History of Tunisia :Bourguiba the GRAETEST leader but DICTATOR

Presidency

Bourguiba set about shaping the new republic in accordance with his personal vision. In 1959 the Neo-Destour won all 90 seats in the new National Assembly, and a constitution was introduced that made the assembly solely responsible for rule and order in the country. The role of Islam in Tunisian identity was recognized, although the workings of government were to be exclusively secular. Women’s rights were recognized in the 1956 Code of Personal Status, an extraordinarily radical document for its time that, among other things, banned polygamy, gave women virtual legal equality with men, enabled women to initiate divorce, introduced a legal minimum age for marriage, and gave women the right to be educated. Education was extended throughout the country, and the curriculum was modernized to reduce religious influence. The military was firmly subordinated to civilian government, and the administration underwent a process of “Tunisification” to replace French workers with Tunisian counterparts.

An experiment with a collectivist form of socialism was abandoned in 1969. The World Bank had refused to fund the program, significant sections of the agricultural community had resisted it, and the experiment failed to produce the desired increases in output; in addition, Bourguiba became convinced that the program’s primary advocate, Ahmed Ben Salah, was using it to enhance his own ambitions. During the 1970s Bourguiba oversaw an export-oriented policy, fueled by domestic oil revenues, labour remittances, and foreign borrowing. When all three sources dried up in the 1980s, the country was deeply in need of investment finance. The private sector, which had been partially subsidized by the government but equally excluded from certain areas of production and price setting, was unable to fill the gap, and the country spiraled into debt-ridden crisis, finally turning to the International Monetary Fund for a structural adjustment program in 1986.
Bourguiba’s foreign policy reflected his preference for pragmatism over ideology. He looked to the West for economic and military assistance, but that did not prevent him from engaging non-Western countries in pursuit of export markets and bilateral trade. He aspired to maintain a special relationship with France, believing that there were positive economic, cultural, and social legacies of colonialism to be exploited. Despite major crises over Tunisian support for the Algerian liberation struggle, a Tunisian attack on the French base at Bizerte, and the expropriation of settlers’ lands, Bourguiba generally managed to secure a Palestine Liberation Organization a base when it was expelled from Lebanon in 1982.
lasting and cordial friendship between the two countries. He also worked tirelessly to develop good relations with the United States, being eager to link Tunisia in to the technologies of modernization. To the chagrin of the Arab world, he advocated a moderate and constructive position toward Israel; nonetheless, he supported the rights of the Palestinians and offered the
The Neo-Destour, renamed the Destourian Socialist Party (Parti Socialiste Destourien) in 1964, retained its monopoly over domestic politics. National organizations allowed for some popular mobilization and representation, but by the 1970s liberals within the party became impatient with Bourguiba’s tendency to centralize power in himself. As dissidents within the party broke away to form their own underground political movements in the 1970s, Bourguiba became more authoritarian and detached from the party’s base. Promises of political liberalization failed to materialize. By the 1980s he was convinced that an Islamist revival threatened the country, and, following a series of bomb attacks by Islamist elements on his beloved hometown of Monastir, he ordered a ferocious assault on the leadership and ranks of the Islamic Tendency Movement (Mouvement de la Tendance Islamique). A trial ensued, exposing abuses by the country’s security forces, and Tunisia stood at the brink of political and economic crisis, prompting a constitutional coup that removed Bourguiba on the grounds of ill mental health.

Later years

A charismatic personality, Bourguiba largely remained the father figure who led Tunisia to independence, although his own popularity had waned when he became increasingly authoritarian. By actively preventing the emergence of a successor, he essentially forced his election as president-for-life in 1975; yet, that his own removal was conducted in a peaceful and constitutional manner has been seen by both Tunisians and scholars of the country as a testament to the moderacy and desire for stability with which he imbued Tunisian politics. At the time of his ouster, Bourguiba was already age 84 and, despite his failing health, had ruled the country for 30 years. After his removal from office, he was confined to his house in Monastir by the new regime and was permitted only infrequent visitors. His death at home in 2000 after a period of prolonged illness was marked by a subdued but nonetheless respectful period of national mourning, and he was buried in his family mausoleum in Monastir.

History of Tunisia :Bourguiba the Great leader

Habib Bourguiba, in full Habib ibn Ali Bourguiba   (born Aug. 3, 1903, Monastir, Tun.—died April 6, 2000, Monastir), architect of Tunisia’s independence and first president of Tunisia (1957–87), one of the major voices of moderation and gradualism in the Arab world.

