Official online magazine of Scouting Ireland

January 2015

Welcome to this the First issue of Inside Out for 2015. This month’s issue covers all the great Scouting activities that are taking place around the country. We look back at the Santa Days in both Larch Hill and Castle Saunderson, the 12 days of Christmas draw were you one of the lucky winners. We have this month’s resources keep coming from the Cub Scout and Scout Teams.

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 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 31st January .

The Communications Team

Communications Commissioner Intro

519354649

Quote of the Month

In this issue...

Cubs Land of NileWSJ - JapanAdventure Begins HereInternational NewsJim Goulding RIP

P. 20 Santa Day - Larch Hill

The open-air is the real objective of Scouting and the key to its success.

Liferaft Dilemma

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

Resource.

Scout Resources

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Games for Meetings

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Running Games

Scouting Structures

ancient Egyptian children. Earn the Adventure Skills badges that relate to water safety

Water was boiled before it was used for drinking. The Egyptians had learned that although the Nile River offered fresh water, the water was full of disease. Do a clean up of your local river bank or lake

Each Six to make a human pyramid

Men, women and children wore eye shadow and black eyeliner called kohl to help against the glare of the sun. Cubs to wear sunglasses to their next meeting

Honey was used to sweeten foods and the Egyptians were excellent bee keepers. Ask a local bee keeper to attend a meeting to explain about bee hives, and how honey is extracted from the honeycomb

The papyrus plant was used as a sort of writing material. Our modern word paper comes from the word papyrus. It’s actually pretty easy to make papyrus. You need a lot of river reeds. Weave them together

Using the options below, pick and mix to compile programme ideas for

meetings:

Costume party –Pharohs, Mummies, Slaves, Egyptian Gods

Movie Night – the Mummy, the Prince of Egypt (animated), the Scorpion

King,

Men, women and children wore jewellery. Jewellers were skilled craftsmen.

Wide metal collars were popular, as were rings, earrings, and bracelets

worn at the wrist, upper arm and around the ankle. Make Loom Bands

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Land of Adventure – Land of the Nile

in the colours of your Group’s neckerchief

The common Egyptians kept their hair short. Wigs were very popular both for men and women. These were used at parties and official functions. Have a crazy hairstyle/wig night

Rowing was a means of travel on the Nile. Cubs to earn the Adventure Skills badge for Rowing

One day, a clever Egyptian had

as if you were making a placemat, about half the size of a placemat. You’ll need a way to anchor the vertical reeds while you weave them - a clipboard would do it. Then pound the mat flat with a rock or a hammer. Flip it over and pound the other side flat. Let it dry (you can hang them on a clothesline with clothespins) until it is not green anymore but all brown and dry.

Map reading: The Egyptians didn’t build roads to travel around their empire. They didn’t need to. Nature had already built them a superhighway right through the middle of their empire called the Nile. Using an ordnance survey map, find our where your local river starts and ends and what towns you could travel to along the way

Grain grinding was done by hand using special grinding stones. Tiny pieces of stone became mixed with the flour which meant that bread was very gritty and wore away teeth and led to dental problems. The Egyptians invented the toothbrush and toothpaste in an effort to take care of their teeth. Using the food

an idea - a square sail. The sail was probably made out of linen. The square sail worked very well and allowed the Egyptians to travel up river against the current without difficulty. Try to earn the Bronze Boatman badge or the Sailing Adventure Skills badges

Egyptians built their boats out of papyrus. This wild plant grew in great numbers all over the Nile river valley. These boats were shallow and light so they could be lifted out of the water and carried across the land just like kayaks. Earn the Adventure Skills badges for Paddling

Living beside the Nile meant that water safety was very important for

Pharaoh of ancient Egypt. Cleopatra’s family ruled Egypt for more than 100 years before she was born. She became Pharaoh at 18 years of age. Make a list of great women leaders in history

The ancient Egyptians created a calendar based on the farming season. There were 3 seasons - the flooding season, the planting season, and the harvest season. Cubs to make a calendar of scouting activities for the Scout Year

The first recorded maze in history was in Egypt. One of the most fantastic mazes in the ancient world was actually buried deep within a pyramid. It protected the mummy of Pharaoh Amemenhet III and his golden treasures from tomb robbers. Visit a local maze or print off some maze puzzles for the Cubs

Ancient Egyptians are credited with the invention of sundials. Make a sundial for home or camp

Olive trees were one of the prized trees because they not only ate the olives, but used olive oil for cooking and lighting their lamps. Make an

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pyramid, make a list of foods which would be bad for teeth

The Ancient Egyptians kept themselves very clean and bathed every day – rich it bath tubs, the poor in the river Nile. Various types of cleansers, soaps and cosmetics were used. Discuss the importance of keeping clean on camp

Vegetables harvested in ancient Egypt included onions, garlic, leeks, beans, lentils, chickpeas, radishes, cabbage, cucumbers and lettuce. Fruits included dates, figs, peach, apricot, pomegranates, melons and grapes. Using the food pyramid, plan a menu for camp including as many of these items as possible

The Ancient Egyptians had a wide variety of medicines and cures. Some of their medicines were quite strange: they used honey and human brains to cure eye infections; they also used a whole cooked mouse to help cure coughs. Cubs to find out about old

cures for colds, sore thoats, using poultices etc

The Ancient Egyptians used picture words to write called hieroglyphics. Hieroglyphics was a very complicated way of writing involving 1000s of symbols. Use the box code or invent a new picture writing to write out the Cub Scout Law and Promise for your Den

The majority of ancient Egyptians were farmers. The farm animals in ancient Egypt included cattle, oxen, pigs, geese, sheep, goats and donkeys. Visit a local farm or petting farm.

