First Cub Camp of the year!
Our cubs hit the ground running with their first overnight camp of the year just a couple of weeks after starting back. It’s the first time that the group have camped in Beckettsfield, near Rathcoole, and I expect we’ll return there again.
The cubs got to practice their backwoods and camping skills, making shelters, lighting fires, and outdoor cooking and also got to practice their singing at the campfire! The Sunday morning was a little wet but that didn’t dampen the spirits for a hike on the nearby woodland trails.
They say there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad gear so we’d remind parents to ensure that kids have appropriate gear for bad weather. Waterproofs, hiking boots, suitable trousers and tops all make for a more pleasant time outdoors.
Explore Scouting with Our New Leader Training Process!
Explore Scouting with Our New Leader Training Process!Interested in becoming a Scout Leader but not sure if it’s for you? Scouting Ireland now lets you try the ‘Story of Scouting’ training modules before making any commitment.
Start by visiting scouttraining.ie to complete the ‘Story of Scouting’ eLearning module. This will give you a glimpse into what Scouting is about, including the activities and values we promote.
Once you’ve completed the module, you can attend a 2-3 hour in-person session designed to run like a Youth Section Meeting, with games and patrol work!
Date: Monday, November 18th
Time: 7:00 PM
Location: Coolevin Scout Den, Ballybrack
To book your free spot, email us at [email protected]. We look forward to seeing you there!
Cruinniú
While the Cubs were having fun on their camp, Albert, our Group Leader was at Larch Hill for Cruinniú including the Scouting Ireland AGM and National Conference.
Eoin Callanan was elected the new Chief Scout to replace Jill Pitcher Farrell. Eoin hails from Cork and has some of our scouters have attended the Camping Adventure Skills training weekends which he helps run.
The board of Scouting Ireland also saw the appointment of three new Directors including John Holland who helped us run our special Jamboree on the Air event in January.
There were a wide range of talks, workshops and discussions including neurodiversity in scouting, training, and adventure skills. The photo is from a workshop by Max Jones demonstrating how to prepare and smoke fish.
Training Update
Training UpdateCongratulations to our Scout Leader, David Ellard, on his nomination to participate in the Scouting Ireland “Train the Trainer” programme! With a natural gift for teaching and many years of experience as a Scout Leader, David is sure to excel as an adult trainer and inspire others with his knowledge and passion.
A new online safeguarding course for scouters was announced at Cruinniú. Scouters are required to retake safeguarding training every three years and this will make it easier for them to complete at their convenience.
We have a couple new scouters doing their ‘Being A Scouter’ training in the coming weeks and also have scouters taking part in a weekend camping skills course in Cork in October.
County Badges
Our scout county of ‘Cois Farraige’ which comprises of six scout groups, around Dalkey, Killiney, Shankill, Ballybrack and Rathmichael, is merging with the groups from Dún Laoghaire, Stillorgan, Blackrock, Cabinteely and Cornelscourt. Our new county is called ‘Dún Na Farraige’ and we’ll be giving out the new country badge, designed by scouts in the county, to all members at investiture.
The two counties have been working closely together for the past few years to pool resources and organise events together. The beaver day in Blackrock earlier this year being a great example of how our local scout groups can host activities and we expect that we’ll have more county activities during the year.
IT Equipment
IT EquipmentAs Scouting adapts to the modern world, we can now use laptops for a variety of activities, including radio communication, 3D mapping, hike planning, and more.
Some companies provide used equipment to support youth and community groups. If your employer has such a program, we would greatly appreciate the opportunity to connect with them!
Currently, we are specifically seeking laptops that can run Windows 10 or later, as well as a projector and projection screens.
If you can help us get in touch with someone who may be in a position to donate, please reach out! Thank you for your support!