Full turn out for 37th celebrations!

If you had been there in the Spring of ’75 (the same year as the Film  JAWS was released) at the first meeting of the newly formed Wednesday night scout section and looked forward 37 years to see  last nights birthday celebrations of a section that has well and truly flourished. Over 70 full uniformed scouts and leaders kicked off their celebrated evening with a photograph taken of all present members. Skipper Sean Clancy assembled the troop for the first official item on the agenda. After that, formal presentations were made for Scouter of the year,Scout of the year,Kayakerof the year  and Camper of the year. Three Watch Leaders who have come of age were promoted to the leadership panel and finally 3 scouts were appointed  to replace them as Watch leaders. The best and last part of the evening of course is the goodies that every body tucked into. Happy 37th Birthday!

9th Port of Dublin (Malahide) 1st Place-Woodlatimer Team 2012

Congratulations to the Malahide crew who are the holders of the Woodlatimer trophy in the 100th Anniversary of Sea Scouting in Ireland 2012. The under 17 crew won the prestigious  East Coast Skiff rowing race on Broadmeadow  Malahide. The race has been run since 1914 uninterrupted except for periods during the First and Second World Wars were many a Sea Scout joined up as volunteers and went to sea.

The first crew to win the cup in 1914 was 2nd Port Dublin (Clontarf) lead by Skipper Perrin. The  Malahide crew are Skipper Sean Clancy ,Coxswain Ger Duffy , crew Andrew Malone, Simon Pryor,Cameron Newman,Eoghan O’Connor and Piers Ryan.

2nd Port of Dublin (Clontarf ) WoodLatimer Team 1914

The History behind the cup started back when the chairman of the Sea Scout Sub-committee was Mr. T. J. Wood-Latimer. He presented a large silver rose-bowl for annual competition for an inter-troop rowing race. This was first competed for in 1914 and was won by a crew from 2nd Dublin Sea Scouts, Clontarf. In retrospect, this was a major milestone in the history of Dublin Sea Scouting, because this annual event grew into the annual Sea Scout Regatta, although that title was not used until 1917. The Regatta has continued through good times and bad, sometimes only two troops competing, sometimes up to 10 troops, but without interruption, until the present day. The number of events in the Regatta and the number of trophies has changed over the years but Wood-Latimer remained the premier trophy. But age has taken its toll – after 98 years of being polished, displayed at regattas, carried around to different houses, and probably dropped on occasions, its condition had become very delicate. It was therefore given honourable retirement to “museum mode” in 2000 and replaced by a new trophy known as the Dick Vekins Memorial Trophy.

Visitors Day

We got a good site for our annual  standing camp ,elevated,and over looking Lough Ramor. 55 scouts and 14 leaders of the Wednesday night troop camped  from the Friday 5th August to Sunday 14th of August on the side of Lough Ramor,Virginia , Co.Cavan.. The programme for the week included kayaking , rowing , power boating , campcraft,outdoor cooking ,inter Watch competition,ground training,sleeping under canvas,night hikes ,navigating,wide games ,cycle hikes ,and a day trip to Belfast by coach.

Campcraft

The bigger camp craft projects would need certain skill to construct.Good lashings,  get the balance right, plenty of patience and the pleasure of seen it been finished. Everybody gets involved whether its the slow netting on a sisal gate to achieving the perfect balance weight to see that it works.

Scouting has that difference about it when camping and working in the outdoors. Here young people develop life’s skills ,that they will look back on as a  great  experience and having the best of fun.

Easy does it