The Barter System: Ancient Egyptians bartered with their neighbours. On certain days, and in some major cities everyday, people gathered in public marketplaces. They showed their wares and traded for other goods. Cubs to have a fair to barter books/toys/games no longer needed at home

Cleopatra was the last active

olive oil lamp using a jam jar and a cotton wick

Water was diverted from the Nile to the otherwise desert lands by different methods of irrigation. Man-made ditches, dykes and canals crossed the farmlands. The farmer would have a wood dam to control the water flow. Irrigation was the key to prosperous farms and abundant crops in ancient Egypt. The ancient Egyptians used dams and reservoirs to store water for the dry seasons of the year. Visit a reservoir or have a Lock Keeper show the Cubs how a lock on a canal works

The ancient Egyptians were a happy, clever people. They did many good deeds to keep their heart light - a very important thing to the ancient Egyptians. Keep a Good Deed Diary

The pyramids were built as ancient tombs and massive monuments to the pharaohs of ancient Egypt. The pyramids were made of stone and were therefore built to last for eternity. The first pyramid was the Step Pyramid. It was built about 5,000 years ago. Visit the local

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graveyard to see which Cub can find the oldest gravestone

The wealthy people had gardens with ponds and there were public gardens set aside for use by the community. Visit a botanical garden or arboretum

Ancient Egyptians believed that when they died, they would make a journey to another world where they would lead a new life, so they mummified the bodies of their dead. They would remove the internal organs and use oils on the body. They would then wrap the body in cloth. Items belonging to the dead person would be buried with them and also things that were believed to be needed in the afterlife (including slaves). Using toilet paper, each Six to make a mummy. Make a list of items that a Cub Scout might need in the afterlife

Stone for the pyramids, tombs and monuments came from quarries. Locate the nearest stone quarry to the Scout Den and find out what type of stone is quarried there and what it

is used for

The ancient Egyptian home always had a cat. They believed cats were sacred and watched over their children and homes. They were not considered as pets but as guardians and they were not given names. When a cat died, the members of the family would shave off their eyebrows as a sign of mourning. Do a survey to see how many Cubs have cats as pets or what other pets they have

The ancient Egyptians invented the Nilometer. This was used to predict flood levels. This instrument marked the height of the Nile over the years. Nilometers were spaced along the Nile River. They acted as an early warning system, alerting people so they could prepare for a drought or for unusually high flood waters. Last spring some areas faced severe flooding after rivers overflowed their banks after heavy rainfall. Cubs to locate on an OS map the cities or towns suffered most from flooding

The Nile an “international” river as its water resources are shared by

eleven countries: Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea, South Sudan, Sudan and Egypt. Find these countries on a map. Draw the flag for each nation.

Doctors were trained in medicine and magic. Egyptian doctors believed that evil spirits either got inside your body or sent poisons inside your body to make you sick. To cure you, the doctors made you eat or drink something very nasty-smelling and gave you a written spell to recite. They hoped the evil spirit wouldn’t like the smell and would leave your body. Make up a magic spell for some common ailments

Ancient Egypt was first inhabited by settlers from Syria and Palestine. Over time it was invaded by the Nubians, the Assyrians, the Persians, Alexander the Great, the Arabs, the Ottoman Turks, Napoleon, Mussolini’s Italian army, and Hitler’s German army. Have a Pack Forum to discuss how things have changed if at all in the modern day Middle East

Grain Banks worked like this: First you deposited grain into one of the huge state grain warehouses. When you wanted to purchase something, you took some of your grain out of the grain bank. There was a fee for this, paid in grain. The fees collected (in grain) were used to pay state workers, such as the men who worked and lived in the pyramid cities, building pyramids. Basically, food moved around as payment for services and goods, which is one reason no one went hungry in ancient Egypt. Have a pack forum to debate this concept

Leave No Trace Policy

Please make sure that you clip the travel tickets for your journey as you go along to earn beads as you progress.

12 Day of Christmas Draw

Following the public drawing of the 12 Days of

Christmas winners, we are pleased to announce the

2014 winners.

We are also pleased to announce that the amount

raised so far €605968 which is an increase of

€65000 on the 2013 sales.

The winners are:

Congratulations to all the winners and a massive well done to all participating Groups on raising these much need funds for local Scouting.

(click on the picture to download the results sheet)

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Santa Day In Castle Saunderson

Santa Days have come and gone for 2014 in Castle Saunderson

International Scout Centre, but the magic of the weekend will live long in

the hearts of the 1,100 Beaver Scouts who passed through the doors.

As we approach Christmas and the cold spell of winter we are thinking of

the homeless sleeping rough on the streets of this Island. Beaver Scouts

that attended the weekend have collectively purchased and donated 41

Sleeping bags, 76 Wooly hats, 97 pairs of wooly socks, 56 pairs of gloves,

4 fleece blankets, 6 back packs, 7 waterproof coats, 46 Scarves, 4 Survival

bags, and 2 long sleeve thermals.

Many thanks to them all. This will be passed onto The Salvation Army in the coming days for distribution. Well done to the big volunteer staff who help organise the Weekend and it’s great to see Santa so fit and well. A little elve told us here in Scouting

Ireland that Santa is also going to be calling To Larch Hill International Scout Centre Next weekend. Don’t say we told you!!

