Official online magazine of Scouting Ireland

February 2015

Welcome to this the Feb issue of Inside Out. This month’s issue covers all the great Scouting activities that are taking place around the country. We look at all the information from the recent National Management Committee meeting. We give you links to the First Mailing for this year’s National Council.

Are you heading to the star Scout Show this year? Check out the great packages available for that weekend. We have another great Backwoods feature, Guerrilla Neckerchiefing kicks off in the lead up to Founders Day and much much more.

This month as in every month we feature many articles and Pictures from all around the Country from groups just like yours. So why not send us in an image an a few lines about what you were up to and we will feature in next months issue.

We have made it easier for you to submit your article and pictures. We now have a dedicated page set up to enable you to make a submission Just click here and fill in the details.

If you have any Queries please contact us at communications@scouts.ie.

Please forward this month’s issue to all Scouters and Youth Members in your group. Don’t presume they have got it. Deadline for next month’s issue is the 28th Feb .

The Communications Team

Communications Commissioner Intro

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Quote of the Month

In this issue...

National Secretary National CouncilNational ActivitiesEco Park - Lough DanTribal Experience

P. 41 St Olivers

“Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.”

A meeting of the National Management Committee (NMC)

took place on Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th January 2015 in

National Office, Larch Hill chaired by Chief Scout, Michael John

Shinnick

Strategy

The NMC split into three working groups and each working group discussed the adopted paper on Strategy Development and reported back to the NMC. The outcomes of these discussions will be collated and circulated back to the NMC at a future meeting.

Programme Commissioner (Youth Empowerment)

Following an interview process chaired by the Chief Commissioner (Youth Programme), Niamh Donnelly was recommended for appointment as the Programme Commissioner (Youth Empowerment) by the CCYP. Following a vote taken by a show of hands, it was resolved to appoint Niamh Donnelly as Programme Commissioner (Youth Empowerment).

It was further agreed by the NMC that the clash of dates for meetings of the NMC and the NYF should be avoided in the future.

National Spiritual & Religious Advisory Panel

It was noted that the first meeting of NSRAP would happen on either Monday 2nd or 9th February (date TBC).

National Council

The notice regarding the protocols for up and coming elections to take place at the meeting of the National Council can be seen HERE.

Corporate Governance Committee

An interim report from the Corporate Governance Committee was noted.

The Governance Code NMC Working Group

An interim report from the Governance Code Working Group was noted.

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National Secretary Says

Scout Promise

It was resolved that the NMC will establish a ‘Scout Promise Task Force’. The NMC will consider a terms of reference for this group at their next meeting. The primary function of this task force will be to review the current Scout Promise and the variation in the context of diversity and inclusivity and make recommendations for the NMC to consider ahead of National Council 2016.

Finance Support Team

The NMC were informed that the Finance Support Team have been meeting regularly and finance support is being provided to County Treasurers as required.

National Scout Centres

The NMC were informed that the Campsites and Facilities Team are working on the following:

• No Smoking Sites (providing smoking zones)• Alcohol & Drug Policy• Vision & Mission Statement• Standardising camp fees

Code of Conduct for Board/NMC Members

The NMC resolved to fully adopt the Code of Conduct fot Board/NMC Members and the document was printed and signed by all members during the meeting.

A general information pieces will be drafted for the website to include the new code of conduct.

Chief Executive Officer

The report of the CEO was noted.

National Youth Reps

Each of the Section Youth Reps was afforded the opportunity to address the NMC, give the highlights of the year and any recommendations they might have for going forward.

Scout Shop Locations

It was noted that The Scout Shop in Larch Hill was fully open and plans are in place for opening at the remaining four locations.

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Management Accounts

The NMC noted the monthly management accounts.

12 Days of Xmas

The NMC were informed that the overall 12 Days of Xmas sales had increased in the region of €65k. A full report would be circulated to the NMC for the next meeting

Den Development Grant

The NMC were informed that the notice of application for the Den Development Grant would be issued in the next two weeks. Information can be downloaded from HERE.

Annual Report

The circulated draft annual report was approved and thanks were expressed to all members of the team that worked on the production of the Annual Report.

Scouting Ireland’s Annual Report 2015

International

The report of the International Commissioner was noted.

Intention to Travel

The International Commissioner drew the NMC’s attention to the Intention to Travel correspondence which can be downloaded from HERE.

Youth Programme

The report of the Chief Commissioner (Youth Programme) was noted.

Scouting Ireland’s Annual Report has been released and to download a copy for yourself click here or on the front Cover Image Below.

Big word of thanks to the Team Led by Jimmy Cunningham who put this Together.

Did you know it takes approximately 3 months to put a report like this together from requesting the various reports from the various Commissioners, To Proof reading

all the content, to putting together all the stats, selecting the various photos required for use in the report, to laying out the content and inserting all the Graphics and Images?

