Caherdavin Scouts

National Cub Scout Challenge Day

clonmackencubs — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 20:23:17 +0000

The Group would like to wish the6 boys representing the Clonmacken Cub pack the very best next Sunday February 26th in their quest for National glory at the National Cub Scout Challenge Day being held in Maynooth.The team is as follows Cillian Hickey,Sean Long,Dean Carey, Niall Barrett,Robin Ryan Blake and Joey Hempenstal.

DETAILS FOR THE BOYS ARE AS FOLLOWS

Meet 6-45am at the Scout Hall next Sunday February 26th

Full Uniform must be worn

Bring packed lunch

Parents will be contact on the way home to let you know what time we will be back at the Scout Hall

Some recommended reading can be found here

Clonmacken Cubs Cratloe Hike

clonmackencubs — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 20:17:09 +0000

The cub pack held a very successful hike in Cratloe Woods on Sunday February 19th.We had 16 cubs and 2 Leaders plus 2 other unit members who were a great help on the day.We started our hike at the Meelick Gate and proceeded to the Sand pit first where all the boys had a ball.We then carried on up the trail to the lake.Throughout the hike the boys had a chance to map read,Lead a section of the hike,Compass work as well as having good fun.We finished our hike at the new play area at the Cratloe gate where everyone had a great time.

A big thank you to Barry Kennedy who helped us out big time today as well as Unit members Daniel Brislane and Frank McDonagh who also helped out.

This was a most enjoyable day helped greatly by the great weather.

Pictures of this event can be found at https://picasaweb.google.com/105355496522232224733/ClonmackenCubsCratloeHike2012

Upcoming events (Scouts)

caherdavinscouts — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 21:08:13 +0000

Here are the details of the next three Scout activities.

County Backwoods Overnight

This will take start at 10am on Saturday 24^th March and finish 2pm on Sunday 25^th March in the Curraghchase Scout Centre. The cost is €12 per scout and this must be paid by Wednesday 29^th February. The programme for this event includes challenges (building a shelter for the night, catching fish) and workshops (lighting fire by friction, wood carving and water purification. The aim is to cover the skills necessary for the Backwoods Adventure Skill up to level 3.

Camping Overnight

We will be holding a camping overnight in Curraghchase Scout Centre on April 14^th/15^th. During this event we will cover the skills required for the Camping and Pioneering Adventure Skills badges as well as preparing for the County Shield. The cost is €12 per scout and this must be paid by Wednesday 4^th April.

County Shield

The County Shield is an annual competition for Patrols in Limerick Scout County and tests the Scouts’ skills in a wide range of areas such as campcraft, pioneering, cooking, first aid, navigation and more. The Shield will take place in Copeswood College, Pallaskenry on May 5^th-7^th. The cost is €32 per scout and this must be paid by Wednesday 25^th April. The Shield is a team effort and we would ask all Scouts to take this on board.

If you have any questions, please contact the Scout Leaders.

Our Scouts make headlines in Iceland

caherdavinscouts — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 11:47:40 +0000

The following article was taken from MBL an Icelandic newspaper. I’ve run it through Google Translate so its a tad difficult to follow. Thanks to Rupert from the European Scout Region for bringing this to my attention - Baz

Tent flew down from the Irish tax

Irish team participating in the Winter Challenge in Iceland. mbl.is

A group of Icelandic and Irish Scouts a youth had to pull himself up in the middle of last night when one of four hóptjalda flew down from the waterfall near the lake. However, the scouts were all ready and touched the rotation, took the tents down and went to Útilíf Center for scouts at the lake, where they received shelter.

The group consists of fifteen Irish Scouts and as many of their peers from Icelandic Scouts and youth Rescue.Ireland in this country to participate in the Winter Challenge Cream, which is held 12 to 19. February. Winter is a challenge to deal with the Icelandic winter, scores of himself and gain skills in outdoor activities. Chosen from among the applicants, but a large number were participating in this week long expedition. Irish scouts came to the country on Sunday last and the participants stayed at the lake last few days, deal with the challenges of outdoor life, working in groups, go to hópeflisleiki and set up a tent.

Today the group will walk from the lake to the old Scout pavilions at the edge of Hellisheidi, which gives teenagers the opportunity to go skiing and learn about Icelandic nature.