Early life

Bourguiba was born the seventh child of Ali Bourguiba, a former lieutenant in the army of the bey (ruler) of Tunisia, in the small fishing village of Monastir. At an early age he was sent to the Ṣadīqī (Sadiki) College in Tunis and later to the Lycée Carnot in the same city for his secondary education. There he was introduced to French culture and Western thought, even as he consolidated his education in Arabic and Islamic studies. In 1924 he went to Paris to study law and political science at the Sorbonne, where he developed contacts with Algerian and Moroccan pro-independence intellectuals. He also absorbed many of the philosophical and ideological currents of the time and was drawn especially to the secularist and reformist traditions of French bourgeois life.



Bourguiba returned to Tunisia in 1927, where he practiced law and became engaged in the political struggle for independence, notably through the foundation in 1932 of a nationalist newspaper (L’Action Tunisienne) and his activity in the Destour (Constitution) Party. He soon became frustrated with the leaders of the Destour, whom he considered to be conservative and timid. In 1934 Bourguiba and some of his associates called a special party congress in Ksar Hellal (Qaṣr Hallāl) and established their own party—the New Destour, or Neo-Destour, Party (from 1964 to 1987 the Destourian Socialist Party [Parti Socialiste Destourien], of which Bourguiba became the secretary-general. Bourguiba encouraged his fellow Tunisians to confront the colonial rulers, resulting in his exile by the French to prison in the desolate south. By that time he was an acknowledged leader of the developing nationalist movement, with a reputation for fiery and inspiring oration; he had become known as the combattant suprême (Arabic: al-mujāhid al-akbar).

Attainment of power

Upon his release from prison in 1936, Bourguiba focused his energies on building up the organizational structures of the party. He realized that the old Destour had failed to mobilize the masses because it had remained the province of urban intellectuals. To be effective, the Neo-Destour would have to develop truly national appeal, with branches in rural areas to recruit and train new party members in large numbers. He supported organized labour, in particular the establishment of the National Tunisian Union of Labour (Union Générale des Travailleurs Tunisiens), partly as a way of countering the influence of the Communist-supported General Confederation of Tunisian Workers (Confédération Générale des Travailleurs) and partly to tie working-class interests to the nationalist cause. Under his direction the party also established new organizations to mobilize students, craftsmen, farmers, and women, which would later form the organizational and institutional bases of Neo-Destour rule.
After a second period of internment, this time in French military prisons (1938–42), Bourguiba returned to a German-occupied Tunis. Convinced that the Allies would ultimately prevail, he refused to throw in his lot with the Germans. In 1945 he left the country for Egypt, where he continued to advocate Tunisian independence. He also traveled around Europe, East Asia, the Middle East, and the United States, attempting to win supporters to his cause and demonstrating the pragmatic, nonaligned diplomacy that would serve him so well in his later life. Returning to Tunisia in 1949, he once again toured the country. By 1950 the Destour was represented in the Tunisian government, which was negotiating relations with France. Lacking official status, Bourguiba was excluded from the talks, which themselves yielded little progress. In 1951 he traveled to Paris to try to break the deadlocked discussions. With strikes and demonstrations in favour of independence at home and the French determined to protect the interests of their settlers, tensions mounted.
Bourguiba was arrested again in 1952 and detained, first in Tunisia and later in France. In 1954, however, as Tunisian nationalists turned to terrorism, the French government began negotiations with Bourguiba, recognizing Tunisia’s internal autonomy as a first step. A new government, which included the Neo-Destour, was formed with the express purpose of negotiating an end to French rule. The first stage was completed in June 1955 when the internal autonomy convention was signed, limiting French control to matters of defense and foreign affairs. One of Bourguiba’s fellow Neo-Destour leaders, Salah Ben Youssef, argued against the accords, and the party was split, resolving in Bourguiba’s favour only after a congress in which Ben Youssef was expelled from the party. Bourguiba subsequently worked to prevent any individual from developing a power base within the party to such an extent as could threaten either party unity or Bourguiba’s own authority.
After further negotiations the Protocol of March 20, 1956—in effect a treaty of independence—was signed between Tunisia and France. In 1957 agreement was reached, in principle, for the evacuation of French forces from the country (with the exception of a base at Bizerte). The monarchy was abolished, and Bourguiba was elected president of the new republic.