The Team this year IncludedJimmy Cunningham, Martin Burbridge, Sean Farrell, James O

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Adult Resources

The report of the Chief Commissioner (Adult Resources) was noted.

Toole, Tom Clarke, Peter Sheehan, and Neil Mahony.

A big word of thanks goes to the Communications team Photography Section who took the majority of the Photos used in the report and to the staff at national office for providing the various Stats required.

National Council 2015

All information regarding the first mailing for National Council 2015 is

available to download and view on my.scouts.ie. Just click on this link

National Council 2015

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This meeting will be held in RDS Concert Hall, Merrion Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4. This Annual Scouting Ireland dinner will be held in the Double Tree by Hilton Hotel, Upper Leeson Street, Dublin 4. Further details regarding the Gala Dinner are contained in the first mailing.

Orienteering

This Month’s Scout Resources just click on the images to view the

Resource.

Scout Resources

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One of the key things about backwoods

is seeing the nature around us as active

and useful. Knowing trees and their

uses is a big part of this.

Tree Identification

Part 1Advanced IDThe mature bark of ash is

cream coloured, sometimes

with a slight redish tinge.

The young bark is smooth

while the older bark has

and looks increasingly

like oak bark. Very young

trees have a greenish bark.

Stages RequirementsStage 8 in the backwoods adventure skills requires an in depth knowledge of trees and plants. But we should start learning about them in beavers.

Why Tree and Plant Identification is ImportantWhen we hike or camp the nature around us is often just a backdrop to our experiences, like a painting we look at from time to time when we get a break during the day.

Understanding the nature around us, it’s uses and it’s patterns makes the environment active and exciting. The sterile, inanimate painting falls away and we experience a vibrant and living space that becomes part of our adven-ture in scouting.

burn it green (without letting it dry out).

Excellent tool handles can be made from ash that is less than 1/2 a foot in diameter (when ash gets bigger it becomes more brittle). Everything from axes to bows can be made from young ash timber.Hurling is called ‘the clash of the Ash’ because hurleys are made from Ash.

The seeds pods are like little wings (similar to a sycamore pod cut in two).The branches stay thick

Ash Tree

common trees.

single trunk; it’s branches tend to be quite scraggly with no clear pattern of growth.

(normal looking leaves) on opposite sides

end.

The only other common trees to have leaves like this are Elder and Rowan.

to the end unlike Beech and Sycamore.The buds in winter are black and they come in pairs down the branch, usually each pair of buds is at 90 degrees to the last pair.

The ends of the branches tend to have a strong up-sweep at the end, like the front of a sled

Uses of Ash

TT

Alder likes wet ground and has little cones

and catkins almost year round.Alder

(Not Elder)

The leaf is broadest at the end and narrows a little at the stalk.

The top of the leaf will

a little dip.

The edge of the leaf bulges in and out and

Note; Alder leaves can vary a lot, even on the same tree. Some leaves can be almost round.

Younger Alder bark is glossy with horizontal orange marks and it varies in colour from purpleish black to dark grey.

The older bark is

grey.

The twigs have dark, shiny bark with little bright specks dotted along them.

Advanced IDAlder is a river tree and needs wet ground to grow well.

When it is young Alder can be quite bushy in growth but it normally takes a tree shape with a single trunk as it gets bigger.

and catkins which can make it very distinctive. From a distance it can look like it has small dark blobs for leaves.

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The buds of Alder in winter are reddish purple (sometimes looking white because of a pale dust that covers them). The buds often grow on little stalks. Alder buds have a distinctive shape, a little like a gnome’s hat.

Throughout the year Alder usually has catkins and little cones on it. This gives the tree a unique appearance but its is important to remem-ber that they aren’t always present.

Uses of Alder

boiling water.

ca

Alder is great for carving though; it is easy to carve when freshly cut and goes rock hard with a reddish brown colour as it ages.

The nuts of the hazel appear in late summer and ripen through the autumn.The nuts look like oak acorns but they have a skirt covering where they join the stem instead of the oaks solid cap.Hazel grows as a mass

Hazels many stems are great for a myriad of

scout projects from arrows to scout stavesHazel

More advanced

camp tools like broilers and ‘bow drill’ sets.Hazel is easy to carve when its fresh and is often used for making spoons.And of course the nuts in Autumn are delicious.

The leaves of hazel are broad and don’t narrow much near the stem.They often have a single big tooth at the end of the leaf.

Along the edge of the leaf there are tooth shapes and within the large teeth there are smaller teeth again.

The young stems and leaves usually

like Elms.)

of fairly straight stems, even when it is mature there will be several trunks and many smaller stems growing up from the same root.The young branches grow so straight that they can help identify the tree.

Hazel bark is silver in colour and very smooth and shiny.

confused with silver birch which is whiter and has

Young bark is very smooth and oval shaped.

Older bark tends to undulate and has a muscle like appearance.