“It is of course a great experience for Irish teenagers to travel on Icelandic nature, but also a unique opportunity for the Icelandic teenagers get to share this experience with foreign scouts from their siblings and see the country through the eyes of Irish tax,” he said Finnbogason, project winter challenge. ”There is a lot placed on cooperation and working classes,” adds Gudmundur added, “but that gives teenagers the opportunity to learn to work with others, regardless of language and nationality.”

Irish scouts go home on Sunday, but is that Icelandic Scouts go on such a movement to Ireland in the coming years.

Explorer Belt

caherdavinscouts — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 23:21:01 +0000

I’m putting this up so our current Venture Scouts and Rover Scouts can see what’s involved in the Explorer Belt – baz.

The Scouting Ireland 2012 Explorer Belt will be based over The Brittany & Western Loire Region. As well as being a physical, mental and personal challenge, the aim of the Explorer Belt is to get to know different cultures.

Members of the Expedition Team are currently revising the manual “How to get the most out of YOUR Explorer Belt”, this booklet will be distributed to all applicants following registration.

The basic elements of the Scouting Ireland 2012 Explorer Belt are as follows

1. Ten to twelve days of traveling covering a minimum of 300km of countryside through towns and villages

2. 200km must take place by hiking, and an additional 100km may be traveled using certified public transport

3. Keeping a log of your journey and experiences

4. Completing a number of compulsory projects and challenges assigned to you by the Expedition Team

5. Living on a limited budget

The way in which you carry out these challenges is as important as completing them. Over the course of the 2012 Explorer Belt you and your team mate must do your personal best and demonstrate that you have done so through the Scouting Method and in line with the Scout Law & Scout Promise.

The destination is The Brittany & Western Loire Region, but you will not know what area until you arrive. You will however be given further detail of the destination at the time of the Compulsory Training Weekend [Friday 6^th – Monday 9^th April 2012] (Venue will be confirmed upon receipt of applications). Once in the country, you and your partner will have ten – twelve days to reach base camp from your drop-off point while completing the necessary elements of the challenge.

A comprehensive training programme will be provided in which you must partake [failure to partake will result in you not being permitted to take part in the expedition]. The date for the compulsory training weekend is Friday 6^th – Monday 9^th April 2012. There may also be an additional half day workshop in May/June – dates to be confirmed.

Information / Communication Process Overview

Regarding the initial Information Meetings (at which you will be required to bring a home contact/family member), the Expedition Team will go through the organising of the expedition in particular covering health & safety measures while on the road. Regular contact will also be made through postal/email correspondence prior to departure (to a nominated family member). Following the day of departure, the nominated family contact will be sent a detailed letter giving details of base camp and the route overview along with contact numbers at which the Expedition Team can be contacted.

For the safety of all involved there will be regular contact between the teams and the Expedition Team Staff, details of how this will work will be discussed at the Information Meetings. Via this regular contact during the expedition, Family members can pass on messages from home if required. The Expedition Team will always be available to come out to teams at any time they are requested.

The Explorer Belt is not easy from a physical point of view but with plenty of preparation and training, it is an achievable goal. It is important that family members and Venture Scout and Rover Scout Leaders support the participants in every way possible through the preparation process.

Payment Schedule

The cost of the expedition is anticipated to be in the region of € 850.00 per participant – however please note that this will not be confirmed until Friday 24^th February 2012.

The typical (yet to be confirmed) payment scheme below will be applicable to all applicants.

a) € 150.00 Deposit 09.03.2012 [amount to be confirmed 24.02.2012]

b) € 250.00 Installment 30.03.2012 [amount to be confirmed 24.02.2012]

c) € 250.00 Installment 27.04.2012 [amount to be confirmed 24.02.2012]

d) € 200.00 Installment 25.05.2012 [amount to be confirmed 24.02.2012]

Sterling conversion to be confirmed 24.02.2012

All participants must be available for the training weekend and workshop. All payments must be made in accordance with the payment schedule above (cheques/postal orders/bank drafts) to be made payable to Scouting Ireland); failure to do so may result in you losing your place.

If you are interested, sign-up for what will be one of the most challenging, rewarding and enjoyable experiences of your life by sending in the Generic Booking [available from www.scouts.ie/events] along with the deposit of € 150.00 by the 9^th March 2012 to:

National Events Team

Scouting Ireland

National Office

Larch Hill

Dublin 16

On receipt of your deposit you will be forwarded further detail regarding the payments schedule, training weekend & information meetings.

