Members of the Ceadaoin Cub pack of the Malahide Sea Scout group at their recent sleepover

A near full attendance of all the cubs from the Ceadaoin pack had a recent sleepover in the Scout’s Den on St.James Terrace, Malahide. The full packed programme for the weekend was held both  indoors and outdoors. A beach trail took the cubs along the Lower Malahide Estuary along the banks carpark and down to Robswall.

campfire at the Scout Den

Later on that evening a campfire was set up with a difference. Unable to set a fire in or around the den due to safety reasons an indoor campfire was set up on the maindeck. The campfire chief had everybody singing to their hearts content and created a real campfire atmosphere.Thanks to our leaders for a great sleepover.

At the controls of a CASA CN-235

The Irish Aer Corps are always very welcoming .Last Wednesday 33 cubs and leaders of our Tuesday pack called into casement Aerodrome in Baldonnel,County Dublin.The cubs were treated to a great tour which included aircraft of yesterday like de Haviland Vampires and right up to their latest air craft CASA CN-235 and the training Pilatus PC-9M.

Cubs were shown inside the planes and all had the opportunity of sitting at the controls.After the tour everybody settled down into the canteen. Before heading home the leaders and cubs  presented the Air Corps  a Malahide Sea Scouts red neckerchief in a  framed picture as a token of their appreciation.

Malahide Tuesday Cubs and Leaders at Casement Aerodrome

New Sea Cubs from the Malahide Monday night pack

Malahide Monday night cubs recently welcomed new members to their pack. Before proceeding got on the way the Grand Howl was assembled. Akela Rebecca called forth the new recruits to take the Scout Promise. Accompanied by their sixers the twelve recruits put their left hand on the flag raised their right hand making the scout sign. Along with the  new recruits  two new leaders were enrolled. Looking on were parents and friends,brothers and sisters.After the ceremony light refreshments were served .

Action with the drill

In the Malahide area in the next several weeks will be plenty of tweet,tweeting! Yes Spring has arrived but on last Tuesday nights Cub meeting , conservation was the theme. Now in its third year, part of the cubs programme is conservation in the wild. Explanation was given to the thirty keenly interested cubs about the wildlife in our area and especially in your own very back garden.Sightings of birds, hedge hogs and even pheasants have been observed in peoples back gardens in Seabury Malahide.For the cubs to continue their observation they spent part of the night making bird feeders to hang in their garden and to continue their interest through out the coming year.

Cub Leader Caroline O'Brien with the Tuesday night cubs

Ready to start at the Banks car park,Malahide

The leaders and cubs were out in strong numbers on Tuesday night preparing for the their annual Broadmeadows cycle on Fathers day this Sunday  and the beginning of bike week on Saturday 18th June  .

Bases were set up .  Cubs had to negotiate 4 different bases. The obstacle course , controlling and breaking in safety  on a downward decline , maintenance (looking after your bicycle) and understanding proper signals(turn left,turn right etc) and taking care while on the road. The evening was held in the Banks carpark on the Coast Road , Malahide . Over 30 bicycles were presented and maintenance was kept very busy( checking brakes ,tyre pressure) . Ciaran who took on the task of spot checking inquired vigorously why some bikes had rust.Had they been left out in the rain!

Oil check at the maintenence pit stop

By the end of the night everybody was briefed and got ready for Sundays annual cycle. See you on Fathers Day.

A different stroke - try this.

The Level One Kayaking  course for Monday cubs continued into the month of March .Over ninteen cubs aged between nine and ten and half completed their certificate . Irish Canoe Union Instructor Robert Mc Kernan carefully brought them through the drill required to attain Level One Kayaker.

Safety is of paramount and part of the course introduces the cubs to keeping safe while afloat.

Members of the Malahide Tuesday Night Sea Cubs who were awarded their BRONZE LEVEL 1+2 RLSS Certs

Eight cubs recently completed their Rookie Lifeguard RLSS UK Bronze level . On Tuesday night Mrs.Veronica Rowan of Dollymount Sea Scout group  presented on behalf of Mr.Paul Collins seven  Bronze level one and one Bronze level two.

Lifeguard award

The cubs  to attain this level would have had to attend three full pool sessions and show ability in life saving skills .Aged between nine and eleven the cubs would have been taken through swimming strokes , side strokes and life saving kick. In addition be able to swim in their clothes and follow a safe procedure on how to keep themselves safe while in the water. The cubs completed the course last February in Sportslink on the Airport Road. A big thank you was expressed to the course leader Mr. Paul Collins who is an instructor with the RLSS and who took the cubs through their paces.

RN Coast Guard Station(Dollymount) circa 1910

Sea Scouting in the distant pass would have had very close ties with the Coast Guard . Back in 1910 scouts would have taken boating instruction at the RN Coast Guard stations and this was the first signs of sea scouting.

Cubs get ready for guided tour.

The Tuesday night Sea Cubs of Malahide group settled in very well on their recent visit to the Irish Coast Guard Station in Howth harbour. Forty five cubs and leaders were given a full tour of a very active station . Cubs were divided into smaller groups and given a full experience of the stations operation .

Checking out safety equipment

They were able to experience first hand the day to day operation of a very busy station.Cubs were shown  the operation and incident rooms were rescue are centrally controlled by 2 or more operators. There was opportunity around every corner for the cubs to experience all the rescue equipment . Lifted in and out of the 7 metre rescue rib was a thrill as each cub was given the opportunity to put on and wear some of the rescue and safety equipment used daily by the Coast Guard.

