Group News 2006

DLS Scout Group Pipe Band in Massed Bands Concert (10/12/06)

The De La Salle Scout Group Pipe Band took part in the Waterford City Massed Bands concert on Friday night the 8th of December last in the Sacred Heart Church.  The event was organised in an effort to raise in the region of 10,000 Euro for cancer care and bereavement counselling. The Pipes and Drums of the De La Salle Scout Group with the Waterford City Pipe Band opened the concert with a rendition of twenty minutes of Scottish and Irish music with some modern pieces thrown in. Then at the end of the concert they played Amazing Grace and the whole audience joined in and sang it with the band.

The highlight of the concert was when all of the participating bands played Highland Cathedral together and received a standing ovation. The Mayor of Waterford who was at the show met Pat Murphy the DLS Pipe Major after the show and expressed the wish that this concert should become an annual event. The comments after the show and today were that the Pipes and Drums plus the playing of Highland Cathedral by all of the bands were the highlights of the concert.

Darragh O'Callaghan receives the National Scout Award (05/12/06)

Above: Darragh O'Callaghan of the 7th Scouts receives his National Scout Award from County Commissioner, Tom O'Neill.
Photo by Brian Fanning.

Darragh O'Callaghan of the 7th De La Salle Scout Troop was presented with his National Scout Award by Tom O'Neill, County Commissioner at the Group's Christmas mass which was held at the De La Salle College in Newtown on the 2nd of December last.  Darragh has been a member of the 7th for the past five years and speaking after the event, Scoutleader Billy Collins said that Darragh had been a key part of his troop in recent years. He went on to say that he is also a very hard worker, is very committed and was very deserving of the award. On the night, Group Leader Owen Riordan and Brendan Doherty, County Treasurer also presented spot prizes to members of the Beavers and Macaoimh (pictured below) as well as to the Scouts who had helped the Group in its important fundraising efforts with the recent 12 Days of Christmas Draw. Owen thanked all the leaders and parents present for their hard work over the past twelve months and expressed his hope that 2007 would be another very successful year for the group.

(Click to view a larger image)

Tom Nugent honoured at Youth Committee Awards (04/12/06)

Above: Owen Riordan, Group Leader presents Tom Nugent with his Adult Leader Award on behalf of the Waterford VEC.
Photo by Brian Fanning.

Congratulations to Tom Nugent (pictured above) who won the Adult Leader Award in the Culture category at the Waterford Annual Youth Awards held on the 30th of November last. Tom has been a member of the De La Salle Scout Pipe Band for many years and was officially presented with the award at the Group's Christmas mass at De La Salle College. Well done also to Pat O'Connor from the St. Pauls Scout Troop who received the Volunteer of the Year Award from the Waterford VEC for 2006.

Group Members help to set New Jenga Record (04/12/06)

Above: Richard, Stephen and Brian from the 3rd Scouts help set the new Scouting national record in Supersize Jenga.

Congratulations to Stephen Bailey, Brian Haughney and Richard Smith from the 3rd De La Salle Scout Troop who helped to set a new national scouting record for supersize jenga at Mount Mellary Scout Centre on the 2nd of December last.  Jenga is a same of physical and mental skill in which players remove blocks which are arranged in rows of three from a tower and must then place them on top.  Mount Mellary Scout Centre have a specially commissioned large size version of the game and during the Waterford Scout County PLs and APLs training weekend held recently the lads managed an unprecedented removal and replacement of 42 blocks before the tower finally came crashing down. The last 12 or so moves were extremely tense, particularly as the lads approached the national record set by the De La Salle Scout Group in the normal size version game in Fethard on Sea in 2000 (37 moves). The lads took part in the very successful training weekend along with 36 other scouts from across the county. Other activities included night navigation, fire lighting, roasting chickens, trapping animals, first aid, shelter building, team challenges and games, bouldering, training on the Court of Honour and a very lively campfire.  There are more details on the 3rd's Troop Blog page and there are lots of photos on our Gallery page.