Bourguiba and second World War
At the outbreak of World War II, Bourguiba was transferred to the Teboursouk prison and then in May 1940, to the Haut Fort Saint Nicholas near Marseilles until 18 November 1942 where he was taken to Montluc Prison in Lyon. After which he ended up in Fort Vancia in Ain until the Germans released him and took him to Chalon-sur-Saône. In a manoeuvre by the Germans and Italian Fascist regime to gain Bourguiba's alliance, he was received with full honours in Rome, in January 1943, but to no avail; the Italian Foreign Affairs Ministry tried to obtain a statement in their favour; on the eve of his return home, he accepted to deliver a message to the Tunisian people by "Radio Bari", cautioning them against "all the appetites". In his return to Tunis, on 7 April 1943 he made sure that the message he had sent from his prison in August 1942 reached the general population as well as the militants, that Germany was bound to lose the war and that Tunisia's independence would only come after the victory of the Allies. He emphasized his position by putting it as a question of life or death for Tunisia

Tunisa Profil of country

Home of the ancient city of Carthage, Tunisia was once an important player in the Mediterranean, placed as it is in the centre of North Africa, close to vital shipping routes.

In their time, the Romans, Arabs, Ottoman Turks and French realised its strategic significance, making it a hub for control over the region.
French colonial rule ended in 1956, and Tunisia was led for three decades by Habib Bourguiba, who advanced secular ideas. These included emancipation for women - women's rights in Tunisia are among the most advanced in the Arab world - the abolition of polygamy and compulsory free education.
Mr Bourguiba also increased his own powers to become a virtual dictator.

At a glance

• Politics: Tunisia has been in transition since President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali was ousted in January 2011. The Islamist Ennahda party had to hand over power to an interim government ahead of elections in late 2014, secular part the appeal of Tunisia was the winner and Ennahda the second.
• Economy: The diverse economy has grown steadily and the slum population has halved, but the world recession has pushed unemployment up in recent years

In 1987 he was dismissed on grounds of senility and Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali became president. He continued with a hard line against Islamic extremists, but inherited an economically-stable country.
Although Tunisia under Mr Ben Ali introduced some press freedoms and freed a number of political prisoners, the authorities tolerated no dissent.
Mr Ben Ali faced reproach at home and abroad for his party's three "99.9%" election wins. The opposition condemned changes to the constitution which allowed him to run for re-election in 2004, and in 2009.
Discontent with his autocratic rule erupted in into mass street demonstrations which prompted Mr Ben Ali to step aside in 2011. This inspired uprisings across the region that became known as the Arab Spring.
Tunisia is more prosperous than its neighbours and has strong trade links with Europe. Agriculture employs a large part of the workforce, and dates and olives are cultivated in the drier areas. But unemployment is chronic in some regions.
Tourism is a key sector of the economy. Visitor numbers dropped following the 2011 uprising, but Tunisia hopes to win back many of the Europeans who flocked to its resorts every year.
Secular Tunisians, especially women, are worried about the growing influence of ultra-conservative Islamists since the uprising that toppled Mr Ben Ali. The Islamist Ennahda party, which took over the reins of power in October 2011, pledged tolerance but put pressure on the state-run media and proposed a constitution that would curtail women's rights.

Morse code.

the  Morse code is the preferred means of distance communication scouts. It is used to set up camp or during transmission activities . It is based on a series of short pulses (ti • ) and time (ta - ) used to encode the alphabet and numbers .

This system was invented by Samuel Morse in 1835. The scouts who know thoroughly all transmission techniques can obtain a card of the same name . In 1924 during a Trivaux Unionist Elephants of the Paris Union received without error at up to 26 letters per minute .

