Halloween may have originated with the Celtic autumnal festival of Samhain that marked the transition between the end of the harvest season and the beginning of the darkness of winter.
Excellent article Steve. This is the first time I’ve heard about ZIS. Not surprised that you were selected to participate. I most enjoyed hearing about your father’s antics at Halloween. I would not have expected that from the very reserved gentleman that I knew from the late ‘60’s. My respect for him has been raised several notches.
John, thanks for you kind words. ZIS is affiliated with the French Zellidja Bourse de Voyage, https://www.zellidja.com/. It was founded in 1939 by Jean Walter. It arose out of Jean Walter's own student days when he traveled by himself 6,000 kilometers to Istambul... by bicycle! His purpose in founding Zellidja was to give young people experiences and knowledge that they won't get through simple academics. Jean Walter wanted to "donner aux jeunes le moyen de compléter leurs études par des connaissances qu'ils n'ont pas acquises dans les établissements scolaires et n'acquerront pas davantage dans les grandes écoles ou en faculté." In that respect, ZIS and Zellidja are very much like Outboard Bound - they want young people - girls and boys ages 16 to 21 - to expand their cultural exposures to whatever stimulates their curiosity and interests; and to let them learn first hand, completely solo, how to become self-reliant. Re my father -- I really do think he had more playfulness bottled up inside him than he showed. I have early photos of him, pre-marriage, in which my father looks amazingly Bohemian. In many ways, I think that he suffered long term from the effects of the Great Depression (which I believe current times resemble) and that made him a "captive" of his peculiar career that imposed an unnatural reticence on his psyche. He still had some of the old sparkle in the 60s in Pittsburgh. By the time he died, however, it had been completely extinguished. Steven
Excellent article Steve. This is the first time I’ve heard about ZIS. Not surprised that you were selected to participate. I most enjoyed hearing about your father’s antics at Halloween. I would not have expected that from the very reserved gentleman that I knew from the late ‘60’s. My respect for him has been raised several notches.
John, thanks for you kind words. ZIS is affiliated with the French Zellidja Bourse de Voyage, https://www.zellidja.com/. It was founded in 1939 by Jean Walter. It arose out of Jean Walter's own student days when he traveled by himself 6,000 kilometers to Istambul... by bicycle! His purpose in founding Zellidja was to give young people experiences and knowledge that they won't get through simple academics. Jean Walter wanted to "donner aux jeunes le moyen de compléter leurs études par des connaissances qu'ils n'ont pas acquises dans les établissements scolaires et n'acquerront pas davantage dans les grandes écoles ou en faculté." In that respect, ZIS and Zellidja are very much like Outboard Bound - they want young people - girls and boys ages 16 to 21 - to expand their cultural exposures to whatever stimulates their curiosity and interests; and to let them learn first hand, completely solo, how to become self-reliant. Re my father -- I really do think he had more playfulness bottled up inside him than he showed. I have early photos of him, pre-marriage, in which my father looks amazingly Bohemian. In many ways, I think that he suffered long term from the effects of the Great Depression (which I believe current times resemble) and that made him a "captive" of his peculiar career that imposed an unnatural reticence on his psyche. He still had some of the old sparkle in the 60s in Pittsburgh. By the time he died, however, it had been completely extinguished. Steven