To Check out all the photos from the weekend Check out Scouting Ireland’s Facebook page

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Scouting Ireland Open Scout

Shop Outlet at Larch Hill

As the first step in the roll out of Scout Shop outlets at our national centres

a large crowd gathered to see the Chief Scout Michael John Shinnick

officially open the new Scout Shop outlet in Large hill.

The Scout shop outlet includes a coffee shop serving Tea, Coffee and

Hot Chocolate along with a range of tuck shop items. Also for sale in the

shop is the full range of Scout Brand apparel along with various camping

essentials. So when you are up next in larch hill drop in and check it out.

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World Scout Jamboree 2015

With the World Scout Jamboree taking place in Japan later this year the

first issue of the Scouting Ireland Contingent Newsletter has just been

released.

Check it out HERE or by Clicking on the image to the right

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Santa Day - Larch Hill

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Santa Day - Larch Hill

Scouting Ireland Programme

Commissioner (Youth Empowerment) National Scout rep team report 2014-2015

Announcing Niamh Donnelly as the Scouting Ireland Programme

Commissioner (Youth Empowerment) appointed recently at a National

Management Committee meeting and announced at the National Youth

Forum at National College of Ireland.

This year the National scout reps felt that we worked well as a team and had great relationships together. We all made great efforts to get involved the best we could and our Facebook group was a great help to communications. We attended many events and planned our own throughout the first half of the year, but found that it was hard to keep the momentum going in the second half. This was mainly because of school commitments and scouting within our own groups, counties and provinces, despite this we attended numerous National events throughout the year.

National Youth Rep. Training Weekend 1st-2nd March

The National Youth reps Training weekend in Malahide Scout Den, Co.Dublin.

The Scout, Venture and Rover Reps. all arrived to the Den by 1. When everyone got there we went to a green area near the den and played team building games. For some of us at that time, a Starbucks beside the scout den was a distant dream come reality. We then went back to the Den and talked about National Council and other topics to do with the position of National Rep. Dave Shalloo also called in and we posted a picture of the team to the Scout Facebook page that got a total of 25 likes, mostly by ourselves. After all that we had to decide amongst our sections what positions we were going to take; 3 Communications, 3 NYPC and 3 International. At about 8 we had Fajitas for dinner, and after we tidied up we wrote letters to ourselves on what we hoped to

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of our very own Venture rep Greg Anderson and how he spoke, a true credit to what reps stand for. A personal highlight for me was meeting Wayne Bulpitt, chief commissioner of the U.K scout association. The first questions were of course, ‘What is Bear really like?’ Wayne was also fascinated by the respect and empowerment given to young people and indeed us reps in Scouting Ireland and pointed out he could really learn from us. As you know it was a day and night event. The gala dinner was excellent, tasty and really enjoyable, also it gave us a chance to meet new people. The campsite was good and the shuttle bus was handy. Overall we felt it was a great experience for people and the whole event went very well.

achieve as a National Rep with Carl Quinn and some of the reps have been posted these letter in the last days. As a letter to our future selves it was a note filled with both success and sadly disappointment. We then stayed up for a while and then went to sleep.

On Sunday we further discussed the roles of a National rep with Steven Cull as he happily reminisced in his days as an ambitious teenager dreaming of being the chief scout, though sadly lacking the facial hair. We finished off with a tear jerking goodbye and bid farewell to our new colleagues as reps.

National council 28th-30th March

National Council this year ran very smoothly efficiently for once in scouting things were on time. Having the scout shop there was very beneficial for stocking up on this seasons ‘trends’ and so were all the other stalls that morning as they supplied a lot

Overnight 9th-10th July

The Scout Reps held an overnight meeting on the 9th and 10th of July to discuss the year so far and the plans for the remainder of the year. 5 of the 9 Reps were present at the meeting and it took place in the centenary lodge. Topics discussed includes:

• The Commissioner for Youth Empowerment role and what it should entail.• National Events and the Phoenix Challenge.• The various teams we attended including Communications, International and the NYPC.• The Scout team and our interaction with them.

The overnight was a success and we accomplished a good deal of work in accordance with our plan and timetable. Unfortunately Steven Cull could not stay but along with a call in from him for dinner and a short discussion we were able to manage ourselves, we also enjoyed making contact with groups on summer camp and the staff as well as running into a few familiar faces.

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of information on things such as national campsites and information on upcoming events. The day was a bit less organised though, the debates on 2020 vision took up some overtime into lunch and caused a lot of people to leave early, we are aware though that everyone did have to speak and that the speeches were very well timed but we might suggest that if you are bringing up big topics that people may have a lot to say about it that they plan in a little extra time. The rest of the day was very insightful and we felt it offered a lot more information to attending scouts about how Scouting Ireland functions. We were especially proud

day of the motion by another Rep. Another positive was the increased Youth Representation from the Scouts at group level. It was a shame however, that this came at the cost of the above.In total, Vision 20/20 was a concept that had potential to be well received. Unfortunately, due to the lack of consultation with both youth and adult it was sadly not.

In conclusion, we believe that this year was a relatively successful one for reps but we must stress how important the commissioner for youth empowerment will be. In hindsight we believe that a weekend dedicated to making change such

What we think about the Commissioner for Youth Empowerment Role

Everyone from the National Scout Rep Team are completely in agreement for this role. We feel that the Commissioner for Youth will help get Scouts views and opinions heard on all levels of the Scouting Ireland structure. We 100% support this role and hope to see it implemented as soon as possible, in the next year the future scout reps will surely hope to be in touch and we also want to thanks Steven Cull for his guidance throughout the year.