To improve the efficiency of the organization of camps has control uses the Scout abbreviations.

lettres A • ‒ B ‒ • • • C ‒ • ‒ • D ‒ • • E • F • • ‒ • G ‒ ‒ • H • • • • I • • J • ‒ ‒ ‒ K ‒ • ‒ L • ‒ • • M ‒ ‒ N ‒ • O ‒ ‒ ‒ P • ‒ ‒ • Q ‒ ‒ • ‒ R • ‒ • S • • • T ‒ U • • ‒ V • • • ‒ W • ‒ ‒ X ‒ • • ‒ Y ‒ • ‒ ‒ Z ‒ ‒ • • CH ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒

chiffres 1 • ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ 2 • • ‒ ‒ ‒ 3 • • • ‒ ‒ 4 • • • • ‒ 5 • • • • • 6 ‒ • • • • 7 ‒ ‒ • • • 8 ‒ ‒ ‒ • • 9 ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ • 0 ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒

ponctuation point • ‒ • ‒ • ‒ virgule ‒ ‒ • • ‒ ‒  ? • • ‒ ‒ • • apostrophe • ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ •  ! ‒ • ‒ • ‒ ‒

S O S   • • • ‒ ‒ ‒ • • •
Use only when is in danger !
Although it seems consists of code letters S, O and S, the SOS is code itself and must be sent as if it were a single letter ( no pause)

Uses

Light Morse: a lamp used to send signals over long distances as long as the field is cleared. ( A maglite , spot lighting powered by a car battery , burning fire , etc ... are often used ) .


Sound Morse: a horn is used to send instructions to the surroundings ( A mistaken hunting horn , whistle, etc ... are often used ) .


Morse radio : used for large gatherings .

Morse buffs can find in the radioscoutisme a medium of exchange with distant scouts. .

Les Scouts Tunisiens


(in Arabic: الكشافة التونسية‎; The Tunisian Scouts) is the national Scouting organization of Tunisia. It was founded in 1934, and became a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement in 1957 and is also a full member of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts. The coeducational Scouts Tunisiens has about 32,000 members (24,080 Scouts and 8,582 Guides). The Girl Guides are an integral but independent section of Les Scouts Tunisiens.

Headquarters of Les Scouts Tunisiens

The French brought Scouting to the country for children of French military and other citizens prior to 1933.
In 1976, Abdallah Zouaghi was awarded the Bronze Wolf, the only distinction of the World Organization of the Scout Movement, awarded by the World Scout Committee for exceptional services to world Scouting.
The 2005 World Scout Conference was held in Hammamet.
Les Scouts Tunisiens is known for its citizenship training through community service. Tunisian Scouting is an independent youth movement, under the guardianship of the Ministry of Youth and Sports. It receives moral support as well as financial support and equipment. They also are able to use public youth centers for their activities.
Service activities include planting trees, construction of schools and hospitals, providing recreation for children in orphanages, literacy campaigns and disaster relief.

Camping Centers in Tunisia.
 International Scout Centre Borj Cedria

A pleasant place beautifully situated as laid out in the forest of Borj Cedria and close to the beach side of the tourist village Camping La Pinede and sports training center .


Internationally renowned, the International Center of Borj Cedria Scout is a meeting place for scouts from all parts of the world : Scouts European , North African and Tunisian from all regions of Tunisia meet there during periodic Scout gatherings. Exchanging cultures , meet , share knowledge between Scouts and form. A boon for scouts of the world.

The International Scout Centre Borj Cedria is within walking distance to 10 minutes from the Borj Cedria station. Integrated into the city, everything you need is available . ( Tearooms , bakery, grocery , hardware ... ) .

is'it a water but not like water.

We have recently realized the value of the use of amulets. It has been scientifically proven that water is affected by what is recited over it. Japanese scientist Masaru Emoto has had a unique experience. He said that he had read in a book that each snowflake falling from the sky is unique. He said that his scientific instincts told him that this was not true. The geometric shape of the snowflake is determined by its chemical composition. The composition of water is well known – two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom. So how come snowflakes that fall from the sky are different from one another? He said: “I was determined to prove that this theory was false.” He built a laboratory, consisting of a deep freezer with a regulator, because no liquid, subjected to sudden freezing, can assume a geometric shape. The freezing must be slow, so the atoms have the chance to crystallize into the shape decreed by God. There was a deep freezer with a regulator, a cold room at the temperature of -7°C, and several microscopes equipped with cameras, so he could photograph the snowflake before it melted. The scientists working in this room wore warm clothing. He said: “I took samples from two faucets in the laboratory, I froze them, and each sample gave me a different snowflake. The samples came from two different wells, two different rivers, from two different lakes. I almost went crazy and thought this was witchcraft.”

A Saudi student at the University of Tokyo happened to meet him, and asked him what was wrong. Masaru told him his problem. The student said to him: “We have blessed water, called Zamzam water. I will give you a sample of this water so you can experiment on it. Zamzam water is not affected by witchcraft or Jinns, so using it can prove or disprove the whole theory.” Emoto took a sample of Zamzam water, and said: “I couldn’t crystallize it, even by diluting the water by 1,000.” In other words, he turned one cubic centimeter into one liter.