Hazel’s buds in winter are green and very blunt in shape. The very young stems will have little red hairs on them and the tree also has fresh catkins on it over the winter.

eee

TipsLearning a large number of trees and plants from a book is impossible.

work and scout.

reminded of how it’s buds, leaves, bark, etc. look every day. Very quickly we can develop a deep understanding of the trees around us.

Uses of Hazel

Note: The leaves of Hazel can be confused with young Wych Elm.

Guerrilla Kneckerchief

Founders’ Day 22nd February is a worldwide celebration by Scouts

everywhere to celebrate the birthday of Robert Baden-Powell, the founder

of Scouting, and his wife Olave.

Last year, we invited Scouts, across Ireland, to wear their neckerchief for

the day to commemorate our founder and celebrate all things Scouting

and Scouts are encouraged to do this again this year. Also last year we

went a step further and challenged each and every member, young and

old, to Join together and help us cover the country in neckerchiefs and this

was a massive success. We want to run the same campaign again this

• As many Irish Celebrities, Politicians and Local Community Hero’s as possible.At the very least, identify one of the above and get them to wear a Neckerchief with some YouthMembers from your Scout Group, snap a picture and upload it.• Don’t forget our former members – there are thousands

year and let’s make it even bigger than last year.

The idea is simple!! We want to see neckerchiefs everywhere on:

• As many statues around the country as possible. At the very least, pick a statue, put a neckerchief on it, take a picture and then be on your way. For the more ambitious amongst you, after seeking suitable permission, you might select a statue and let him/her/it wear a neckerchief for the entire weekend to celebrate Founders’ Day.

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of young people and adults in our communities who have been scouts and if you know who they are why not ask them to wear a neckerchief for the day also.

Whatever you and your group decide to do, make sure to take a picture and email it to communications@scouts.ie or post it on Facebook to https://www.facebook.com/ScoutingIreland for for everyone to see.

The aim of this action is to get Scouts noticed across the country in an exciting, novel way. The more statues, celebrities, politicians and local community heroes that get ‘neckerchiefed’ the better, but

please be careful and courteous to everyone and do not attempt to put a neckerchief on a statue (or person!) if you cannot do so safely and with permission.

The very best of luck in your efforts in getting Scouting in Ireland noticed through “Guerrilla Neckerchiefing”.

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Survivor 2015

What is Survivor 2015? Survivor is the newest, toughest and most challenging activity on the Scout calendar. Teams of 4 will be put through their paces to see if they can survive ‘The Crash’. Scouts will need to deal with the scenario, locate missing objectsand overcome any challenges they are faced with, all this with only limited resources. Each team will receive a ‘Skills Pack’ at the end of the weekend containing all the skills cards and technical information used over the weekend. These packs can be used to complement programme and transfer knowledge back to the rest of the Troop.

What do we need to do? Your team will need to decide which one of the skill levels you would like to sign up for. All of the levels offer your team great opportunities to explore and learn new survival skills. When you sign up you will receive a information on certain skills you may wish to practice. Please ensure that you prepare appropriately for the level you are taking part in.

Alpha Survivor – At this level the participants will only be allowed to bring the required list of equipment. This level is not for the faint hearted, Alpha survivors will have to build shelters, prepare and cook food with no utensils and live in the wilderness. As with all the levels there will be opportunities for the participants to learn new skills. Stage 5 of the backwoods adventure skill is a guide for this level. Participants will be instructed on sections from this level and above.

Bata Survivor – At this level participants will be allowed bring a limited number of extra equipment and food. Participants will learn the skills needed to progress to Alpha survivor. Stage 4 of the backwoods adventure skill is a guide for this level. Participants will be instructed on sections from this level and above.

Delta Survivor – At this level the participants will learn new skills as well as perfecting others. Percipients should have some experience of shelter building and fire lighting. Stage 3 of the backwoods adventure skill is a guide for this level. Participants will be instructed on sections from this level and above

What is the cost? The cost of the activity will be a €100 per team of 4 Scouts. This fee will include camping fees, programme and food for the weekend.

Do we need a Scouter? One leader is required per group; these Scouters will help the organising staff run the programme over the weekend. Scouters will be catered for, cost per Scouter €10. Scouters will be required to provide their own Tentage.

Where and when will it be held? The activity will be held in Castleconnell Campsite in Limerick from the 10th to the 12th of April.

How do we book in? You will need to fill out the National Activities Application form. Further information will be emailed to all teams closer to the activity.

Booking Form: https://adobeformscentral.com/?f=aPwnUeXih-4sl1gO6QqpDgStaff Form: https://adobeformscentral.com/?f=1iI2CY06RSdBD1mmadQhigClosing Date for Application Forms: 25th of March

How do we prepare for the event? You and your team should practice elements of the backwoods adventure skills and be able to build shelters and cook food using methods in the scouting trail. Additional relevant information and suggestions will be sent out after booking.