Stipulations

You and your partner must be 18 at the time of the Explorer Belt’s departure
You and your partner must be 20 or under on the 31^st August 2012
You and your partner must be an active and registered Rover Scout in Scouting Ireland at the time of application
You and your partner must have experience of camping and serious walking
You both must be comfortable with spending ten to twelve days on the road as a team
You will have to carry all you need on your back, plan your own route back to base camp and provide for yourselves from your limited budget.
Single applications are welcome and the National Events Team will endeavor to pair you with a suitable partner.
Where mixed gender teams are entered / formed please read NE6 [available from www.scouts.ie/events]

Pick your partner well! You will have to spend every waking and sleeping minute with this person, on all aspects of the Explorer Belt you are expected to work as a team, so whom you go with is very important. You should also do as much training together before you go as possible as this will help you to work better as a team.

Explorer Belt Criteria

Explorer Belt Participant

Venture Scout Challenge

caherdavinscouts — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 23:12:34 +0000

The Scouting Ireland 2012 Venture Scout Challenge will be based over The British Isles. As well as being a physical, mental and personal challenge, the aim of the Venture Scout Challenge is explore your “own” culture and “other” cultures.

Members of the Expedition Team are currently revising the manual “How to get the most out of YOUR Challenge Expedition”, this booklet will be distributed to all applicants following registration.

The basic elements of the Scouting Ireland 2012 Venture Scout Challenge are as follows

1. Five Days on the Road

a. Meet in Dublin as Group

b. Travel through the British Isles – where you will be dropped off to undisclosed locations in teams – Day ONE Commences

c. Carry out the challenges 2 – 8 as listed below

d. At the end of Day FIVE meet back at base camp as a team

2. Work Together as a Team

a. Complete a number of prescribed projects as a team

b. Complete a number of personal challenges defined by you the individual

3. Walk 100km in total on foot

4. Utilise in an addition 100km of a public transport allowance (max 20km journey per day)

5. Carry all your belongings

6. Complete a major physical challenge

7. Survive on a Limited Budget

8. Take part in post-expedition Assessments

9. Achieve the Challenge Badge, Certificate and the infamous Expedition award – the Challenge Woggle!

The way in which you carry out these challenges is as important as completing them. Over the course of the Expedition you and your team-mate must do your personal best and demonstrate that you have done so through the Scouting Method and in line with the Scout Law & Scout Promise.

A comprehensive training programme will be provided in which you must partake [failure to partake will result in you not being permitted to take part in the expedition]. The date for the compulsory training weekend is Friday 6^th – Sunday 8^th April 2012. There may also be an additional half day workshop in May/June – dates to be confirmed.

Information / Communication Process Overview

Regarding Parental / Guardian communications, the Expedition Team will go through the organising of the expedition in particular covering health & safety measures while on the road. Regular contact will also be made through postal correspondence prior to departure. Following the day of departure, parents / guardians will be sent a detailed letter giving details of base camp and the route overview along with contact numbers at which the Expedition Team can be contacted.

For the safety of all involved there will be regular contact between the teams and the Expedition Team Staff, details of how this will work will be discussed at the Information Meetings. Via this regular contact during the expedition, Parents/ Guardians can pass on messages from home if required. The Expedition Team will always be available to come out to teams at any time they are requested.

The Venture Scout Challenge is not easy from a physical point of view but with plenty of preparation and training, it is an achievable goal. It is important that Parents / Guardians and Venture Scout Leaders support the participants in every way possible through the preparation process.

Payment Schedule

The cost of the expedition is anticipated to be in the region of € 390.00 per participant – however please note that this will not be confirmed until Friday 24^th February 2012.

The typical (yet to be confirmed) payment scheme below will be applicable to all applicants.

a) € 140.00 Deposit 09.03.2012 [amount to be confirmed 24.02.2012]

b) € 125.00 Installment 30.03.2012 [amount to be confirmed 24.02.2012]

c) € 125.00 Installment 27.04.2012 [amount to be confirmed 24.02.2012]

Sterling conversion to be confirmed 24.02.2012

All participants must be available for the training weekend and workshop. All payments must be made in accordance with the payment schedule above; failure to do so may result in you losing your place.

If you are interested, sign-up for what will be one of the most challenging, rewarding and enjoyable experiences of your life by sending in the Generic Booking & the form NE4 [available from www.scouts.ie/events] along with the deposit of € 140.00 by the 9^th March 2012 to:

National Events Team

Scouting Ireland

National Office

Larch Hill

Dublin 16

On receipt of your deposit you will be forwarded further detail regarding the payments schedule, training weekend & information meetings.