He said that when he diluted the water by 1,000 and froze it, he got a uniquely-shaped crystal. Two crystals were formed, one on top of the other, but they assumed a unique form.

When Dr. Emoto completed these experiments, which lasted 15 years, he published a five-volume book called “Messages from Water“. He wrote: “I have proven that water, that peculiar liquid, is capable of thinking, fathoming, feeling, getting excited, and expressing itself.”

Following was written Dr. Masaru Emoto:

The quality/purity of Zamzam water has, will not be find any where else in the water on this earth.

He used the technology named NANO, and researched a lot on Zamzam water. And found out that if one drop of Zamzam water mix in 1000 drops of regular water, regular water will get the same quality like Zamzam water.

He also found that a mineral in one drop of Zamzam water has its own importance that will not be find any other water on this earth.

He also found in some tests that the quality or ingredients of Zamzam water can not be changed, why, science does not know the reason.

Even he re-cycled the Zamzam water, but no change it was still pure.

ZamZam water level is around 10.6 feet below the surface.  ZamZam was pumped continuously for more than 24 hours with a pumping rate of 8,000 liters per second, water level dropped to almost 44 feet below the surface, BUT WHEN THE PUMPING WAS STOPPED, the level immediately elevated again to 13 feet after 11 minutes.

8,000 liters per second means that

8,000 x 60 = 480,000 liters per minute

480,000 liters per minutes means

that 480,000 x 60 = 28.8 Million liters per hour

And 28.8 Million liters per hour

means that 28,800,000 x 24 = 691.2 Million liters per day

So they pumped 690 Millions liters of Zamzam in 24 hours, but it was re-supplied in 11 minutes only.

Visit Tunisia! Encourage democracy

Sousse or Soussa (: سوسة Sūsa‎, : Susa) is a city in Tunisia, . Located 140 kilometres (87 miles) south of the capital Tunis, the city has 271,428 inhabitants (2014). Sousse is in the central-east of the country. Teconomy is based on transport equipment, processed food, olive oil,textiles and tourism.
 Sousse is one of the older cities in Tunisia, possessing an authentic medina, which has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is a popular tourist destination, particularly with Russians, Serbs, Croats, British, Germans and East European people. Located on the coast, it has good beaches and a clear turquoise sea.
climate is classified as hot semi-arid (BSh) but is close to hot-summer Mediterranean (Csa). Rainfall is mainly in colder months.

All of Sousse's main sights are located within the labyrinthine medina in the heart of the city.

• Grand Mosque of Sousse. A surprisingly tranquil place despite its location in the middle of the city. Built c. 850 AD, this mosque is simple and austere in the Aghlabite style, no decoration whatsoever aside from a string of angular Arabic and curved arches. Even the prayer room is covered in reed mats instead of the usual carpet. You must be properly dressed to enter, but green wraps can be rented for a token fee to cover up. 

• Sousse Ribat. Whilst not as impressive or extensive as the Ribat in Monastir this fortified holy site is a worthwhile visit and served as home to a branch of Islamic warriors very similar in nature and creed as the Hospitaller Knights that lived in Rhodes. Climbing to the top of the watch tower affords you fantastic views over the Medina. TND 5 to enter; 1 more to take photos.

• Mosaic Museum. In the gently crumbling old Kasbah on the edge of the Medina.  
  

The Traditional Tunisian House. Charming little museum located just within the old city walls some 200 yards north of the main bus terminal is the home of a long standing Tunisian family that has now become a museum with the passing of the last family member. The property centers on an open courtyard from which access to all the rooms can be gained, including bedrooms for the first and second wife and, in turn, to the children's rooms. All are delightfully fully furnished, with some curtains dating back 200 years, and with German clocks imported from the 1800's.The house is complete with a tower, originally used to watch the stars for the onset of Ramadan, from which views over Sousse can be gained.

girls and scouting .

At their convention, Girls Scouts USA is facing a split between traditional and modern—should its young members be campfire-building, or debating female body image?