What equipment do we need to bring? Below is a list of the required equipment and additional equipment permitted at different levels. Please note that at all levels the participants will be moving location over the weekend and will need to be able to fit this in their bag and carry it.

Required Personal Equipment: (all Levels) Raingear Hat Gloves Boots Warm fleece 2 x Changes of clothes Sleeping bag Ground mat Survival bag Torch (with spare batteries) Plate, bowl, cup and cutlery RucksackPenknife Water Bottle Toiletries

Alpha Level Team Equipment: Note book and Pencil Washing up liquid Tea Towels Flint and steel Roll of plastic bags (strong) Axe and Saw Trowel First Aid Kit

Spare survival bag Tin Foil Toilet Paper 4 x 3 meter lengths of rope

Bata Level Team Equipment, as above plus; 12x chocolate bars Sheet of plastic RopeSisalAdditional survival bags

Delta Team Equipment, as above plus; One Pot Matches

The weekend provided the Irish Contingent Management Team with an opportunity to gain an insight into the progress, ideas and concepts being developed for Roverway which aims to attract over 5000 scouts and guides from all over Europe! The French planning team presented a number of their impressive piloted programme ‘pathways’- each of which will surely deliver excitement, cultural diversity and adventure to any future participant.

During our trip, we also visited Paris during the trip where a lock was placed on the Pont des Arts bridge to represent the Irish Contingent for Roverway, France. We hope to return to the lock in August 2016 with hundreds of fellow Irish scouts and guides to release it (#LeaveNoTrace?) as part of our pre or post-event contingent camp.

Roverway 2016 is shaping up to be an unforgettable event. If you or any of your ventures/rovers will be aged between 16-22 in August 2016 and would like to find out more, visit our contingent facebook page @Roverway2016IRE or the official event website www.roverway2016.org #SurLaRoute #OnTheRoad #ArAnmBóthar

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Roverway 2016 – Head of Contingents

Meeting, Jambville, France

The first meeting of the Head of Contingents for Roverway 2016 took

place from 28th-30th November 2014. The event was held in the recently

announced central camp location for Roverway- Jambville International

Scout and Guide Centre. The centre is situated on the spectacular grounds

of an old French chateau, includes acres of forest and camping fields and

is less than an hour from Paris city centre.

Jamboree 2015

Its 2015! and the countdown clock is ticking, we won’t know it before we will

be boarding a pane for Japan, here’s a report from Young Correspondent

Caoimhe Fitzgibbon on her troop preparations

will be talking about the preparation my Japan troop has done so far and

also about the super secret workings of our patrols in Japan. We had

two meetings before the legendary Base camp and these were insanely

beneficial. We were able to meet as a group for the first time and used the

opportunity to talk about more serious matters, such as how we should act

and respect others in Japan (more than usual we mean) and also about

A Patrol typically has 8 members. In Japan, each patrol will have a Patrol Leader (PL) who takes care of the technical stuff and makes sure everything is running smoothly. There is also an Assistant Patrol Leader(APL) who is there to help the Patrol Leader, take over when the PL isn’t there, to provide a bridge between the PL and the rest of the patrol and really just to be there emotionally for the scouts. We have been warned that things can get a bit hectic over there and that a lot of people can get homesick. If this were to happen, the scout in question can go to their PL or APL and the problem can be fixed :) The

the different things we will need to live comfortably in Japan. At that time, the most important thing was getting to know everyone and not mixing up Arron and Aaron!

During our second camp, the main goal was to see who would be in what patrol and who would work best together. We were placed in temporary patrols for the weekend and were given different team building tasks- some of these involved too many people and not enough chairs..... Great full all around.

patrol system is designed so that the scouts can work independently from the leaders.

Not counting the countless emails and Facebook exchanges, our next camp was the contingent camp. This camp was more orientated towards preparing the contingent so I’ll leave the telling of that to other people :) As a troop we have been told of the different things we will need and also things that will help us when were in Japan. I hope I’ve done a good job of explaining and I hope you enjoyed reading.

Caoimhe

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Book Here

Book Here

Book Here

Out and About with Scouting!

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Out and About with Scouting!

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Upcoming National Activities

Crean Challenge 2015

15/02/2015 - 22/02/2015

Iceland

More Info

Youth Achievement Awards 21/02/2015 - Banqueting Hall, Trinity College, Dublin

The Youth Achievement Awards are an annual event hosted by the Chief Scout to recognize special achievements by our Youth Members during the past year. This year the ceremony will take place in the Banqueting Hall, Trinity College, Dublin. Along with the Community Celebration Awards and Youth Member Honour Awards, Chief Scout Awards will be made to Scouts and Ventures Scouts.