How we worked as a team

All the Scout Reps instantly got along together as soon as they were elected. Working as a team was easy for us. True teamwork is not just people working towards the same goal… a team is people who may have different qualities but who are equal in their commitment to working together to achieve the goals of, and for the good of, the

as the one last year with the NMC would have really stamped this year’s reps on Scouting Irelands future.

Lastly the National scout reps would like to thank everyone who helped make our year better and wish luck to our favourite crowd pleaser the Michael John Shinnick in his closing months as chief. Next year’s reps have quite a challenge on their hands, but can always seek the mentorship of representatives to find their feet in this new term. Good luck.

Yours in Scouting, 2014-2015 National Scout Reps

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organization… and each other. This is exactly what the scout reps did and we worked together flawlessly. Our discussions were productive and thought-provoking and we all looked forward to all our meeting/weekends away together.

Vision 20/20

Vision 20/20, the proposal brought forward by the NMC to National Council 2014 was met with mixed responses by the National Scout reps. The motion showed much promise in certain aspects but we felt that there were some parts to it that we couldn’t fully support. The 3 year rolling plan was an area of the motion to which there was no opposition from us. It was felt that this would benefit the organisation. However, the flaws of the motion outweighed the potential merits. The new 3-Tier Structure was taken to by none. We felt that the current 4-Tier structure provides a community feeling in the Counties, and a sense of greater belonging in the Provinces and ultimately at National Level. The alterations to the National Rep ticket allocation was also not to our liking, as mentioned on the

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National Scout Forum

Newly Elected National Scout Reps

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National Venture Forum

Newly Elected National Venture Scout Reps

County Dublin and Philip Smyth, science educator at UCD. Fintan Warfield spoke as a youth to the youth, highlighting topical issues such as housing and homelessness, promoting LGBT rights and promoting practical solutions to youth unemployment. Philip Smyth kicked off the launch of Scouting Ireland’s partnership with Tech Week 2015. Scouting Ireland history was made as Niamh Donnelly was appointed as the first ever Commissioner for Youth Empowerment. Next, RoverFocus moved on to a session entitled ‘Collaborate and Share’ in 1st Port Dublin scout den in Ringsend. The primary topics for discussion included Rover Clubs and Societies, the Rover programme and youth representation. These sessions were facilitated by the Rover Scout team, led by Programme Commissioner for Rover Scouts Lucy Kay, and the youth representation session was facilitated by Máire Fitzgerald, youth advisor to the World Scout Committee. There were presentations made about the World Scout Moot 2017, Roverway 2016, rebuilding the SI website, Explorer Belt 2015,

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An overview of Rover Focus

On the 17th of January, 82 Rovers descended on the city of Dublin.

RoverFocus was an event with three interconnecting parts: The National

Rover Scout Forum, a gathering for Rover Societies and Clubs and a

gathering for Rover advisors. Saturday morning began with making our

way to the hostel ‘Jacobs Inn’, where we were all checked in and then

made our way to the National College of Ireland for a session called ‘Listen

and Learn’. We had the honour of listening to Fintan Warfield, Mayor of

South

Next on the agenda was the beginning of the National Youth Forum. A range of topics were discussed, highlighting the needs of the Rover section in scouting. After a successful forum, the election process began. Having had our nine new National Representatives elected, RoverFocus moved away from Ringsend and towards the heart of the city. We gathered in Trinity College Dublin for dinner. Afterwards, the City-Wide challenge began. This was a team-based activity, where the teams had to navigate their way to a number of bases in the locale of Trinity College to complete a series of challenges. These challenges included riding a bicycle with rope as handlebars, cleaning a fountain (which we did a thorough job of), placing potted plants in the most obscure places possible, spreading the word of scouting through chalk spray paint, making cocktails, a chance to donate some unwanted hats, gloves and scarves and FIREBREATHING! A huge shout out to the Donnybrook Rover Crew for organising this epic challenge, and for managing to fit all of the ASSES in also! The next day included workshops from the rover team and a handover meeting

for the old and new representatives. Our closing ceremony was in Trinity College Dublin. Our walk there entailed taking part in a Silent Challenge, something very difficult for us. Each challenge was strategically planned out using clapping, mouthing the words and pointing. Upon reaching our destination, we had to make up for the time lost for potential chatting! For our Departure and Closing ceremony, we sent our paper planes into the wind, signifying our future and all the directions it can go.

Overview of the National Youth Forum 2015

The National Youth Forum took place in 1st Dublin Ringsend. Upon arrival we were met by our new Commissioner for Youth Empowerment, Niamh Donnelly. Our Forum was attended by 82 Rovers, 11 of which were Rover Society Representatives. The Rover Forum was hugely successful. The main topics up for discussion were Rover Clubs and Societies,

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the Rover programme and youth representation. Each topic was discussed in groups and then with all rovers, allowing for a comprehensive input from everyone in attendance. The later stage of our forum comprised of the allocation of nine new National Rover Representatives. One person was elected from each province by the members of that province team, two were voted in and one seat was allocated for a Societies Communications Link as societies and clubs in third level education was an enormous issue for Rovers.

Here’s a short video made by Lydia O’Connor of the weekend.

Who are your new National Rover Representatives?

Colin O Reilly-South East province“I became a rover rep because this is an organisation I care about and has cared for me though all the years. Now, as a young adult, I feel I should take more initiative and not just take points, act on issues and improve all that surrounds our Rover community, but learn more and educate myself on views and key aspects that need to be heard and

seen. This is an opportunity shared by my fellow companions and I can’t wait to see what our future holds.”