“We’ve got a group of people organized,” says Marty Woelfel. “I won’t tell you how many.”
What she will tell me is that there’s a plan that’s been brewing for a year and a half, and that “a whole lot of people” are involved.
A proud volunteer with the Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana, one of the 112 councils that make up Girl Scouts USA, Woelfel is on a mission to return her beloved institution to its former glory. She, along with a phalanx of other old-school Girl Scout volunteers, believe that the Scouts has drifted from its core principles, and they aim to get it back on track.
So this week, when Woelfel and her supporters touch down in Salt Lake City, where the Girl Scouts are holding their national convention, they’ll be there for one reason: to bring back salt-of-the-earth, down-in-the-dirt fundamentals to the Girl Scouts.
“If everything works as planned, 5,000 buttons that say ‘Support an Outdoor Journey’ will arrive in Salt Lake City early this week,” she says. “And we have 5,000 flyers arriving in different people’s suitcases.”
The plan is to flood the convention with those flyers and buttons to create a visible groundswell of support for the activities they’re agitating for: Canoeing. Archery. Fire-building. Navigating a hike by the light of the stars. In short, the wilderness skills and outdoor abilities that the founding mothers intended.
For a person who wants to affect change within the Girl Scouts, the convention couldn’t be a better platform. Converging in one place will be thousands of troop leaders from all over the country, as well as the organization’s top brass, and 1,250 official delegates representing every Girl Scout council in America, who will vote on the program’s foundational aspects at a series of National Council sessions.
Woelfel and her fellow purists hope to swing those votes. Though she emphasizes that her activism in this area is separate from her affiliation with the Kentuckiana regional council, it’s that affiliation that will get her in the door—and allow her and her fellow guardians of the emerald sash to be heard.
“We realize this convention is the key place where all sorts of decision-makers come together,” she says. “It only happens once every three years, so the discussion could be very influential.”

Your average civilian may be unaware of how much the Girl Scouts has changed since the first troop of 18 girls was formed in Savannah, Georgia 102 years ago. The past decade has been particularly transformative. In 2006 the Girl Scouts shuttered two-thirds of its 312 regional councils in a controversial streamlining process known as “the Realignment.” It also redesigned its whole program, implementing a set of three “Journeys” for girls to pursue—none of which are dedicated specifically to traditional outdoors skills.
The overhaul was based on studies conducted by the Girl Scouts Research Institute (GSRI), and puts more emphasis on subjects like technology, media and what you might call global issues. Now girls can work toward merit badges for, say, analyzing how fashion blogs portray women, coming up with a plan to reduce their carbon footprint, or committing to a sustainable locavore diet.
“We listen to and move at the speed of girls, and research shows that today’s girls not only love camping and being outdoors, they also enjoy technology and helping the world while having fun, all of which can be found in Girl Scouts,” says Kelly Parisi, Chief Communications Executive for Girl Scouts USA.
Despite these changes, however, membership has plunged by over half a million members since 2003, a fact that disillusioned volunteers blame on the organization’s rush to reinvent itself. In its quest to create a more “high-performance” system, as an official 2006 Girl Scouts press release put it, “They did away with all the traditional badges,” says Woelfel. “The outdoors just wasn’t there.”
Parisi insists that’s not true, pointing out that girls can still earn what the Girl Scouts now calls “legacy badges”—essentially, the old merit badges for things like hiking, camping and trailblazing. But the very name “legacy” seems to suggest those activities are now an afterthought, a view shared by Elizabeth Sheppard, founder of the Outdoor Journey Project, which is fighting to get such activities back at the tip of the spear.
“We used to have a lot more promotion of the camps, and a lot more troops went camping,” says Sheppard. But not only are the local councils turning away from their beloved Girl Scout camps—they’re selling them off. For some of the councils, the sales are an attempt to recoup soaring pension expenses, which rose by 40 percent after Girl Scouts USA froze its pension plan during the recession.
Now, the exasperation on both sides is reaching a fever pitch. A Facebook group called “GSUSA, Are You Listening?” is riddled with angry comments from alienated volunteers. “National tried to make it less about scouting and more about social issues because they could market that easier since they’ve destroyed camps nationwide,” reads one. “Problem is, you don’t get power from a curriculum—no matter how pretty the binder is.”
Woelfel agrees. “I think they gave the work of developing programs… to a bunch of young people who didn’t know Girl Scouts and were trying to meet a lot of what I will call ‘school-like’ objectives.”
In response to the Girl Scouts’ modernization, other organizations have begun positioning themselves as more traditional alternatives, including a few with a distinctly conservative worldview—groups like Frontier Girls, a outdoorsy program that warns on its website, “patriotism is a character trait we take very seriously,” and the Baden-Powell Service Association, which practices scouting as it was “prior to the 1970s.”
The idea of another group seizing the mantle of female scouting from the original institution is distressing to long-time devotees like Woelfel and Sheppard. “Our founder Juliet Lowe knew about outdoor education, for the girls to learn leadership, to work in a group,” says Sheppard. “We ought to be that premiere group. We’re Girl Scouts. We know how to do camping best.”
That’s the message that she, Woelfel, and their many supporters will take to Salt Lake City this week. The Girl Scouts have set aside two hours for them to make their case at a discussion session. And Woelfel expects the voting delegates will listen attentively, because if nothing else, she says, “The Girl Scouts are a very polite crowd. We’ll be well received. Whether we’ll be effective is another question.”