Winners of the 2006 Altitude County MPC Photo Competition (24/11/06)

The entries to the 2006 Altitude County MPC Photo Competition have gone on display at Altitude on Ballybricken in Waterford City for the second year. This was an incredibly difficult competition to enter this year as the extremely wet and wild conditions on the event meant that photography proved very challenging and there were a few stories of cameras ending up in pools of water in rucksacks.  However the theme was "Adventure" and it certainly was an adventurous weekend which meant that those who did manage to get their cameras out of their rucksacks got quite a few good shots.

Above: "Christoph and Ali a.k.a. Ian Leigh Grant" by Cian O'hOgartaigh.

The Best photo by a Scout went to Cian O'hOgartaigh of the 3rd De La Salle Scout Troop with his "Christoph and Ali a.k.a. Ian Leigh Grant" shot which showed two Venturers right at the summit cross on Galtymore.  Meanwhile the Best Photo by a Leader/Venturer went to Aidan Ennis of the De La Salle Scout Group with his "Adventure Awaits..." which shows a young scout with a rucksack striking out across the Galty countryside.  Speaking after the judging, Eamon Barrett, proprietor of Altitude commented that the winning photos and the other images on display certainly summed up the battle against the elements which took place on the weekend while Colm Ennis, one of the CPMC Coordinators said that he would be guaranteeing perfect weather for the event in the Comeraghs in 2007.  The photos will be on display at Altitude up until Christmas and you should also check out our County MPC 2006 Gallery page which has a further selection of the photos entered into the competition.

Above: "Adventure Awaits..." by Aidan Ennis.

3rd Scout Troop holds its Investiture and Achievement Awards (08/11/06)

On the 26th of October 2006 last the 3rd De La Salle Scout Troop held its Annual Investiture and Achievement Awards at the Wytec Centre on the Cork Road in Waterford City.  The event also included a review of the 2005/2006 Scouting Year and the troops plans for 2006/2007 were then unveiled including the plan for the abroad camp to Blackwell Adventure Scout Centre in Birmingham. The awards were as follows: Camper Merit Badge: Simon Gaffney, Ciaran Purcell, Dean Purcell, Aidan Purcell, Lisa Rea, Sarah Kennedy, Cian O'hOgartaigh, Richard Smith, Emlyn Farrell, Colm Mullally and Ruairi O'hOgartaigh. The Pioneering Merit Badge was awarded to Ciaran Purcell and Cian O'hOgartaigh while Stephen O'Rourke, Alex di Camillo, Lisa Rea and David Fan all received Swimmer Merit Badges.  Hiker Merit Badges were presented to Cian O'hOgartaigh, Ruairi Griffin, Dean Purcell, Brian Haughney, Simon Gaffney, Richard Smith, Emlyn Farrell, Sarah Kennedy, Lisa Rea, Stephen O'Rourke, Adam Buckley, David Fan and Ruairi O'hOgartaigh.

From the scout award scheme the following received Tracker Badges: Dean Purcell, Simon Gaffney, Richard Smith, Stephen Bailey, Emlyn Farrell, Alex di Camillo, Alex White, Adam Buckley, Sarah Kennedy, Lisa Rea, Lee Cheevers, David Fan, Gleb Konan, Aidan Purcell, Colm Mullally and Ruairi O'hOgartaigh. Explorer Badges were presented to Ciaran Purcell, Stephen Bailey, Dean Purcell, Sarah Kennedy, Lisa Rea, Brian Haughney and Cian O'hOgartaigh.  The Patrol Leaders Cian O'hOgartaigh, Ciaran Purcell, Lisa Rea, Stephen O'Rourke and the Assistant Patrol Leaders: Dean Purcell, Brian Haughney, Sarah Kennedy and Stephen Bailey were also all presented with their leadership stripes.

History was also made with the investiture into the De La Salle Scout Group of Lee, a trainee guide dog for the blind who had been cared for in the past twelve months by troop member, Emlyn Farrell and his family. They had been acting as "Puppywalkers". Aine Farell, Emyln's mother went on to explain that Puppywalkers foster a six-week old pup in their own homes for 12 months.  The puppywalker's job is to rear the puppy and educate it so that it becomes a well-mannered, well-adjusted, socially acceptable animal. This education forms an essential foundation for the future. All veterinary fees and feeding costs are covered by Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind, and the puppy’s progress is monitored by regular visits from a supervisor.