Adam McAuliffe-South East Province“Rover Focus was a great weekend, we got loads of work done and had fun all the while. I really enjoyed myself and would really encourage every single Rover to join us next year.

I decided to run for National Rep because, there are problems within the Rover Section. I wanted the opportunity to try and fix these problems and to make a change.”Ronan Mulligan-Western Province“I want to do my best to help the fantastic growth we’ve had in rover scouting over the past few years. I hope we’ll continue to do bigger and better things over the next year.”

Ciarán Harford-North East Province“I wanted to be a national rep because I knew there were problems in different areas from talking to other rovers, and from personal experience. I reckoned instead of just talking, why not act on it? So, I took what steps were required and hope to make a difference where it’s needed.”

Cathal Breathnach-Interim Societies Communication Link

“A scout did once ask me ‘What Rovers do? Like, do they actually do anything?’ Sometimes it feels hard to justify against a quote like this when a lot of Rovers have found it hard to get things done as Rover Scouts. But as we saw at Rover Focus, there is always potential and it’s just about encouraging that. The welcoming attitude towards Rovers Societies and Clubs was also so positive and we feel encouraged, more than ever to push forward with out aim, expand, and spread Scouting further than ever before in Ireland.”

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developed divearse skills that would suit the role of a rep. In my first year in university, I have plenty of free time to dedicate to developing rovering in Ireland. This is why I decided to run as a rep”

Katie Spillane-Southern Province“Having never been a National Rep before, I ran for a position as a Rover Rep for two main reasons: To use my skills and creativity to benefit the Rovers of Ireland and to prove to myself and to others the potential I have as a National Rover Rep! I am so looking forward to fulfilling my role and I hope I do everyone who voted for me proud!”

Barry McCavigan-Northern Province“I actually didnt think that I would want to be a rep until I went down to the national forum, it was only when I got there that I truely knew that I wanted to run for rep”

On behalf of all the new National Rover Reps, we would like to send the heartiest of congratulations to Niamh Donnelly on her appointment as Commissioner for Youth Empowerment. We wish her, and her trusty teammates Aoife Fricker

Ronan Schütte-Dublin Province Interim Link

“It’s very rare for an event to inspire, have the craic and learn something new. Rover Focus has been the biggest Rover Event, with more than 80 enthusiastic Rovers from across the country. This is the rebirth of Rovering in Ireland. It can only get better from here. If there’s something you want to do in Scouting go out and do it.”Lydia O’Connor-Southern Province “RoverFocus marked the end of my first year in Scouting Ireland, unlike the other reps. I have not spend my whole life involved in Scouting. I was brought up in the Irish Girl Guides. I feel that through my involvement in these two organisations i’d

and Greg Anderson, the very best of luck!

Upcoming Events

The Winter SNS will be held on the 6th-8th of Febuary. We encourage all those interested to attend, for further information-

Us new reps will be having our first meeting on the 21st of February in Dublin. The topics on our agenda include: Defining our role as rovers, rover resources and events (Rover Awareness Week, Electric Picnic, Rover Chill and the Explorer Belt). We can be contacted on Facebook if you have any burning questions to ask us. (Or ask us in person at the website workshop on the 7th ;) ) Rover and out!

Book Here

Book Here

Book Here

Sluaíocht Na Sléibhte (SNS) Mountain Skills

Crean Challenge 2015

(This is a joint activity with the Mountain Pursuit Challenge (MPC) Team)

15/02/2015 - 22/02/2015Iceland

More Info

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06/02/2015 - 08/02/2015

Twelve Bens, Connemara

More Info

Sea Scouting Conference

27/02/2015 - 01/03/2015County Cork

More Info

Camp Three

15th/07/2015 – 19th/07/2015Killaloe

See separate advert in this issue When does the Skills Day happen?The skills day will be held on the Saturday from 9.30am to 5.30pm with an hour for lunch between 1pm and 2pm.

Click to book

To download the full size version of Next year’s calendar click here

Also to download a full version of the Hillwalking Poster 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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Our first Video Blog is from Rory and is about Reps and what is involved, what they do etc. a great segment.

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The 2nd in our Series of Video Blogs from Youth Members of Scouting Ireland. This one comes from Orla and she talks about being a Rep. Check it out to the right

Great Video Submitted by Lydia from Bishopstown Scouts Check it out to the right.

Video Blogs

If you would like to make a video blog on any Subject just send us the details to

communications@scouts.ie

It may be hard to believe, but it was just a short two and half years ago, when Uachtarán na hÉireann Michael D Higgins along with our Chief Scout Michael John Shinnick officially opened Castle Saunderson International Scout Centre.Since then tens of thousands of scouts from across the Island and from around the world have visited and enjoyed the magic which the centre has to offer. Notable events such as The Phoenix Challenge in 2013, as well as Camp Cairde and Camp North East in 2014, will live long in the hearts of many.

2015 looks set to be the biggest year yet for Castle Saunderson, as we continue to strive towards our goal as a Scouting Centre of Excellence in Backwoods, Pioneering and Camping. Our aim is to expand the activities we offer across all areas of the adventure skills and we intend on making a number of announcements in this regard throughout the year.So stay turned to social media, Castlesaunderson.com and of course the Inside Out magazine to hear all the news coming from Castle Saunderson.If your group wishes to stay at Castle Saunderson, attend one of our many Adventure Skills training courses or you have any queries please don’t hesitate to give us a shout at Castlesaunderson@scouts.ie

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The Phoenix Challenge 2015The first information pack for The Phoenix Challenge has been issued this week. This has been done earlier this year as I believe issuing these guidelines will help counties in the planning of their own County Challenges. The idea here is not to dictate how counties should run their own activities but to give an idea of what will be expected of patrols so they can adequately prepare for the activity. County competitions are a great opportunity for troops to send a number of patrols to camp with limited interaction with their Scouters for the weekend.

