Monthly Archives: April 2024

Scouting can be magic

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Okay, the recent weekend can hardly be described by anyone involved in Scouting as ‘magical’. But bear with me….

To quote the eminent scouter and lawyer Tom Clarke, there were no winners at the EGM. However to paraphrase the equally eminent scouter musician and business leader Pat Murphy, the members have made a decision and now the matter moves to the regulators investigating. In the meantime, most of us have actual Scouting work to do and its probably best if we can get on with it and try to remember as much as we can that we are all supposed to be on the same side….

In this vein, theirishscouter went into the vaults to resurrect an early article that felt like it might resonate with some members. It has been edited slightly to reflect the fact that it is now almost ten years old.

It references the work of the author JK Rowling, so if you’re not a fan this might be one to consider sitting out….

SCOUTING CAN BE MAGIC (first published in September 2014)

To those of us who are involved or have a history of involvement, Scouting can be enchanting.

Sometimes, the parallel with other types of magical activities can be striking….

Theirishscouter has been reacquainted with Harry Potter recently as the introduction to the joys of the Hogwarts Express, Professor Dumbledore et al has been effected to slightly bemused, albeit courteously attentive (most of the time), eight week old offspring.

In the midst of explaining the finer points of Diagon Alley and the vaults at Gringotts Bank to gurgling junior, the similarities between the fictional wizarding world of JK Rowling and the somewhat more real world of Scouting is once again starkly apparent.

Scouting, for those of us who are involved, is a sort of strange double life that we lead alongside our ‘normal’ existence, in much the same way as wizards and witches grapple with normality whenever they come into contact with the ‘muggle’ (non-magical) world.

PERCULIAR ATTIRE

We wear strange clothes. Yes, the uniform in current format is rather silly to some and regarded as haute couture by others, but we all wear a version of it. It makes us stand out in public. To get a sense of this, try wearing even a neckerchief on a tram or bus – try doing so in a café. You do get the occasional look – sometimes an admiring one, sometimes it is just a strange one.

The neckerchief, a piece of coloured material around our neck that might as well be a cloak, is distinctive and unique to our kind. Maybe ‘wand’ is a better comparison – all too often, a bunch of teens on a bus, in a cinema or on a forest trail draw negative vibes from the adult population in general. Upon sight of a neckerchief however, most skeptical looks melt into smiles – Reputational challenges of recent years aside, a group of scouts will still likely raise a fond reaction from the population at large and the neckerchief is by far the most recognisable indicator…

UNUSUAL PURSUITS

We do strange things. As a football enthusiast friend of theirishscouter once retorted to a comment on the futility of a bunch of scantily clad men chasing a piece of inflated pig skin around a field “sure ‘you lot’ climb all the way up a mountain, just to climb down the other side”. A point well made and the use of the term ‘you lot’ has echoes of Uncle Vernon.

We lie out in wet fields under a thin layer of material and light a fire to cook on, when there is a perfectly good bed (and stove) at home. We toil for months, years sometimes to gain proficiency in a subject that culminates in receipt of a piece of cloth to sew on to our uniform. The irish scouter once explained what was involved in earning the woodbadge, to a mildly bemused member of the Order of Malta. After the lengthy explanation, said companion summarized “and after all that, you get a string with a couple of pieces of wood on the end of it?” (worth it, in the irish scouters view of course…..)

UNCONVENTIONAL DESTINATIONS

We go to strange places. We travel by train, by boat, by coach, to remote locations where young people and adults alike have wonderful experiences and form firm friendships, and lifelong memories. The train leaves from platform 1 or 2, not 9 and a half, the coach is usually diesel powered, not drawn by a thestral, the boats don’t row themselves, but you get the idea….

DEDICATED EMPORIUMS

We have our own retail network. Yes, the Outdoor Adventure Store is a haven for outdoor enthusiasts of all types, but how many of these go ‘upstairs’ to the ‘Scout Shop’ (can non-scouting folk even see the staircase?). Was it merely a coincidence once upon a time during the days of the old CBSI ‘Scout Shop’ on Fownes Street in Temple Bar and the old SAI Supply Service on Leeson Street, that nobody outside Scouting circles ever seemed to know of or see these emporiums? Leaky Cauldron and Diagon Alley eat your heart out…..

