Official Launch of ‘30th Galway AbbeyDuniry Scout Group’
‘30th Galway AbbeyDuniry Scout Group’was officially launched on Monday May 31st . The celebration took place at Abbey Hall. A large crowd gathered to mark this special occasion. Representatives from Scouting Ireland attended including Brian Webster - Regional Commisioner, Noel Leahy - County Comissioner, Sean Greene - Chairperson County Mgmt Board, Joe Doherty - Regional Scouting Officer and Danny Hebberman - Group Support Facilitator. From 10th Galway Portumna, Dick Ridge Regional Training Officer, Brendan Murray Beaver County Co-Ordinator and Ultan Hynes Group Leader attended. Group Leader Danny McGinley attended from Killimor Scout Group. Apologies from Clare Larkin - Eyrecourt Group Leader.
It has taken a lot of commitment and hard work to get this group up and running. It was a proud moment for all involved to reach this milestone. Thankfully the rain held off for long enough, so that the children could enjoy cooking sausages on a campfire. It was a traditional scouting evening where bales of hay circled the campfire and provided the ideal setting.
Inside the hall we learnt how this scout group started up. In 2007 a local parent Mary Hynes made a phonecall to Brendan Murray to get her son into Portumna Scouting Group. Following a long telephone conversation and much enthusiastic encouragement from Portumna Scout Group - the seeds were sown for scouting in AbbeyDuniry.
Six interested parents attended a meeting in response to a notice in the Abbey Duniry Newsletter. This was the first of many meetings with Brendan Murray. He guided the group successfully over the subsequent months. Initially Abbey Duniry was set up as a satellite group of Portumna Scouts and are indebted to them for there success to date.
Three years later two Sections are now active. With the support of Ultan Hynes from Portumna Scout Group a Cub Section was started up. Now there are 24 Beaver Scouts enrolled between the ages of 6 - 9 yrs and 16 Cub Scouts between the ages of 9 - 12yrs.
Beavers
Cubs
Leaders
Abbey Duniry Community
A positive outcome from Scouting is the raising of Community Awareness amongst the young scouters. This lead to their involvement with Abbey Tidy Towns and the production of a mural in Abbey village. The Beavers and Cub scouts participated in carol singing at Abbey and Duniry churches, which brought a festive atmosphere thro the community.
Thanks to the local community for all their support and help in both fundraising and in organising local activities throughout the last three years.
‘One Programme’
Scouting Ireland has introduced a new youth ‘One Programme’ for all young scouters aged between 6 and 21 years of age. Abbey Duniry Scout Group is introducing this programme in September.
The new programme seeks to bring a few things to the fore in all age Sections:
The Scout Method: the way the young people work together when involved in Scouting activities and events. It comprises of 8 parts: code of conduct (Promise & Law), learning by doing, adventure in the outdoors & indoors, small group working system supported by adults, opportunities for leadership & teamwork, progressive development, service & commitment, symbolic framework;
At the core of the Scout Method in the new programme is a single system for personal progression from start to finish: referred to as the scouts Personal Journey;
A revised set of Adventure Skills which builds skills and knowledge from a basic level up to an advanced level in 9 skills areas: Camping, Hill walking, Pioneering, Emergencies, Backwoods, Sailing, Rowing, Paddling, Air activities;
There are also Special Interest Badges to allow scouts to be recognised for their pastimes, and a Chief Scouts Award in each Section which is aligned to the Presidents Award and The Duke of Edinburgh Award for the older Sections (15 plus)
Abbey Duniry Scout Group is now reorganising its current team of adult leaders to allow them to operate the Beaver & Cub Sections successfully. Anyone interested in volunteering please contact any of the above Leaders.
The new programme will mean a more varied and active programme for the Group and they are looking forward to implementing it over the coming months.
Group Council
Earlier this year Abbey Duniry Scout Group Council was set up:
Group Leader: Mary Keegan Hynes
Section Beaver Leader: Ger Shiel
Section Cub Leader: Rosaleen Robinson
Secretary: Rose Connaire (Parent)
Treasurer: Anne Power (Parent)
Reps from Parents & Friends Group: Deirdre Larkin & Anne- Marie Geraghty
New Programme Officer: Rose McDonagh
Enrolment Officer: Shane O’Kelly
Quartermasters: Padraig O’ Brien & Pat Donohue
Leader Training Officer: Ann Coen
Spiritual Leader: Fr. John Hickey
We thank all our Leaders, our young Beavers, our Cubs, Parents and our community for supporting us over the past three years and we look forward to continuing to have lots more fun and adventures with both Beavers and Cubs in the years ahead!