Pat O Connor is a former Programme Commissioner for Scouts, a former member of the National Management Committee and is currently Camp Chief at Mount Mellary Scout Centre in Waterford. He has been an active scouter in St Paul’s in Waterford and in the South Eastern Province for many years. He is a candidate for the position of Chief Scout in September’s election for the post, to be held at an extraordinary meeting of the association’s National Council.
Theirishscouter spoke with him recently….
Francis Minogue is a former National Treasurer, a former Provincial Commissioner and an active Scouter in his group in Roscrea, County Tipperary. He recently signaled his intention to seek election to the role of International Commissioner.
The Irish Scouter spoke with him this week.
Over the coming weeks, TheIrishScouter will be running a short series of articles in connection with the forthcoming elections in Scouting Ireland for the role of International Commissioner and the critically important election of a new Chief Scout, the latter arising from an extraordinary and unprecedented set of circumstances at the April meeting of Scouting Ireland’s National Council.
Feel free to share your opinions too – this will be an important election (taking place at an extraordinary meeting of Scouting Ireland’s National Council in September 2015).
Whilst much celebration is undoubtedly taking place in the US in light of the BSA (Boy Scouts of America)’s recent decision to extend their equality policy to adult members, The Irish Times article on the topic last week threw up a very interesting point, probably overlooked by many but of significant relevance to Scouting in Ireland.
Scouting has become a follower of societal trends, rather than a setter of them.
The Irish Times this morning carries a report from the United States that the Boy Scouts of America has signaled that it will now welcome gay adults as members into its organization of 3 million plus members across the country.
It is a welcome development, coming as it does on top of an earlier acceptance that young people under the age of 18 who are gay, can join.
Theirishscouter found himself a mere 15km from the Lebanese/Syrian border for a few days last week on business. High in the hills above Beirut, the scenery was breath taking, the weather was cool and the atmosphere was most agreeable. The architect designed house had porcelain mugs and nespresso on tap. The sleepy local village sported a ‘Scouts de Liban’ poster for some sort of forthcoming community event. Superannuated Renault 12’s and Series 3 Land Rovers jostled with bonneted trucks, designed in the 1930’s for a space on the pot-holed road.
There was a joke doing the rounds recently on social media about the prospect of a new section in Scouting Ireland to be called ‘Squirrel Scouts’, targeted at four year olds.
The satirical counter view to the joke murmured by a few cynics was why create another programme section when the association already struggles to maintain a sliding membership in Scouts (ages 11-15), has a pitifully small membership in Venture Scouts (ages 15-18) and barely registers a presence in Rover Scouts (ages 18+)?
Nonetheless, theirishscouter believes there could be an opportunity beyond the humour..
Continue reading Should Scouting Ireland welcome Four-year-olds?
James Carroll
I’ll be voting Yes and Yes in the forthcoming Irish referendum on same sex marriage and the age of eligibility for President. I think Scouting Ireland should have said they are too and this is why..
Continue reading Scouting for a backbone? Scouting for a Yes and a Yes!
Ger Hennessy
For many in the Scout Movement, looking down on Girl Guides is the unwritten 9th part of the Scout Method. Proud that Scouting has no time for daisy-chains, badge-sashes (certainly not in Ireland anyway), cookies sales and brownie points, we like to simply write-off the Guides as a club for “future housewives”.
I say “we”, I of course mean “I”.
“A week of camp life is worth six months of theoretical teaching in the meeting room”. Wise words from Robert Baden Powell, the founder of Scouting and every bit as true today as they were when first uttered.
But in a world where volunteering is under increased pressure, does Summer Camp as a concept really have a sustainable future?