OTHER QUESTIONS

Is the Phoenix sort of like Scouting’s equivalent of Quidditch?

Is the ‘Order of Cuchullain’ a bit like the ‘Order of the Phoenix’?

Are the four houses of Hogwarts equivalents of four different schools of thought on how Scouting should be run in Ireland?

Best to have less scouts but perfect and traditional in every way (in other words, no ‘mudbloods’) – all very Slytherin….

Challenge convention, push for change, courageous and loyal – sounds a bit like Gryffindor….

Champion kindness, focus on hard work, and be patient – It’s quite Hufflepuff…

Scouting has its fair share of ‘Ravenclaw’ types too (famed for intelligence, creativity, and wit)

Castle Saunderson could be Hogwarts, but so could Mount Mellary – sadly closed since the article was first written. (theirishscouter has a firm memory of being ‘up to no good’ late one night as a cub scout in the vast halls and corridors of Mount Mellary – alas without the benefit of a marauders map).

Larch hill could be Hogwarts too, surrounded by mysterious forests. Or Lough Dan on the edge of a deep, shimmering lake. Cut to one of the PL’s conjouring up a Patronus on the far side of Lough Dan, whilst wardens close in with sternly worded memo’s about being ‘out of bounds’.

Scouting also has it’s own hierarchy of personalities whom members tend to come into contact with over the course of the Scouting year…. Who is the Dumbledore equivalent in Scouting – towering integrity, kind and fair. Immensely powerful, but only using it for good. Not sure we have one of these anymore. Still, cometh the hour and all that….

Perhaps more entertainingly, who is the Minister of magic parallel – vain, self important, largely ineffective and reluctant to make courageous decisions, yet wielding power….

Contemplation of a village parallel for Lord Voldemort, the dark lord or ‘he who must not be named’ as the books description goes, might best be left to individual readers….

Like wizards, we in scouting squabble incessantly. The various schools of thought in the wizarding world are constantly at odds with each other and in some ways that is a good parallel with Scouting – we bicker amongst ourselves and expend vast amounts of energy that could frequently be channeled into things we in fact all agree on (we usually agree on 98% – we perhaps just have differing views on how to get there). Maybe that number is closer to 70% these days, but it is still high. Something to think about...

SECRET CODES

Scouting people are usually able to spot each other at 100 paces. We have unique methods with which to communicate with each other (a unique handshake, a secret sign, hundreds of emblems and logos and a whole vocabulary of terminology that would quickly highlight any impostor…)

Perhaps the strongest comparison between JK Rowling’s fictional world of Hogwarts and the world of Scouting however, is the endless pleasure and scope for personal growth and learning about themselves and others that Scouting delivers to young people.

Yes, the adults sometimes get carried away and some loose sight of the reason we are all supposed to be involved, but does that reduce the enjoyment of youth members – in most instances no – Scouting – in particular local Scouting works most of the time thanks to the Herculean efforts of heroic adults, some barely out of their teens, others well into their seventies and eighties and hundreds more in between. Sometimes, scouting also works in spite of adults.

Scouting can be magic and it is probably fair to say it enchants far more of us than it bewitches…

Lets hope we can find a way to keep it together.

Notes:

The eight week old baby referred to in this article is now a nine year old cub scout. He and his (Beaver Scout) sister are big fans of Harry Potter and are presently on Book 5. They are pretty big fans of Scouting too..

EXTRAORDINARY BY NAME

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The board of Scouting Ireland Services CLG has recently called an Extraordinary General Meeting. Another month, another crisis in National Scouting in Ireland.  

OUT WITH THE NEW..