For Scout sections to participate in The Phoenix Challenge they must first take part in a county

pre qualifier. These are a great opportunity for scouts from across the county to come together, share ideas, make friends and test their skills. I would ask you as the County CPC to ensure that groups get this opportunity to participate in a county challenge in order to have the opportunity to attend the Phoenix Challenge if they so wish.

If you require any assistance with the planning, programme or criteria for your county challenge please do not hesitate to contact me. I would like to see patrols from every county at this years activity.

The Phoenix Challenge 2015 Information Pack can be downloaded from HERE

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10th Tipp live update from woods

22ú Dún na nGall, Gaoth Dobhair ag déanamh cácaí

Rice Krispies anocht

Kilcock Scouts climbing Slieve Donard

Foxford scouts go backwoods

Eoghan and Jagz

Out and About with Scouting

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4th Louth hiking in the

Mournes

Rathcormac Venture Scouts who attended the Venture Ball 2014

Roverway 2016

St pauls Scouts on

Comeragh Mountain

Out and About with Scouting

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St michaels Belfast Sack Race

Out and About with Scouting

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Out and About with Scouting

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Intention to Organise an

International Camp

My team and I have been further considering how we can provide support

to sections planning to take part in an International Camp.

As I’m sure you realise, there are many aspects to consider when planning

an International Camp and to assist you with this we have developed a

resource ‘Countdown to International Summer Camp’…

To download this full notice please click here

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International News

World Triennial Plan 2014-2017

In line with the request expressed by the 40th World Scout Conference, the World Scout Committee is pleased to present the final World Triennial Plan 2014-2017, titled “Forward Together. Towards Impact and Growth”. This document details the plan itself, its relation with Vision 2023 and how the work will be organized to deliver on what has been set out.

To download the Plan Click here

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Jim Goulding RIP – A Big Loss to

Cork Scouting

The very recent death of Jim Goulding at the age of 73 has left a void in

Cork Scouting. The very large attendance on the removal last Monday

evening from Sullivan’s Funeral Home to the Church of the Immaculate

Conception has indicative of his popularity with scout leaders coming from

the three provinces of the Republic.

Again on Tuesday for the Requiem Mass with Chief Concelebrant Fr.

Edward O’Callaghan O.F.M. (cousin) along with quite a number of other

always carried a measuring tape to see what shelf he could put up next. Various symbols depicting the things important in his life were brought to the alter including ‘The Scout Trail’

The scouts of Mr. Goulding’s own troop the 2nd Cork provided the guard of honour at the various stages. They were impeccable in their turnout was most impressive. At the graveside at St. James Cemetery. Chetwynd the Fellowship Group laid the gone home sign and his grandson, a Venture Scout with the 55th Cork (Carrigaline) laid the middle stone and the Fellowship group sang ‘When you come to the end of a Boy Scouts Day’

Jim Goulding has been passionate about everything he ever did in Scouting since joining as a young Macaoimh of the 2nd Cork (South Parish) in the late 1940’s. At that time the South Parish scouts were based in Blackamore Lane in the old Friary at the back of the former fire station, Sullivan’s Quay. Enjoying all that was good about the outdoor life in scouting, he loved the summer camps. Especially in the 1950’s when very few families had the luxury of a summer holiday

concelebrants who were former scouts and chaplains. Before the Mass started Mr. Goulding’s son James spoke about his fathers life and the fun they had when he was growing up. There is no doubt that whilst his family came first, scouting was certainly a close second and it was not surprising to find that the entire family were involved in either Scouting or Guiding He mentioned his love of the Irish Language and how proud he always was to wear the Fáinne. A handyman at heart he could turn his hand to anything and

and those in scouting really felt privileged. Jim was to go on to be appointed Scout Leader of the 2nd Cork in the early 1960’s taking over from his very good friend and Scoutmaster John Scannell.

It was to his great delight that through his dedication and training he saw his troop go on and win the Diocesan Shield in 1966 and then went on to win the coveted ‘Melvin’ All Ireland Scoutcraft Competition in the same year. The fact that there was no ‘Melvin’ competition in 1967 due to the holding of the first National Camp of CBSI at Lismore, the troop got to retain the trophy for a second year. Over the years he received many awards from Scouting, culminating the Order of the Silver Wolfhound, which is the highest accolade that can be bestowed on a Scout Leader.

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time job he continued to work as a volunteer in scouting. In fact it has been said and well known that he never stopped working. It was not at all uncommon for him to receive phone calls into the late night and on weekends from groups in the Southern Province looking for his help and advice. There was no such a thing as a 40 hour week in Scouting, for our Jim.

Jim had a varied working career with Cork Shoe Company, the Eagle Printing works before taking you full time employment in Scouting. First as manager of the scout shop in McCurtain Street, he went on to take up appointment as Southern Field support officer. In that post, where he worked for over twenty years, he not alone had his day

Jim Goulding was a very meticulous man when it came to records. The neatness of all the books associated with the 2nd Cork are a credit to his memory. Whether it was the roll book, records or log book, he took great pride in them and now they are indeed a legacy that he has left behind. It was not surprising then that he was the instigator of the records room at Friary Hall on upper Doyle Road. With the help of a small band of like minded people like Con Sheehan and Frank Looney, he set about converting the old stage into a very fine records room which will long stand to his memory and foresight. He was always very proud as Scoutmaster of the 2nd Cork when they won the ‘Melvin’ All-Ireland Scoutcraft Competition in 1966 and a photograph of the team hangs proudly today in the records room.