Sea Scouting Conference27/02/2015 - 01/03/2015 - County CorkMore Info

Camp Three15th/07/2015 – 19th/07/2015Killaloe

See separate advert in this issue

#POW15 (Patrols Online Weekend)06/03/2015 - 08/03/2015This Is A Local Activity Being Held Throughout Ireland

Patrols Online Weekend (#POW) is a Patrol Activity that is facilitated by the Scout Team. It involves Patrols completing a selection of tasks over a weekend, which are then shared online with other Patrols from across Ireland. Each task will be a fun challenge for each patrol to complete by a certain time; no particular skills or expertise will be needed.

Closing Date for Application Forms: 27th of February

Please contact David at scouts@scouts.ie if you have any questions in relation to this activity. Click HERE to book

Full details are available via the link to the information pack right.

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Mountain Havoc (Leinster)

Attention Mountain Havocers! Here are the details for the Leinster Mountain Havoc

Date: 6th to 8th March 2015 Location: Lough Dan Scout Centre, Roundwood, Co. Wicklow Check-in Time: 20.00 – 22.00 (6th) Finish Time: 13.30 approx (8th) Accommodation: Camping Price: 30.00 euro per person (Price includes camp fees, badge, activity, all programme, administration & all internal transport. Price does not include food while on the activity or transport to and from the activity. Click HERE to Book

If you require any further information on this activity please contact Trish on venturescouts@scouts.ieFor the full information on this activity please access the information pack via the link right

The Star Scout Show21/03/2015 - 22/03/2015St Patricks College, Drumcondra, Dublin

See separate advert in this months edition Each County Cub Scout challenge

needs to be designed around these skills to ensure the Cub Scouts are prepared for the National Activity.

Two teams from each County may qualify for the National Activity. There will be a waiting list for Cub Scout Packs who don’t qualify. Places will be offered on a first come first served basis to the Packs when spaces come available.The fee for the activity is € 35.00 / £ 28.00 per team (min 6 Cub Scouts, max 8). All participants must be Cub Scouts and 12 years and under before 31st August 2015.

The full fee per team along with the booking forms must to forwarded toNational Activities Bookings,Scouting Ireland,National Office,Larch Hill,Dublin16

Closing date: 28th February 2015 (all cheques / postal orders / drafts to be made out to “Scouting Ireland”)

Please note: If your county has not at the time of the closing date held a pre-qualifier event, the county must still register the number of teams it wishes to send to the event, the details of the teams may be forwarded at a later date.

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National Cub Scout Challenge28/03/2015 - 29/03/2015Castle Saunderson

The 2015 National Cub Scouts Challenge is an overnight activity based on Scouting Skills. The Cub Scouts will get an opportunity to show their scouting skills such as Camping, Backwoods, First Aid, Map Reading and Pioneering.

If you require any further information on this activity please contact Joe at cubscouts@scouts.ie

To register for the National Cub Scout Challenge Day, please click on the link below:

Click HERE to Book.

“To download the full size version of calendar click here “

“To download the full size version of calendar click here “

March 21st & 22nd 2015

Show Deals €22

Scout Show Bus Challenge Why not take part and explore dublin city as part of the scout show challenge. Spend the afternoon exploring the sights of dublin on a private open top tour bus exclusive to scouts & venture scouts. Visit the well known sights followed by an evening of entertainment at the scout show

Dublin Zoo Why not visit dublin zoo in the morning and spend the afternoon at the scout show. Bus will pick you up 1pm at the zoo and bring you to the show and return you to station after show.

National Aquatic Centre Why not spend 3 hours at the aquatic centre followed by 2 hours shopping and then 3 hours at the scout show. Bus will pick you up from aquatic centre and bring you to the blanchardstown centre followed by an evening at the scout show. Bus will drop you back to blanchardstown or anywhere by arrangement.

To book any of these offers or indeed just tickets to the show itself click this link

And for more Details check out

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Star Scout Show

Choose your package from the 3 options below for a great Day out.

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World’s first Scout Eco-Park at Lough Dan

Needs Eco-Warriors and Tree Huggers

While putting together an application for Lough Dan to be accredited as a

Scout Centre of Excellence for the Environment and Nature (SCENES) I

came to realise just how special and unique the Lough Dan site is.

Located in the hearth of the Wicklow Mountains there are over 20 habitat

types in and adjacent to the centre. Several of these habits are nationally

important and have been designated as Special Areas of Conservation

(SAC) but all have their own value and add to the immense biodiversity of

the area.

to Lough Dan to “pitch and get out” and reconnect with nature in Wild Wicklow and all that it has to offer.

Onsite we have started by setting up a small Eco-base where scouts

As well as offering our traditional activities such as camp-craft, pioneering, orienteering, rafting and many more we at Lough Dan would like to broaden this out to include environmental education and if possible turn Lough Dan into an Eco- Park. At the very least this would be encouraging everyone to use the Leave No Trace principles and Minimal Impact Camping as well as implementing an environmental management plan for the centre. We will also continue to encouraging everyone who comes

person in Scouting Ireland who is concerned about the state of the environment and climate change imparticular? And who is prepared to do something practical about it in a scouting sort of way. Are there any other eco-warriors or tree huggers out there young or old who would like to help turn Lough Dan into the world’s first Scout Eco-Park? A place where we can help young people become more environmentally aware while also taking part in scout activities? What with climate change, over population, resource depletion, habitat and species decline maybe environmental education is the new “Be Prepared”.