The board are bringing two motions to the shareholders of the company. They have signalled they want the membership to accede to the removal of two of their colleagues on the board. The grounds for the removal centres on a number of (protected) disclosures, made by these two directors, to various external entities including the Children’s Committee of the Oireachtas, the Director of Corporate Enforcement and the Charities Regulator.

The disclosures seem to centre on concerns about standards of corporate governance, and alleged financial irregularities including the ability of the company Scouting Ireland Services CLG to continue to trade as a ‘going concern’. There have also been concerns expressed about safeguarding protocols and how these are implemented at national level.

The attempt by the board to dismiss this as squabbling about minor matters and allude to personality clashes looks a little like gaslighting. These are very serious allegations, made by people who appear to know quite a bit about corporate governance.

EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS

In addition, the concerns raised by Jacques Kinane and Don Reynolds have also attracted the attention of the Department of Children, the government department that funds Scouting Ireland to the tune of around €1.5m per year. These concerns are not being taken lightly by important, influential external stakeholders.

The two directors have made a statement to members via public forums/fora that confirm the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement has already commenced an investigation into Scouting Ireland and the investigation is presently ongoing.

As this article was being prepared for publication, a statement by Messrs Kinane and Reynolds has shown evidence of not one but TWO live investigations presently underway, by government bodies. The rest of the board contend that various requests for information have been made by these entities, but that there are no formal investigations underway. The documentation published by Mr Kinane would appear to contradict this.

THE NEED FOR A DIVERSE BOARD

A statement two weeks ago from Scouting Ireland Services CLG’s latest Chairman, Paul Mannion (now in his sixth year on the board), did not mention the wider matter of wanting to remove two directors – roughly 20% of the board. Mr Mannion does talk about the need for more directors and his desire to see a diverse board and one where all opinions matter. This is not the first time the board of Scouting Ireland or it’s representative(s) appear to say one thing, whilst feverish efforts take place behind the scenes to apparently do the complete opposite.

Do we want a diverse board where all opinions are welcome, or do we not? What exactly is the role of a director if it is not to ask questions, challenge performance and demand high standards?

CALL THE LAUNDRETTE

The boards official statement on this matter appears to fret about reputational damage to Scouting Ireland from (I’m paraphrasing) ‘washing dirty laundry in public’. The usual toadies for Scouting Ireland’s longest established clique are equally concerned about ‘making us look foolish’ in their waspish social media remarks. Is it conceivable that ship may have sailed some time ago?

It is precisely because the organisation and predecessor entities fought for years to cover up ‘dirty laundry’ that we have barely any national reputation left. Theirishscouter has been taken aback by just how low an opinion is held of Scouting Ireland in corporate, civil service and political circles at present. Issuing statements to ourselves proclaiming the contrary feels like quite an inadequate response to this.

Would it not be better to demonstrate integrity and be seen as open-minded and proactive when our own people raise genuine concerns? Otherwise, it feels like we are allowing history to repeat.

The (rest of the) board contend they have tried to engage positively with Messrs Kinane and Reynolds. The two directors argue they DID raise matters ad nauseum with the board and were told to (paraphrasing) go with the flow, comply, fit in with the prevailing narrative.

CANARIES IN THE COAL MINE?

Those arguments aside, the board of Scouting Ireland are in effect asking the membership to neutralise two volunteer Scouters who, having joined the board through an electoral process, are now raising questions – serious questions – about how the entity is run.

If one takes out the ‘he said, she said’ element (and this is a rather large part of the board’s rebuttal to the opening statement of the two directors) , the fact remains that two people with far more information than an average member have rung alarm bells and have gone so far as to not only raise issues of concern with external entities in government and quasi-governmental agencies, but have done so at great personal risk and cost. Why would not one, but two people go out on a limb to this extent?

Furthermore, government agencies do not react to rumours. Investigations are not initiated on the basis of in-fighting. Submissions are carefully screened. Thresholds of evidence must be met before resources are deployed.

A third director of Scouting Ireland who theirishscouter understands had also raised concerns, mysteriously resigned recently. Several other people who joined the board from inside (and most tellingly, outside) Scouting also appear to have left with rather indecent haste over the last 24 months. There may be perfectly logical reasons why most new directors leave and most of the longer serving directors remain, but it is starting to look like a pattern.