Jim was also a very active member of the Cork Fellowship Group and I remember him telling me with a smile on his face that when the late Wally McGrath asked him to join the group, which was then know as

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the Veteran group, he told him he was too young to join. He received many accolades over the years culminating in the Order of the Silver Wolfhound which is the highest honour that could be bestowed on a Scout Leader in CBSI for exceptional services rendered to the association.

Scouting Ireland extends deepest sympathy to his wife Margaret and his children, Ann, Claire, James, Nicola, Emer, Nessa and extended family. He has gone Home and may he rest in peace.

‘MELVIN’ ALL-IRELAND WINNERS 1966

North Eastern Training Day

A great night was had by 66th Cork (Aghada) Sea Scout Group on Monday night last with the investiture of 38 new Beaver Scouts into the group. It was also great to see five new leaders willing to give of their time and making the promise of commitment as they were invested as well. The group has grown from strength to strength in the lower harbour area and membership is now closed until next September.

Group leader Paul Walsh has now continued a tradition with the investing of his son Ronan in the Beaver Scouts and he joins Ben

who was already invested in Scouts and his son Eoghan in the Cub Scouts. Paul was also involved in Mayfield Scout group in the 1990’s and has a wealth of scouting skill knowledge to pass onto Agheda.

At the end of the ceremony Kevin Leyne thanked the parents and the leaders for their commitment and support over the year and there was a special presentation to Melissa O’ Neill for her time as section leader. All are looking forward to a very active programme in 2015.

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Aghada Sea Scouts Invested

Province News

Gasra an Chaislean, 5th Carlow Investiture

Pack Investiture 6th December 2014

The Dolmen monument was used by Castle Pack 5th Carlow Town for

their Investiture on 6th December. The Cubs were in the land of the Celts

on their journey and it was fitting the monument was used. To add to the

occasion all came dressed as Celts

to Aoife Tiernan. This award took Aoife one year to complete and was presented by Kevin Murphy County Commissioner, Carlow / Kilkenny Scout County.

After the ceremony all went back to the Scout den for a feast and merriment (games) which continued into the next day where all stayed overnight in the den

Hopefully thousands of years ago the Dolmen was used for the same purpose as a Scout Investiture i.e.

Welcome new members into the Family (Pack)

Acknowledging what members have achieved (badges) 10 new members along with two new Scouters Dolour’s Mc Cann and Vincent Murphy were Invested into the Pack at the ceremony conducted by Cub Leader Marie Therese Byrne. A Special award (The Chief Scout Award) was given

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Province News

Bishopstown Scout Group, 43rd/70th

Cork. Group Investiture and Chief Scout

Award Presentation.

On the evening of the 22nd of December Bishopstown Scout Group

gathered for our Group Investiture and Chief Scout Award Presentation.

The night began at 6:45pm with a moment’s reflection in memory of Jim

Goulding a Scout leader in the neighbouring Scout Group the 2nd Cork

who had passed away peacefully. There was then a Scouts Own which

lasted ten minutes. This was a reflection by all our youth members on

the last twelve months. Each section contributed to the Scout Own with

reflections and Scout Prayers being read.

each Scouts understanding of the meaning of his/her promise.” The Beaver Scouts (6-9 years old) and the Cub Scouts/Macaoimh (9-11 years old) were invested in pairs. The Scouts (11-15 years old) and the Ventures (15-17 years old) were invested singularly.

The evening continued with the presentation of the Chief Scout Awards. The Chief Scout Award is a set of challenges set down by the Chief Scout. The award is very tough to achieve with very few Scouts completing and receiving the award each year. On the night we were delighted to have three Chief Scout Awards to be presented. Richard Crowley received the Beaver Scout Award and this was presented by Sheila McCarthy who is a member of the National Beaver Team. Una O’Regan presented the Chief Scout Award to Mark Lingwood and Peter Walsh two Venture Scouts. The Chief Scout Award consists of four separate challenges, the first being an expedition, the second being achieving certain levels in three adventure skills, the third being an environmental challenge and the forth is organising an intercultural

The next part of the evening was the Group Investiture. Scouts from all sections were invested. An investiture is where a Scout formally becomes a member of the Scouting Movement. Each member makes a promise to uphold the values of Scouting Ireland and to live by the Scout Law. As each member is making his/her promise they take hold of the flag. The Chief Scout in his speech later commented that “the promise is unique to each member, its importance is in

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Province News

event. The adventure skills are hillwalking, paddling, rowing, sailing, camping, backwoods, first aid, air skills and pioneering. The award becomes more challenging as Scout becomes older and moves onto the more senior sections. Completion of the Venture Chief Scout Award entitles Peter and Mark to the Silver Gaisce Award.

for the first time in 9 years. John Spillane and David O’Neill were presented with recognition certs for their service with the Venture Scout Section over

the last year. On the night there was a small presentation to Matthieu RanVdv a French Scout who has been very active in the group since last July. Matthieu is now returning to France having completed his Erasmus in CIT, as a small gesture David O’Neill presented Matthieu

The night concluded with a speech from the chief Scout who thanked all leaders for the thousands of volunteer man hours put in in Bishopstown Scouts over the last 12 months. He pointed out the importance of local Scouting and congratulated the troop on being able to support all five sections. The chief then presented the Phoenix pendant to the Scout Section who made it to Scouting Irelands National Camp craft competition

Scout County and Peter and Marks Chief Scout mentor), and Barry Crowley (Lee Valley County Beaver co-coordinator) for their attendance on the night. The group would also like to thank the 100 parents and Scouts in attendance on the night and wishes everyone a happy new year.