Cubs with Station Officer

When it was time to go the cubs expressed their thanks in a through scouting spirit by given a big BRAVO! Thanks goes to Sean Dunne of Irish Coast Guard who organised the visit . It was a pleasure to be very welcomed by the staff of the Station who are all volunteers.Thanks to the Malahide parents who came along on the night to help with the cubs.

20th Birthday cake rolled out!

It was twenty years ago this year that the Monday Cubs re-started after an absence of ten years. Now the section has both boys and girls and follow the sea cub programme.

Last Monday evening a big 20th Birthday cake was rolled out , candles lit , candles blown out and a big cry ! HAPPY BIRTHDAY MONDAY CUBS!!!

Ivor with Monday Cubs

The evening also celebrated a Meritorious and Ten Year Service Award presented by Assistant Group Leader Kevin Rowan to former Akela Ivor Guyett .  Akela  Rebecca continued and thanked Ivor for the many years voluntary service he gave to the Monday Cub section. Also present was Larry O’Dea who is taken a year out and the cubs thanked Larry with a presentation from the Pack.

The Hope Challange Flag

Ed took out time from his very busy schedule to drop into the Monday Cub pack to tell them all about his planned trip at the end of September 2010 to climb Mount Everest. He spoke to the cubs telling them about his adventure and why he was doing the climb.The cubs were treated to a full exploration of this major trek been undertaken.

Ed displays essential safety equipment to the cubs

To raise much needed funds Ed is taking to base camp The Hope Foundation Flag. Cubs and Scouts are asked to sign their name on the flag and make a small donation towards the Foundation. The flag will accompany him to base camp at 21,000 feet and will be displayed for all to see the support from Malahide Sea Scout Group.

Good Luck from the Monday Cubs

The talk concluded with  a round of applause from all the leaders and cubs present.

Wednesday night Cub leader Edward O’Donnell is no stranger to hiking. Always  liked a challenge and in 1985 gained his Scout Explorer Belt by trekking for 12 days over volcanic and rough terrain in Iceland . On that occasion map reading and following a compass was a skill you needed to have. Forget about mobile phones and GPS they hadn’t been invented for the ordinary hiker.

View of Kilimanjaro September 2008

This time round Ed is taken time out to brush up on his hiking skills and will be part of an expedition team to climb to camp base on Everest. At 21000 ft the air is thin and preparation is of paramount importance. Just 2 years ago Ed climbed Kilimanjaro in in North Eastern Tanzania at a height of 19334ft.

Ed departs Malahide Thursday 30th September 2010 to make the 8000 mile trip by plane , mini bus , walking ,and making the ascent to base camp.

Kilimanjaro,Ascent goes above the cloud line

As part of his efforts Ed is raising much needed funds on behalf of HOPE FOUNDATION for an orphanage in Calcutta ,India on behalf of street children. Children as young as infant age  can be left abandoned to fend for themselves.

Edward O'Donnell on the Summit of Kilimanjaro Sept 2008

At times in a world that has so much demands on us any  support of help would be most welcome by contacting Edward O’Donnell mobile 0872639381

Early morning briefing at The Den

You would be forgiven to think otherwise from the splashing,paddling forward,paddling backwards,slap support,capsizing, that the Seals where none other  than the Malahide Sea Cubs on their FUN  morning learning to kayak.

All 3 sections were on the water from 8.30am to 12.30pm as part of the training programme been organised and been given by the Malahide Sea Scout Leaders.As part of the learning process the cubs would have been learning basic skills in the winter months in a swimming pool.50 cubs took part in Saturday’s exercise.

Warm up Exercise

Several of the leaders who were given instruction are presently becoming instructors. As part of their course they need to log up time as instructors to the younger members.

The morning began with a basic talk on wearing your PFD correctly , safety on the water , staying together , what to do if you capsize. Each cub is then checked by his name and then allocated buoyancy aid ,canoe and  paddle. They are split into smaller groups and allocated their instructors who give them some warm up exercises before proceeding onto the water.

Ready to go

Thanks must go to the organizers of  the day Robert McKernan and Ivan Barret.Other leaders on hand Daniel Kennedy (Skipper 5th Port)and the following leaders from Malahide John Butterly,Joey McCarthy , Oisin Klinkenbergh,Kevin Casey , Rachael Barret , Stephen O’Connor,and Philip O’Connor . Helpers Niamh Manning and Sara McKernan.

On Tuesday Night the cubs successfully had their Annual Cycle Safety Check Night at the Banks car park , Coast Road, Malahide. Its a prerequisite to their day cycle around Broadmeadows.

Each cub brings along their bike on the night .The cubs are split into their watch’s . Four bases are set up and the cubs brought through different exercises which includes breaking safely, rules of the road, being road wise,and wearing a  proper fitting helmet .

A separate base for maintenance is carried out by the leaders. They check tyre pressure , brakes, gears and the general road worthiness of the bike.

Walk 30km from dusk till dawn and discover the true Dublin – in aid of the Diabetes Federation of Ireland . Contact Edward O’Donnell (Wed. Cubs)087.2639381
June 26th 2010

Dublin MOON WALK

register: www.diabetes.ie