If you are a like-minded tree hugger with some time on your hands contact me “the Birdman” of Lough Dan at zef@loughdan.com or on 083-1267170. The usual conditions apply, long hours, no pay etc.

“While contact with nature is only one component in forming a young person’s eco-strategy, at Lough Dan we believe there is a fundamental relationship between being close to nature and having respect and care for nature and becoming environmentally active”

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can make bird and bat boxes. We are also looking into the possibility of establishing a “Green Way” nature trail through the site to give scouts an opportunity to see the different habitats and to identify the differing flora and fauna associated with each. We have already started to turn the centre into a Dark Sky Reserve by removing all unnecessary outdoor lighting so that today’s young people get a chance to see the night sky like their forebears did. And of course we will be tree planting in our Native Woodland during national tree week on the first weekend of March. Volunteer eco-warriors and tree huggers needed

To implement these changes it will take a little money and a lot of time and effort. I can’t be the only

SI Presentations

Presentation by the National Secretary to members of the Scouting

Ireland Trust Company for outstanding service to Scouting Ireland and

commitment to the development of young people in Ireland.

Presentation by Mandy Mc Cann County Commissioner Gleann Na Boinne to 3 Leaders from the County Recently

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Group News

North Eastern Province Group Leader Support Day run in Navan

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St. Oliver’s Scout Group,

celebrated its 50th Anniversary

The 4th Louth Scout Troop, which is part of the St. Oliver’s Scout Group,

celebrated its 50th anniversary in style on Saturday with the visit of the

Chief Scout, the commissioning of a new troop flag and the presentation of

national awards to two local Scout Leaders.

Chief Scout Michael J. Shinnick, National Secretary Sean Farrell, Jimmy

Holmes of the National Awards Panel, and County Commissioner Fintan

Sheridan were all in attendance. Scout Leader David Walsh acted as MC

for the day and also gave an excellent audio visual presentation. Group

Leader, Glenn McCormack spoke about the commitment of the Group

and it’s contribution to the Drogheda community and to county Scout activities. Scout Conan Daly spoke very eloquently on behalf of the boys and their myriad activities at home and abroad. The commissioning of the flag was effected by the taking down of the 50 year old flag which was presented to Pat Hanratty the First 4th Louth Scout Leader in 1965. The new flag was presented to the Section Leader, Noel Synnott, by the Chief Scout, Michael J. Shinnick, and was then attached to the flagpole.

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Group News

in 1965. Pat has held various positions at regional, county and local levels, including Regional Commissioner and both Secretary and Chairman of the Louth County Board. Pat was awarded the Order of Cu Chulainn, which is the highest procedural award for adults in Scouting Ireland and the Chief Scout placed the ribbon and medal around Pat’s neck. This award is given for outstanding commitment to scouting over many years, and investiture is only made at functions with an appropriate level of importance. Pat joins a short list of national recipients with only three other Drogheda members receiving this award – Paddy Roe, Austin Marley and John Reid.

The National Secretary, Sean Farrell, then read a citation of honour in regard to David Walsh who has held various positions in scouting including Group Leader, County Programme Co-ordinator and many national and international scouting events. He also cited David’s commitment to scouting in the North East and presented him with the gold meritorious award. This is one of the highest honours that can be bestowed on adults in Scouting Ireland. The National Secretary then read a citation of honour regarding Pat Hanratty who joined the 3rd Louth Scouts in 1956 and was appointed First Leader of the 4th Louth troop

Overall in line with most sectors of the Irish economy TSS had some

difficult trading months during the period of 2014, however the notable key

points are as follows

• Donation to Scouting Ireland of €145,000 in the previous financial year

In addition during the year

• We funded the supply of all uniforms badges and publications and carried

an average weekly stock for SI in this area of €525,000

• Overall TSS has funded SI to the value of €615,000 in the past five years

This consisted of the following:

• We manage in excess of one thousand individual items • We have had in the region of 250,000 scouting items transacted in the past 12 months

• We have agreed investment in excess of €60,000 in capital spend on the development and upgrading of retail units in 2015.

• We are currently funding the contingent purchases on behalf of the WSJ team

• Longer opening hours in our Bray location • New lower pricing on uniforms by way of package deals was further enhanced• New uniform subsidy to new groups opening in 2015• New lower pricing on camping and outdoor goods for groups launched with aggressive pricing

Our overall focus for the next five years is to ensure that we are relevant to all our members at all levels and to fulfil our primary function of supplying the needs of Scouting Ireland through the various channels of distribution.

