From time to time, events occur in our area which may not fit into the Calendar, but which should be mentioned here and made known to our readers. These may range from "alert" type notices to simple reporting of interesting occurences. Often they will be a call to action of the Pagan community. This section of The Broom Closet will be devoted to such events and occasions.
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Spiral Scouts Groups forming in the Philadephia/Delaware Valley area
For those of you who may not have heard, an effort is underway to establish a Pagan scouting movement, called The Spiral Scouts. The main website is at http://www.spiralscouts.org . There are also Yahoo email groups for the main organization and for the local one. Go to http://www.groups.yahoo.com/group/spiralscouts for the national group, and http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PA_Spiral_Scouts for the local group, to join the list. Local Pagans who wish to get involved can get in touch with the Spiral Scouts throught the PA Spiral Scouts list.
The Broom Closet staff thinks this is a wonderful development and is 100% behind this effort. We urge you to get your children involved, or to help out in any way you can. Here is the text of the press release announcing the formation of the Spiral Scouts:
For immediate release:
The creation of a nationwide Pagan oriented scouting program, known as
"SpiralScouts" (TM) has been announced by the Aquarian Tabernacle Church of
the Seattle area, to fill the void left by prejudicial treatment of other
established children's programs. It is formally incorporated at Imbolc, 2001,
and an appropriate venture for the new millennium.
SpiralScouts, a program for girls and boys working, playing and learning
together, has existed within the church to benefit member's children for over a
year. Recently word about it spread on the internet and, due to the great
demand, it has been formalized into an expanded program under the name
SpiralScouts International, Inc., a nonprofit subsidiary of the ATC.
SpiralScouts supplies leadership handbooks, awards, merit badges and pins,
embroidered shoulder patches, and activities handbooks to make the program
work for you on a local basis.
The program has a unique approach to scouting. Each group is led by
both a male and a female adult, to achieve and teach that balance that is so central
to Paganism. While it is based on Pagan beliefs and practices, it is designed
to be adaptable by other non hostile minority faiths as well, by substitution
of the faith based activities with their own. In addition to the usual fun
activities and woods lore, camping and the customary scouting activities, the
program includes teaching about the many mythologies of the ancient world.
Uniquely, it includes a component new to scouting - life strategies and skills
for teens, to help them learn early how to have good relationships with their
peers and adults, and interpersonal skills that will serve them throughout
their adult lives.
Within the program there are three levels of child participation: FireFlies,
who range from preschoolers trough age 8; SpiralScouts, ranging from age 8
through 14; and PathFinders, who range from 14 upward. Groups are organized
into Circles, which may be made up of Hearths for the different age groups.
There is a provision to enable chartering of single family, isolated Hearths
for parents who may be remote from other Pagans and want their children to
benefit . This is believed to be the only Pagan oriented scouting program in existence.
Member children and leaders wear a simple uniform purchasable
anywhere, consisting of khaki pants, skirt or shorts, and a dark forest green dress shirt. Over this is worn a chocolate brown hooded bib on which they may display their awards and honors, giving the outfit a definitely Pagan look. The pattern for the
hood is available from HQ, as are ready-made hoods for those who don't sew.
There are at the moment, 28 charters pending approval throughout the U.S., Canada, Australia, the U.K. and South Africa, and more requests are being received daily. For those who wish to look into leading or sponsoring a local
group, more information may be found at our web site, http//www.SpiralScouts.org , by e-mailing SpiralScouts@SpiralScouts.org , or by writing to SpiralScouts International, c/o ATC, Post Office Box 409, Index, Washington 98256-0409 for a list of requirements, and a publications and paraphernalia list (patches, awards, pins, etc.)
Samhain, 2000 -- New Pagan Singles Email list established
Merry Meet!
We're starting the PhillyPaganSingles group at eGroups, a free, easy-to-use email group service. Please take a moment to review this message. This isn't necessarily for *you*, since you might not be looking for a partner right now. But please feel free to pass this information on to anyone you know who *is*! To join this group, simply send email to: PhillyPaganSingles-subscribe@egroups.com .
Please pass the message along to anyone you know who might be interested. And if you *are* interested, please send that email!
Blessings,
George Reinhart
aka RavensWing
Moderator, PhillyPaganSingles
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As you can see, there is very little current news on this page. The Broom Closet would like to solicit volunteers to gather news items that fit the description above. Anyone interested, please email us at PhilaPagan@netwind.org .
This page last revised 2/15/01.