Stipulations

1. You and your partner must be 15 at the time of the Challenge departure

2. You and your partner must be 18 or under on the 31^st August 2012

3. You and your partner must be an active and registered Venture Scout in Scouting Ireland at the time of application

4. You and your partner must have experience of camping and serious walking

5. You both must be comfortable with spending five to seven days on the road as a team

6. You will have to carry all you need on your back, plan your own route back to base camp and provide for yourselves from your limited budget.

7. Single applications are welcome and the National Events Team will endeavor to pair you with a suitable partner.

8. Where mixed gender teams are entered / formed please read NE6 [available from www.scouts.ie/events]

Pick your partner well! You will have to spend every waking and sleeping minute with this person, on all aspects of the Venture Scout Challenge you are expected to work as a team, so whom you go with is very important. You should also do as much training together before you go as possible as this will help you to work better as a team.

Venture Scout Challenge Criteria

Venture Scout Challenge Participant

Cub Event Rescheduled

caherdavinscouts — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 23:09:05 +0000

Due to a lack of Leaders we have cancelled our trip to Curraghchase this Sunday February 19th 2012 for Founders Day. The €2 PAID FOR THIS EVENT WILL BE RETURNED NEXT TUESDAY

Instead we have decided to go to Cratloe for the day. We will be meeting this Sundauy 19th Feb at 12pm at the Meelick Gate. We will finish at 4pm at the Cratloe gate. Please bring a packed lunch, old clothes and wet gear. If you son is involved in rugby and is going to be late please let us know and we can arrange to meet him at a different time

Crean Challenge Expedition

caherdavinscouts — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:43:11 +0000

The 23rd Limerick would like to wish our three Scouts Andrew O’Neill, Conor Hempenstall and Michael Quigley who will be setting off on their Icelandic Adventure at the weekend. Last August the three Scouts were selected to be part of the first ever Crean Challenge Expedition which is being run alongside the Icelandic Scout Association. Only 15 Scouts from across Ireland will be taking part in the expedition.

In September they met up with the Expedition Leaders and their fellow participants for a training weekend. The Patrols hiked from Castleconnell to the National Water Activity Centre in Killaloe where they made their way out to an Island and bivied for the night. A second training weekend was held in Dublin in Decemeber. At this weekend they got to meet Guðmundur Finnbogason from the Icelandic Scout Association and Brendan O’Brien, grandson of Tom Crean. A final meeting for each patrol was held in January. In between the training weekends, the participants had to go on several training hikes, keep a logbook of their preparations and work on personal challenges they had agreed with the Expedition Staff.

The Troop will depart Ireland and head for the Iceland where they will be challenged by the climate and terrain. Using the physical and mental training that they have completed in preparation for this Expedition they will overcome these challenges.

The initial few days of the trip will be a learning experience to allow them to familiarise themselves with some of the equipment that they will use throughout their Expedition including, Skies, Sledges and Safety Ropes. On top of this they will be shown how to build Snow Holes, Igloos and trek in the difficult snowy terrain.

They will then take part in a Two Day Expedition trekking to basic Mountain Huts high in the Iceland Mountains, spending a night in these basic lodges and returning to base camp the next day. The end of the event will involve a review and an assessment of the individual Scouts expedition and hopefully they will be awarded the Crean Challenge Expedition Award.

We would like to wish our 3 scouts, their fellow patrol members and the expedition staff the best of luck on their epic voyage and look forward to hearing their stories when they return.

Cub Sleepover

caherdavinscouts — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:23:00 +0000

Click to view slideshow.Clonmacken Cub pack held a very successful Sleepover at the Scout Hall on Saturday February 4th 2012.The boys took part in various activities during the sleepover such as Tent Pitching,Sleeping,Firelighting and Treasure Trail.It was 4-30am before the last cub fell asleep.All the boys were picked up after breakfast at the end of a successful night.A big thank you to Barry kennedy for his help throughtout the night

Beaver Investiture

caherdavinscouts — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:19:19 +0000

Congratulations to the 11 beavers and 2 scouters who were invested into the Scout Movement tonight. Thanks to all the parents who showed up and to Mike O’Halloran, Mary Geary and Ashley Lally for their help tonight. Congratulations also to James who is our latest “Beaver of the Month”. Certs and badges will be available when the Beavers resume meetings on February 20th.