the post- 2015 agenda proposed by the UN.

The Scouts of the World Award is divided in three stages, Exploration (what are my surroundings?, active discovery of the millennium development goals), Answer (how does it impact me?, data recollection and committing to one subject) and Acting (what can I do?, contributing a solution to a problem in a specific area).

Under the leadership of the Scout Experience, Ready for Life team, the first Scouts of the World discovery took place in Baja California from December 5^th to the 7^th. The focus was community development, and in a fraternal environment, many activities were carried out, that also included a sensitization process of the challenges that are posed on Camino Verde’s community, one of the areas where the project works.

This first Scouts of the World discovery ended with a project elaboration workshop and a fundraising activity to support Scout Experience’s effort through www,scoutsmx.fundwise.co. The young participants agreed on implementing 5 projects, two alphabetization projects, one drivers education project, one physical activity project and one environmental sustainability project. Camino Verde’s community will be benefitted by a variety of these projects.

A second Scouts of the World discovery is set to take place while the duration of the project. This event will happen from March 29^th to April 1^st, 2015. Many young scouts have expressed their interest in contributing to the development of our world, transforming their community and joining the Scout Experience, Ready for Life’s main objectives.