Sevin Foundation

Developing spirituality
and a spirit of friendship between religions

The purpose of the Sevin Foundation is to give Scouts and Guides throughout the world the ability to achieve true spiritual growth

Its goals

  • Offer Scouts and spiritual leaders, the experience of working with other religions in Scouting (inter-religious aspect).
  • Help young people follow their own religion in their association, be it a majority or a minority religion, so that each religion in Scouting can serve young people’s spiritual development (religious aspect).

Areas of operation

  • Spiritual development for Scouts and Guides
  • Training chaplains and spiritual leaders
  • The spiritual element at major Scout and Guide events
  • Encouraging interreligious encounter
  • Peace education

Origin

It takes its inspiration from Venerable Jacques Sevin, the father of Catholic Scouting, who exemplified Christian spirituality in Baden-Powell’s Scout method.

Fr Sevin brought the Catholic Church into Scouting and Scouting into the Catholic Church.

In his talks with Baden-Powell, Fr Sevin appreciated the trust placed in everyone and the respect given to all religions. He encouraged Catholics to involve themselves fully in Scouting, asking Catholic Scouts to place their entire faith in their promise. He invested Scouting with the treasure of Catholicism.

Founders

The members of the International Conference of Catholic Scouting (70 member countries), the International Conference of Catholic Scouting itself, the Sisters of the Holy Cross of Jerusalem and members of the World Organisation of the Scout Movement wishing to take part.

Financial basis

The Ararat Fund, has been set up. This is an ethical investment fund, a Socially Responsible Investment (SRI). It is aligned to achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals by following the principles of Laudato si’ and Fratelli tutti.

Corporate structure

The Foundation is under the aegis of the Institut de France, one of the world’s oldest philanthropic institutions, and will distribute the money (received from the investment fund) worldwide. The Foundation is audited and supervised by the French state.

The Ararat Fund is managed by the Meeschaert Group, the leading French ethical fund management company.

How can we help you ?

The Sevin Foundation will issue a call for projects to support in 2022. Eligible projects may be granted funding.

For further information about the Sevin Foundation

You can register yourself and others via this form:
https://forms.gle/PMJm2uDz8wH9oNJ5A

How can you help us ?

  1. Develop and run projects that meet the Foundation’s sphere of interest
  2. Share national tools and good practice in its sphere of interest
  3. Encourage other NSOs to join the foundation (as signatories to the constitution or taking part in its organisation and operation (election of representatives at the ICCS World Council)).
  4. Promote the work and spirit of the Foundation with Scout networks, supporters of Scouting and religious and interreligious leaders.
  5. Suggest potential investors (NB investors not donors) who could support local projects or the general aims by investing in the Ararat SRI Fund (in conjunction with the Fund’s management team).
  6. Nominate volunteers to support the Foundation’s basic operations (communications, calls for projects etc).

I was asked to explain what I had in mind when I founded Scouting and Guiding. When asked “where religion came into Scouting and Guiding”, I replied, It does not come in at all. It is already there. It is a fundamental factor underlying Scouting and Guiding.”

Baden-Powell
« Religion in the Boy Scout and Girl Guide Movement »
Chief Scout’s address at the High Leigh joint Scout and Guide conference
2 July 1926