Scoutleader, Paschal Guilfoyle congratulated all of the badge recipients on the hard work that they had put in to achieve the awards. He expressed the wish that some of those present would receive National and Chief Scout Awards in the near future.  He also welcomed all of those scouts who had now become official members of the De La Salle Scout Group and the World Organisation of the Scout Movement after they took the Scout Promise and were invested. Group Leader, Owen Riordan also congratulated everyone who had been invested and who had received awards and went on to thank the leaders of the troop for their work in the past year and the parents and families for their generous support. Our Gallery page has loads more photos of the event.

Read the article that appeared on the 16th of November 2006 in the Waterford News and Star here.

Seamus Purcell takes the Chair (4/10/06)

Congratulations and best of luck to Seamus Purcell who was elected as chairperson at the October Group Council.  Seamus has been involved in the group in many capacities over the past 30 years and is currently a member of the De La Salle Scout Pipe Band. Seamus takes up his position at a very important stage in the Group's history with a significant amount of organisation required to push forward the Group's development plan for its new den. One of his primary responsibilities will be to chair the meetings of the Group Council. 

Speaking after the election, Owen Riordan, Group Leader said that he was delighted to have somebody of Seamus's calibre as chairperson and that he was looking forward to working with Seamus over the coming year.

Galtymore bagged on the County MPC (2/10/06)

Above: Sarah, Brian, Colm, Lisa, Paschal and Dean from the 3rd Scouts on the summit of Galtymore (919m).

Well done to all those members of the Waterford Scout County who battled the tough conditions and got through the 2006 Waterford Scout County MPC in the Galtees. An expedition report is available on our County MPC 2006 page. 

Venturers achieve Canoeing Certs (20/08/06)

Above and Below: On the 2006 Canoeing Course with the 180 Kayak Club.

(Click to view larger image).

Pipe Band Returns to Scotland (31/7/06)

The De La Salle Scout Pipe Band will make a return to Scotland from the 3rd to the 8th of August next, following up on their hugely successful trip last year. They will once again stay in the 1st North Berwick Scout Hall, attend the Edinburgh Tattoo and play at Leuchie house which is a respite centre for MS suffers. This year they will also compete in the North Berwick Highland games in the Grade 4 pipe band competition and then on Sunday August 6th will join other scout and scout associated pipe bands to form "The Scout Centenary Pipe Band" and will play in front of an audience of 150,000 people at the Edinburgh Festival Cavalcade Parade. Best of luck to all of the contingent.

Above: Performing at the William Vincent Wallace Plaza before departing for Scotland.
See our Gallery page for more images.

Next Stop Thailand after Three Ranges in Three Days (12/07/06)

Could the three great mountain ranges across the three counties of Limerick, Tipperary and Waterford be traversed in three days? The answer is yes as a contingent from the De La Salle Scout Group proved over the last June Public Holiday Weekend.  From the 3rd to the 5th of June last, a contingent of 14 from the Group took on the challenge to cover the 100 kilometre route across the Galtees, the Knockmealdowns and the Comeraghs. The weather was perfect for the event which saw the team climb no less than 4500 metres (about 15000 feet).  There is a full account and loads of photos on our Three Ranges, Three Counties, Three Days Expedition Report.

Above: Members of the Three Ranges Challenge contingent about to set off on their final leg across the Comeraghs.

As part of the expedition, we collected sponsorship to support the fundraising of Deirdre Guilfoyle for her work with a group called EIL in Thailand.  EIL stands for Experiment in International Living and was founded in 1932. They are a non-profit organisation and their aim is to work with the poor and disadvantaged in places like Thailand so as to make a positive difference to their community. Deirdre set out for Thailand on the 3rd of July and will be working in a boys home and an orphanage until September.

Many Thanks to Liam Flynn (23/6/06)

Tuesday the 23rd of June was the last night of this scouting year for the 7th Macaoimh pack and a barbecue was held. It also marked the final meeting for Assistant Macaoimh Leader, Liam Flynn who has been with the section for almost ten years. Group Leader, Owen Riordan made a presentation to Liam on behalf of the 7th and the entire De La Salle Scout Group to thank Liam for his long service and hard work over the years.

