National Organization of Scouts of Ukraine

National Organization of the Scouts of Ukraine
Національна організація скаутів України
Headquarters	Kyiv
Location	Dovzhenka 2
Country	Ukraine
Founded	27 March 2007
Membership	1,220
Chairman	Andriy Chesnokov
First Vice-Chairman	Oleg Sizenenko
International Commissioner	-
Affiliation	World Organization of the Scout Movement
Website http://www.ukrscout.org/

The National Organization of Scouts of Ukraine (Ukrainian: Національна організація скаутів України, Natsionalna organizatsiya skautiv Ukrajiny, NOSU)^[1] was established in 2007 by the representatives of three largest Scout organizations in Ukraine-the all-Ukrainian youth organization "SPOK", Plast and the All-Ukrainian organization Sich (Січ) meaning Cossack fortress and some local groups. Membership stood at 4,650 Scouts in 2011.^[2]

Recent history

In 2004, the Ukrainian Scout Youth Public Organization Spilka Pionerskykh Orhanizatzii Kyïva (literally Kiev Pioneer Movement Organization or SPOK, with a membership of 3,750 in 18 of 26 Ukrainian oblasts) applied for WOSM membership. In January, 2005, this motion was recommended by the World Scout Bureau. Since more than 5% of the National Scouting Organizations voted against the application, Germany and the Boy Scouts of America among the opposing votes, SPOK was not admitted to WOSM and withdrew the application. As a result of this, a special mission of the World Scout Committee was sent to Ukraine. Ukrainian Scouting endeavored to set up a new Scouting body unifying Plast and SPOK in order to satisfy WOSM requirements, to be worked out by 2008, as all parties were motivated to join the international community.

Following the recommendations of Resolution 2/05 adopted by the 37th World Scout Conference in Tunisia, the constitutive congress of the National Organization of Scouts of Ukraine (NOSU) was held on 27 March 2007. The congress, which gathered Scout representatives from most regions of Ukraine, approved the Constitution of NOSU and elected its governing bodies. This event was made possible thanks to efforts of three Scout associations (Plast, SPOK and Sich) to work towards unification of Scouting in Ukraine in a new single National Scout Organization so as to be able to join WOSM.

The Constitution of NOSU was officially registered by the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine in November 2007, thus confirming the creation of a single National Scout Organization in Ukraine. An amended version of this Constitution was received on 4 February 2008 and formally approved by the Constitutions Committee and the World Scout Committee.

In 2008, NOSU applied for membership through the World Scout Bureau into the World Organization of the Scout Movement.^[3] In accordance with the requirements of the Constitution of WOSM, the World Scout Committee considered this application at its meeting from 29 February to 2 March 2008, and recommended that it be accepted. Under the terms of Article VI.2 of the WOSM Constitution, "if within three months the recommendation is unopposed or opposed by less than five percent of the Member Organizations", NOSU was declared a Member, as the National Scout Organization of Ukraine, of the World Organization of the Scout Movement as from 1 July 2008.

WOSM Acting Secretary General Luc Panissod visited NOSU in mid-March 2008. He had the opportunity to meet and talk with various groups of young people (candidates to join, patrol leaders, summer camp young leaders) and adult leaders responsible of local Scout groups. He also met with the Deputy Minister of Family, Youth and Sports, one of the founding members of one of the Scout associations, who confirmed full support of the authorities to NOSU. He also had several working sessions with leaders of NOSU to assess the level of development of the organization.

The organization has a loaned headquarters and several campsites. Elements of a progressive scheme include merit badges, which are illustrated in their handbook and are obtained on a progressive basis. At present, NOSU is a small organization and has only one professional staff regularly employed in application of existing legislation. Being a new organization, NOSU still has to develop an efficient working organization.

NOSU membership is open to girls and boys, women and men, in three age sections: Cubs (6-10), Scouts (11-16) and Rovers (16-24). As at 31 December 2007, NOSU comprised 2,475 members including 718 female youth members, 1,546 male youth members, plus some 200 adult leaders and Council members.

As of February 1, 2015 there are 1220 active members and 3430 scouts who are non-members but now and then participate in the events.

NOSU membership was made approximately of 40% from Plast, 40% from SPOK and 20% from Sich. The same percentages was reflected at the National Council level. While double membership still exists (one can be member of NOSU and member of one of the three above associations), direct membership for new members is strongly encouraged. It is the objective of NOSU's leadership that NOSU will be successful enough to attract more members from the three associations who are not yet members of NOSU. Further unification of Scouting through integration of other Scout groups in Ukraine is envisaged through the chartering system. On May 4, 2014 during the forth national conference of NOSU the new National Council was elected. The Chairman of the National Council is Andriy Chesnokov, the First Deputy Chairman of the National Council is Oleg Sizenenko. All duties in Ukrainian Scouting, from local to the National Council levels, are performed by a combination of volunteer workers and paid professionals. NOSU is a member of the Eurasia Scout Region. The representative of NOSU - Andriy Chesnokov - is a member of Eurasia Scouting Committee of WOSM ^[4]

According to the decision of the 4th National Conference of NOSU that took place on May 18, 2014 in Kyiv the new leadership of the Organization was elected. Andriy CHESNOKOV has been elected the Head of the National Councill of NOSU (President of NSO Ukraine). The new National Council includes representatives of different parts of Ukraine – Donetsk, Kyiv, Lviv, Mykolayiv, Zaporizhzhya regions. The Control Commission consists of scouts from Kyiv, Lviv, Donetsk, Mykolayiv regions and Sevastopol. During the first meeting of the National Council, Natalia MIROSHNICHENKO was appointed the National Secretary of NOSU.^[5]

NOSU history in dates

March 24, 2007 - AYPO "The National Organization of the Scouts of Ukraine" (NOSU) was established at the founding Congress in Kyiv.

March 28, 2008 – the President of Ukraine signed the Decree # 279/2008 "On the development of the Scout Movement in Ukraine"

July 14–18, 2008 – Ukraine joined the World Scouting as NOSU became the Member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement at the 38th World Scout Conference in Jeju, South Korea.

2011-2012 – Celebration at the national level of Centenary of Ukrainian Scouting:

November 1, 2011 - the Parliament of Ukraine (Verkhovna Rada) adopted the Resolution "On the Celebration of 100th Anniversary of Ukrainian Scout Movement", initialized by NOSU;^[6]

April 21, 2012 - Ukrainian scouts were parading on the main street of Kyiv - the capital of Ukraine, celebrating 100 years from the date of the first Ukrainian Scout Oath;^[7]

April 28- May 2, 2012 the All-Ukrainian Centenary Scout Forum took place. President of Ukraine congratulated Ukrainian scouts on 100th anniversary of the national movement;^[8]

April 29, 2012 "100 years of Ukrainian Scouting" memorial was inaugurated in the Korsun-Shevchenko district of Cherkasy region of Ukraine.

2008-2012 – NOSU established the local branches in 22 regions of Ukraine

May 19, 2013 – the number of Scouts registered in NOSU raised up to 2724 members.

October 1–6, 2013 - NOSU was the host of 2nd Eurasia Regional Scout Youth Forum and the 5th Eurasia Regional Scout Conference ^[9]

May 18, 2014 - along with ex-scouts participating in activities and Merbership of Peace program volunteers NOSU membership raised 4650.

See also

• Scouting in Ukraine

References