Holbaek Municipality impede, the scout group's existence

My name is Daniel Lindegaard, and I’m chairman of board at Skjalm Hvide Division in The Danish Association of Scouts and Girl Guides, DDS. I’m making this collection of signatures, on behalf of Alexandra Scout and Guide Group, as a yell in need, from a citizen and scout in Denmark.

Skjalm Hvide Division consists of 11 scout groups, with many volunteer leaders and over 600 scouts and guides, who enjoy nature and the life of a scout.

Alexandra Scout and Guide Group, is one of these 11 groups, and they belong to the town of Mørkøv. They are in danger of being shut down, due to politics at its worst. Holbæk Municipality wanted a meet with the board, concerning the Scout group, and more specifically, the scout hut, on Wednesday the 20th of august 2014. These signatures will be sent to Holbæk municipality, on the day before, to show support for the scout group. So far, the meeting is set to be held at the old Town hall in Holbæk, but it will be a meeting closed for public, due to reasons given, which not even lawyers can understand. Please sign your name, as a sign of support that the group should be allowed to keep their hut, and continue making a lot of children happy. Holbæk municipality, haven’t been reachable, after they decided, that Mørkøv Association of Trade, Crafts and Citizens should take over the property.

 

Is Holbæk Municipality trying to shut down the scouts in Mørkøv?

 

Dear Mayor, dear city counsel.

For more than 24 years, Alexandra Scout and Guide Group in Mørkøv have been located at Spejdergården. Until December 31st 2010, they had a lease agreement with Tornved Municipality (Editors note: Municipality areas in Denmark has changed, Mørkøv is now under Holbæk Municipality). After this agreement finished, they worked for years, to renew this agreement, but unfortunately with no succes. The situation is now, that Holbæk Municipality wants to get rid of the property. From the beginning, they had a good dialogue with the Committee of Culture, about the possibility that the scout group should take over the scout hut. For no visible reasons, this changed to the Committee of Culture being of the opinion that Mørkøv Association of Trade, Crafts and Citizens should take over the property, but that the scouts could still have access to a few of the rooms. From Alexandra Scout and Guide Groups point of view, we really need to point out, that if the hut will be given to Mørkøv Association of Trade, Crafts and Citizens, we see it as a direct threat to the group’s existence. Alexandra Scout and Guide Group is the only scout group in Mørkøv and the large surrounding areas with public schools. It will be extremely saddening to a lot of kids, many with special needs, who wouldn’t function in sports clubs, but who function really well in the environment that the Scout Association offers.

The primary reasons we see it as a threat to our existence, if Mørkøv Association of Trade, Crafts and Citizens take over the scout hut is as follows: A

fundamental difference in ideas of what a scout hut is to be used for. For a group of scouts, the primary thing, is that the scout hut is usable, - a shelter for rain and wind, warmth in the winter, kitchen and toilet facilities. It is actually quite positive if isn’t too neat, so we’re not afraid to use it. We work with children from the age of 5 or 6, who maybe doesn’t always remember to wipe off their boots. Throughout the meetings with the Mørkøv Association of Trade, Crafts and Citizens and Committee of Culture, we’re under the impression that they have a VERY different view on things.

We need the space in the hut. In the present, the entire hut is used for scouting activities and storage of scouting materials. The only space not used for scouting or materials, is a shed with a hole in the roof.

Third and most importantly, is the climate of coexistence. It is our best view, that it will be very difficult to establish an equal partnership with Mørkøv Association of Trade, Crafts and Citizens. Throughout the past year, several episodes have confirmed this.

Alexandra Scout and Guide Group, therefore urge the City Counsil to pass the Scout Hut to the scouts. We are in the lucky situation, that we have both financial and volunteer ressources to manage the Scout Hut. If the City Counsil wishes to grant a dispensation to Mørkøv Association of Trade, Crafts and Citizens, so that they can establish a machine hall at the site, as they wish to do, it must be possible to do this without sacrificing the scout hut. From the Scouts’ point of view, there’s no problem in the building of a machine hall, but we absolutely do not understand that it has to happen at the expense of our scout hut.

 

Sincerely

Board and scout leaders of Alexandra Scout Group in Mørkøv.