A Tunisian researcher invents a cure against Vitiligo

the Doctor and Tunisian researcher, Rached SMIDA to successfully designed a cure against Vitiligo based on natural oils, which will soon be marketed on the national and global market.


Vitiligo is a skin disease, affecting nearly 5% of the world population, had, until then, no treatment that can cure it permanently. The discovery of Dr. SMIDA revolutionize the world of medicine.

In a statement broadcast on Jawhara FM, Dr. SMIDA, assured that it is a hormonal disorder caused by malnutrition and not genetic or immunological origin, contrary to popular belief.

According to the researcher, malnutrition causes an increase in free cortisol levels, disrupting the proper functioning of skin cells.

The treatment is an oral solution based on natural oils, wheat germ and sunflower that has been tested on 250 patients with vitiligo and their health status has improved significantly, he added.

Dr. SMIDA added that the patient should also follow a specific diet for the treatment to be effective.

As regards the duration of the treatment, it differs from one case to another. Indeed, if the patient is suffering from Vitiligo for two years, he will have to use the full treatment for at least 3 years in order to heal completely.

In conclusion, the researcher announced he will chair the company that will market this treatment, in addition to food compliments, in order to monitor his patients.

Helen Storrow Seminar 2015: 'Young Women Leading for a Greener Future'

From 18-26 April 2015, Our Chalet in Switzerland has become a home for 23 participants and  7 planning team members - from over 20 countries around the world including all five regions of WAGGGS!
  

scout tn

Montgomery County, TN 

Montgomery County, TN – The Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee congratulates Delaney Powell, Sydney Sabash and Natalie Wieber for earning the Girl Scout Gold Award – the highest achievement in Girl Scouting.

Delaney restructured Montgomery Central’s science lab, which included the development of an inventory system for cabinets and equipment. This has helped to improve efficiency for both teachers and students.

(L to R) Delaney Powell, Sydney Sabash and Natalie Wieber earn Girl Scout Gold Award.

With the approval of the mayor, county leaders and community supporters, Sydney designed and constructed a small to medium sized dog park in Clarksville. After researching the area in an attempt to find a dog park close to her home, she was sadly disappointed.

As a result, she made this her goal and was quite successful. The park was opened within the St. Bethlehem Civitan Park after a ribbon cutting ceremony.

Natalie’s passion for individuals confined to rehabilitation and nursing homes led her to design activities related to their past home environments. She collected materials and constructed two heavy-duty table gardens with six-inch deep surfaces for Uffelman Estates retirement community and the Clarksville Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.

After speaking with residents who were interested in gardening, she provided hands on experiences for the residents to plant herbs and flowers. The residents enjoyed manipulating the soil and plants to their advantage.

By earning the Girl Scout Gold Award, Delaney, Sydney and Natalie have become community leaders. Their accomplishments reflect leadership and citizenship skills that set them apart.

“Earning the Girl Scout Gold Award is truly a remarkable achievement, and these young women exemplify leadership in all its forms,” said Shelia Majors, director of training, volunteer relations and outreach at Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee. “They saw a need in their communities and around the world and took action. Their extraordinary dedication, perseverance and leadership is making the world a better place.”

About the Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee

Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee serves more than 13,000 girls and 6,000 adult volunteers in 39 counties. It is a part of Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA), the world’s preeminent organization for girls, with a membership of more than 2.8 million girls and adults nationwide. GSUSA continues to strive to build girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.

For more information on how you can be involved in Girl Scouts visit www.gsmidtn.org