This feels like a seminal moment for Scouting Ireland. A moment to reflect on how we want the organisation to be run, how we want the organisation to be viewed in Irish society.

What happens if members reject the board’s request to remove these two directors?

Er, nothing happens.

Nothing, except the membership retains two people in key roles who are demanding higher standards and have the personal integrity to put the demands for those standards above their own personal interests.

Incidentally, there is no risk of a closure of Scouting Ireland, as some rather hyper proclamations from people who should know better, have suggested. It is really quite disappointing that the board itself has not moved to correct this nonsense.

If the membership supports the board position and agree to the removal of these two directors, diversity of opinion on the board and accountability in decision making will be set back considerably. In addition, if any external investigation finds evidence of governance breaches (or worse) inside Scouting Ireland, the entire membership will have been complicit in attempting to gloss over it. Think about that.

Ian Elliot used words like ‘complicit’ in his report in 2018.

Surely the entire board, if diversity and differences of opinion are truly valued (as Mr Mannion set out in his recent statement), should welcome the retention of these two valuable contributors and should work with them to raise standards?

The board is not a fellowship patrol (well, one hopes its not at any rate), so like any other corporate board, members do not have to like each other, or even have a great deal in common. They merely need to work out, as grown-ups often do, how to collaborate in order to best serve the interests of shareholders. Consensus is not always good on a board of directors.

A degree of positive friction keeps everyone honest and reduces the risk of power having a corrupting effect. This is not specific to Scouting Ireland, it is human nature. Removing people who advocate for positive change or challenge the prevailing narrative weakens an organisation and increases the risk of group think, governance lapses and worse.

When all is said and done, these two directors are just like us. They are volunteers. This treatment could be doled out to any member who speaks out of turn or raises a concern. Is this really the sort of organisation we want?

If external entities do their work and find nothing, these two directors have done the organisation some service by asking questions and testing the integrity of internal systems – that is part of the job of a director.

If on the other hand, the flags raised by these two individuals lead to serious breaches in governance being uncovered, the organisation will have an opportunity to tackle such breaches head on and will get to do so quickly, rather than another scandal festering under the surface for months, before inevitably exploding across the media with all the resultant catastrophic reputational damage.

Local Scouting’s reputation has held up extraordinarily well since 2018, despite the ongoing national melodrama. This weekend’s EGM will directly tie groups and members to the course of action taken from here.

Keeping these diligent, competent, courageous, no-nonsense directors in place is a win/win for Scouting Ireland. No, they are not in the approved clique who have run the organisation since 2018, nor have they complicitly warmed a seat and toed the line, but that is precisely why they are so valuable where they are.

Time for shareholders to decide.

NOTES

Theirishscouter would strongly advocate for a secret ballot to be formally requested on the day of the EGM. If requested by three shareholders at a properly convened meeting, this must be provided by law. As the board have rightly stated, it is very important that the votes at this meeting are not only fairly cast and accounted for, but they are SEEN to be so.

  • Protected disclosures and those making them are – as the name suggests – protected under the Protected disclosures (amendment) act 2022. It is an offense under Irish law to attempt to scapegoat, ostracise, intimidate or fire a person who makes a protected disclosure. This protection extends to Directors and Volunteers of organisations (not just employees).
  • On the topic of the Board allegation that both directors did not engage with the board, the government-commissioned Jillian Van Turnhout report (2018) specifically talked about a culture of ‘blind loyalty’ to ‘cliques’ inside Scouting Ireland. In this context, the report highlighted the difference in response to any concern, complaint, ‘open call’ submitted to National Office depending on whether one is in the approved clique or outside it. Studies have shown that when people do not have confidence in the impartiality of those in authority in an organisation, they are far less likely to have confidence to raise matters internally.

Both directors nonetheless do maintain they sought to engage positively with the rest of the board so the point is disputed between the respective parties.