42

Group News

Scout Shop Report to Scouting

Ireland for 2014

• Donated publication of €15,000 in 2014• Donated €65,000 to SI in 2010• Donated €150,000 to SI in 2012• Donated €100,000 to SI in 2013• Donated €145,000 to SI in 2014 • Rewards issued €41,500 in 2011• Rewards issued €98,017 in 2012

In addition to direct funding of groups and at National level TSS have also successfully supplied

• The National events team • The National Campsites• The National Training teams

Also in 2014 we enhanced the service to Scouting Ireland members by way of the following:• Additional investment in TSS website with LOWER members prices.

Malahide Sea Scouts Wednesday Troop celebrated it’s fortieth Birthday

Party recently with a Gathering for a big party. One of the three Scout

troops in the Group, the troop was formed in 1975 when the Group

acquired its first Scout den on the Current site and the existing Friday

troop which had reached over one hundred members, split into two distinct

troops. The troops shared annual camp together tin 1976 when they went

to Luxembourg and thereafter developed their own distinct identities.

The Wednesday troop currently provides an adventurous outdoor Nautical

and land-based programme for over Seventy Scouts.Present for the Celebrations was Group Leader Colin Lynch who noted that the upcoming year is no less ambitious with major challenges affecting the Scout Group as a whole. On the Cards is a total Scout Den refurbishment, A Gala Ball fundraiser in April (Tickets available The evening also provided an

opportunity to recognise the achievements of the Scouts in the Troop during the year. Among the awards presented were Scout of the Year - Andrew Desmond Canoeist of the Year - Daniel Crothers Sailor of the Year - David Seagrave Hiker of the Year - Ronan Allen Oarsman of the Year - Reuben Allen Seamanship Award - Kian Hopkins Leader of the Year - Colum McCaffrey.

from gala@malahideseascouts.ie and an attempted sponsored Row from Hollyhead to Malahide in June. Summer Programme will continue while the Den is out of service with all three troops already planning their annual camps. While most will Camp in Ireland this year a party of twenty five Malahide Sea Scouts will form part of the Irish Contingent to the World Scout Jamboree in Japan in July.

With the Den out of Service until after next Christmas Scouts will continue to participate in the kayaking, boating and Sailing programmes with the kind Support of Malahide Yacht Club and Malahide Marina.

43

Group News

Sea Scouts celebrate forty years

4 Peak Challenge

St. Pauls Scout Group are taking on the 4 Peak Challenge for the 6th time.

Run every 2 years we complete the challenge as a way of raising funds for

local charity. We have choosen Sacred Heart Day Centre in the city as this

years’ charity. Last time out we raised €5500 for this charity and as much

again via other fundraising activities.

We will be completing the challenge on May bank holiday weekend 2015. Already we have Scouts, Ventures, Rovers & Scouters signed up. We have organised some fundraising activities including sponsorship cards, bag pack and a draw. Prizes for the draw include 2 pairs of tickets to One Direction gigs. We have not set any target but we are hopeful of reaching €6000.

Last time out we had Waterford Senior Hurling Panel members including Noel Connors, Kevin Moran and John Mullane take part in bag pack. Here’s hoping we get another couple big names to lend us a hand.

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Group News

Rathcormac Venture Scouts

The Rathcormac Venture Scouts attended the North Cork County

hillwalking event up the Galtees on the 31st January the last day of Winter,

the route took us up along pigeonrock Glen and back between Knockaterriff

Beg and Lyracappul. There was snow and strong winds on the Galtees, but

an enjoyable day was had by all.

The Rathcormac Venture Scouts kayaked the castleconnell river on Sunday the 9th of February. It was a very cold and foggy day and the straps on the cars froze on the drive down. It was minus one when we commenced kayaking and it didn’t heat up much by the time we finished.

45

Group News

Kanderstag

This year, the World Scout Centre in Switzerland will host the 5th Annual

International Rover Week: The Alpine Link to the World Scout Jamboree.

From the 28th of July to the 8th of August 2015, we will bring Rovers from

around the world together to celebrate Scouting in a week of activities

in the Swiss Alps. Rovers will live as an international crew, sharing their

songs, traditions and best recipes, while we look after the food, tents and

supplies, and activities.

The week will take them to our beautiful glacial lake, up to our Swiss Mountain Hut, down to the local pool to relax and will include our August 1st Celebrations! On this day, we celebrate Scouting Founders Day and Swiss National Day with a carnival with over 1,000 Scouts from around the world. The cost of the week is CHF 400 Swiss Francs and is open to all Rovers aged 18-30 years old who is registered with a WOSM or WAGGGS registered association.

What we were hoping is that you would consider sending out some form of information about this event to your members. If you would send out an e-mail, share us on Facebook or Twitter, or even better, include us on your website or your national magazine, we can provide all of the necessary materials, making this as easy as possible for you. Please visit the website for the event here, and thank you again for supporting International Scouting.