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Province News

with a copy of the Scouting Trail which is contains all the Scout Skills from knots to map reading. The night ended with the playing of a video of the last twelve months which was prepared by Lydia O’Connor a Rover Scout in the group. The group looks forward to continuing the adventure in 2015. Bishopstown Scouts would like to thank Michael John Shinnick (Chief Scout of Scouting Ireland), Colin Heas (County Commissioner of Lee Valley Scout County), Una O’Regan (County Commissioner Cork South

Carol Service at St. Finbarre’s

All the various age groups in Scouting from the Cork South County along

with parents were present at St. Fin Barre’s Cathedral for a Carol Service

prior to Christmas.

All the young people came bearing Christmas gifts suitably wrapped

marked with the appropriate age group for distribution to needy families

around Cork this Christmas. There is no doubt that as the children helped

to wrap the presents at home that their parents would have explained

the true meaning of Christmas and how important it was to help those less well off than themselves.

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Province News

12 Days of Christmas Cubs Song

On the 12th Day of Christmas my Scouter promised me:12 Cubs are Camping,11 Leaders laughing,10 fires burning,9 smores are cooking,8 lightweight tents,7 seconders swimming,6 happy sixers,5 camping beads, (*)4 dirty pots,3 nice meals,2 warm socks,an adventure camp by the sea.

(*) Camping beads are used in all sections in 5th Kildare Clane, from 2014. For every camp attended you can get 1 bead, labelled with year and camp name. They are made by Scouters and Friends.

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Province News

If we build it ..........W

e’ll have Fun

What happens when you mix a bag of sisal, some wooden poles and a few

scouts from 98th Skerries? Well a 15 foot high tower of course.

Well it started as a 6 inch high bamboo model made at our regular weekly

meeting “wouldn’t it be fun to make a big version of this“ they said. Well

no sooner said than done. Plans were made, wood checked the den

booked. So on Saturday night we met at the den at 7pm and finalised the

plan. The design was tested with 6ft spars, and the senior scouts made

sure the younger scouts knew their lashings before attempting the real

project.

But planning is hard work. So for a break we went to the cinema, the hunger games it was a great movie, all agreed, even if most of them had seen it before. With an early start on Sunday morning work began with Dayna, Eva, Hannah and Lauren working on one side of tower, while Shane, Dan, Connell and Jamie worked on the other. How to tie large poles together you need to use the human body’s biggest muscle “the brain “. Working in teams of two each side took shape, square lashings pulled tight, so tight that Dan was able to break the sisal putting his back into it. With sore hands all-round the poles started to look like a tower. With ropes secure it was pulled into position and bingo ONE TOWER , ONE GREAT PHOTO AND ONE GREAT DAY!!!!

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Province News

13th Cork, Kanturk Cubs

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Province News

A visit to Mizen

New Years Day Hike

Malahide Beaver Scouts

Yep it’s that big Fatman again Santa claus who paid the Friday beavers a supprise visit in the Scout den after their Carol Singing. All the Beaver Scouts had been very good during the year and Santa had a selection box for each of them to keep them going until he gets to them sometime on Christmas eve.

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Province News

Climbing on New Years Day

New Years Day on Mullaghanish

Portmarnock New Scout Den

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Province News

Rathcormac Head to the Hills Peace Light arrives at Train Station, Waterford

The Rathcormac Venture Scouts decided to burn off some of the Turkey &

Ham after the Christmas period and headed off to the Galtees to start the

New Year. The weather wasn’t on their side as it was foggy and the map

reading and compass work was required to navigate the mountain. It was

also very windy, enabling them to lean into the wind without falling over.

There was a small amount of snow on the top of the mountain and Luke O’

Sullivan built a snowman while we stopped for a bit to eat. It was a good

way to see in the New Year.

Peace Light arrives at Plunkett Train Station, Waterford on the 19th December and handed over to scouts and cubs from Sacred Heart and St Pauls. It was then presented to Fr. Melody PP of Sacred Heart Church and then distributed to scout groups around the county and also Polish Scouts from Waterford and Wexford.

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Province News

Threefold award Celebration for 25th

Limerick, St.Oliver Plunkett, Shannon Banks.

After almost a year of hard work and activities with great support from all

Cub leaders, Six cubs from 25th Limerick St.Oliver Plunkett, Shannon

Banks Cub Pack were presented with their Chief Scout award by Angela

O’Sullivan. Eoin, Darragh, Adam, Nessa, Cian and Ben were involved

in Community clean-ups, Backwoods activities, Camping, Pioneering,

Hiking, First Aid, Kayaking, stone picking, planting as well as improving on

Personal interests.

the day. They had great fun and a fantastic experience.

The third celebration of the evening saw Angela O’Sullivan present a well-deserved award in recognition of twenty six years’ service with St.Oliver Plunkett Cubs, Shannon Banks to Doris Ryan.

The evening of 18th December was a threefold celebration. The second of which was the awarding of the Limerick County Cub Challenge trophy to our winning Patrol. This years challenge involved the Cubs having to pitch tents, construct three pioneering gadgets, cook a meal, show knowledge of First Aid and map reading amongst other skills. Jessica, Ben N, Sam, Eoin, Darragh, Ben S, Michael and John along with the leaders put in a lot of preparation learning new scouting skills which paid off on

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Province 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 this 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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January 2015

Contacts