46

Group News

Used Battery Collection

As part of the Group initiative Tonnta Cub Pack are taking part in ‘Recharge the Earth Challenge’ designed to promote battery recycling and awareness among our Youth Members, whilst reducing the carbon footprint of our Scout Group. Upon filling 4 boxes (100kg), The Group will be awarded a Tree to plant in our local community in order to ‘Recharge the Earth’. As you can see they are well on the way.

County Wexford Beaver Scouts Tribal

Experience / Personal Challenges Day

The County Wexford Beaver Scout day took place in the Irish National

Heritage Park in Ferrycarrig, Wexford on the 7th Feb Last. There was a

great turnout with over 144 members taking part from 11 Groups.

Part 1 of Day (TRIBAL EXPERIENCE): Upon arrival, groups were assigned a guide and were escorted through the Irish National Heritage Park. Groups re-entered the park and chose from the following additional activities:• Panning for gold• Megalith• Wattle your own house• Scriptorium• Rock Art

Part Two of Day (PERSONAL CHALLENGES): Beavers chose from the following personal challenges that can be used towards skills badges/ achieve SPICES• Cliff Face Scramble (note height restriction applied)• Activity Playground (for those that did not meet the height restriction above)• Hiking Challenge: Hazelwood Trail, Wet Wood Trail, Estuary Trail

47

Bayside

48

Group News

Today Sat 31st Jan was a great day for the 132nd Bayside Eager Beavers

as we went on a trip to Tara St Fire Brigade Station as part of Emergencies

badge. When we arrived at the station we were all given a special

Firewatch baseball cap. There were 25 beavers and we went into three

groups. Each group then went on a tour of the station. We saw how big the

fire engine ladder was and it was over 100 feet tall. Also we got to use one

of the fire hoses , see firefighter Brian slide down the pole ,try on a helmet

,see the control room but the best part of the trip was when we got to go on

the firebrigade.

We had great fun learning about the fire fighters job.

17th/51st Cork Blackrock - Beaver Colony

On Wednesday, 21st January last. 24 Beavers and 6 Leaders visited the

Cork County Fire & Rescue Station in Midleton, Co. Cork. Parents provided

the transport as the station is about 24km from our scout hall.

The evening’s visit began with a demonstration on the dangers of a chip

pan catching fire and what happens if you use water to try and put out

the fire. After this the fire engine was explored and all the Beavers had

their chance to sit behind the wheel of the fire engine and in the crew

compartment, with the fire crew present explaining about all the equipment.

The evening lasted close to a hour with the finale being the sounding of the fire engine sounders and the flashing lights.

Thanks to the fire crew present for their assistance and to the parents for providing the transport on the night.

49

Group News

Attraction of the Mountain Ranges

The scouts from the 5th Cork (The Lough) and the 43rd Cork

(Bishopstown) took part in a joint activity, a Snow climb on Mangerton

Mountain, Co. Kerry. Led by Eoghan Calnan, David O’Neill and John

Spillane, the troops departed at the crack of dawn from Cork.

After a tuition session with the leaders on map navigation and compass

bearings along with safety tips, all were ready to set off. Reaching close to

the “Devils Punch Bowl” the ground snow started to thicken. After a quick

lunch stop it was onward and upward again walking through snow that

reached up to the waist levels at times. Then came a heavy snow fall and it was time to descend but not before a bit of rolling around in the snow and snow ball throwing. A Huge “thank you” to Michael Pattwell, for driving the Togher Scout bus.

A fantastic day was had by all and well done to the Scouts for braving the cold.

51

Group News

North Cork Venture Scouts on Galtees

The First North Cork Venture Scouts county event of the year was held

on the last Sunday on the Galtee Mountains. This involved climbing

the Galtees along the route of Pigeon Rock, the Glen and back between

Knockaterriff Beg and Lyracappul.

On return to base it was time for a Bar-B-Que and despite the cold weather

they seemed to manage fine and there was certainly no left overs. Whilst

there was snow and strong winds and a great climb which was enjoyed

by all. It was a good day for hill walking with nice food to top it off. There was a good turnout with Venture Scouts from Rathcormac and Fermoy participating. Here’s to a packed year of events.

52

Group News

A New Way to Submit Your

Articles for Inside out

Because of the Volume of Articles we are getting from Groups and

Counties each month we have decided to make it easier for Groups and

Counties to submit their Articles and Photos each month. And we love to

get them all.

We now have designed a dedicated page where you can upload your

Article and your Photos with no hassle and get a message back straight

away to let you know that your article has been received.

If you just Click on image to the right it will take you to a form where you enter your details and then attach your article and photos. Then when you have all done press submit. If your article is received you will get an automatic reply to say we have received your article and a thank you.

See right a screen Shot of the Form.

If you need any help at all with this contact me at communications@scouts.ie and I will endeavour to help.

Now wouldn’t it be great if we got a small article from every group in the country just to let everyone know that you are there!

Communications Team

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February 2015