Long Serving De La Salle Leaders Awarded Scouting's highest honour (23/03/06)

At a ceremony in Dooleys Hotel, Waterford, on Friday, March 3rd last, the De La Salle Scout Group and Scouting Ireland paid tribute to two of its longest-serving adult leaders. George Kavanagh of the well-known electrical family was celebrating 50 years as a Macaoimh leader with De La Salle. The Macaoimh (or Cub Scouts) is scouting’s section for 8 to 10 year olds and in 1966 George was involved in the establishment of the very first Macaoimh Pack in Waterford City - the 3rd De La Salle. Thanks to George’s drive and determination the section was hugely successful and provided an excellent beginning in Scouting to many hundreds of young people in the city. That success continues to this day and George remains actively involved where his stories, songs, love of wildlife and unique character still combine to make him an exceptional leader. The Chief Scout of Scouting Ireland, Martin Burbidge presented George with the Cuchulain award on the night. This award is the highest honour the association can bestow on an adult member and is reserved for leaders who have shown the highest commitment to both scouting and the communities in which they are based.

The second recipient of the Cuchulain award was Billy Collins, Scoutleader of the 7th De La Salle Scout Troop. Billy who is a well known employee of Waterford Crystal, was honoured for his exceptional commitment to scouting for over 30 years. Billy was a Macaoimh Leader in the 7th Pack for 20 years and has been the leader of the 7th Scout Troop for the past 11 years. Few leaders have been on more hikes, camped in more wild places, sang at more campfires or been a bigger inspiration to young people and fellow adult leaders than Billy. The Chief Scout also paid tribute to the families of both award recipients and especially their wives, Antoinette and Breda without whose support George’s and Billy’s contribution would not have been possible.  Speaking at the event, Group Leader, Owen Riordan congratulated both George and Billy on their awards. He said their outstanding commitment and that of the many other adult leaders in De La Salle are what has driven the success of the Group from 1928 to this day. He expressed his hope that young people in 2006 would see what a difference and contribution youth leadership can make and that they would be inspired to follow their example. Owen also presented George with the group's old CBSI flag in recognition of his 50 years of service while Alan Parle presented him with a sword on behalf of the 3rd Macaoimh Pack.

(Click to view a larger image)

Read the article that appeared on the 29th of March 2006 in the Waterford News and Star here.

Saint Patrick's Day Parade on the double (18/03/06)

Above: Members of the 3rd De La Salle Scout Group on the St. Patrick's Day Parade 2006.

Well done to all those members of the Group who took part in this years Saint Patrick's Day Parade.  Hats off also to the De La Salle Scout Pipe Band who once again led the Waterford Scout County in the Waterford City parade.  There is a selection of photos from the day on our Gallery page.   Not content with showing their stuff in one parade, the band then went on to the Dungarvan parade where Miriam Butler won a trophy for being the best female marcher on the day and the band won a trophy for being the best musicians of the event.

South African Irish Regiment Link Begun (10/03/06)

The De La Salle Scout Pipe Band is in the process of reviewing its uniform and given that Scouting Ireland no longer has a hat as part of its uniform the band has had to come up with a new badge for its hat. The South African Irish Regiment is going to allow our Pipe Band to wear their hat badge and have very kindly presented the band's Leader in Charge, Pat Murphy with 40 badges. The badge consists of a harp and is very appropriate.

The De La Salle Scout Group would like to express its gratitude to the Regiment for this gesture.  The Scout troop of one of the officers who is also a piper and the 3rd Waterford Scout Troop will be entering into a "Hands across the Water" project and it is hoped that the links between the two groups will continue to grow.

Tributes to David Rogers as Riordan takes the Helm (15/1/06)

At the Annual General Meeting of the De La Salle Scout Group held on Tuesday the 10th of January 2006 it was confirmed that Group Leader, David Rogers, having completed his three year term as Group Leader, had decided not to stand for a second term.  The Group Council expressed its sincere thanks to David for his hard work and determination and his overall exceptional commitment to the position and to the group.  He accomplished a huge amount in his term as Group Leader including a strengthening of the leadership teams in all sections, improved communication systems throughout the group and the overseeing of the launch of the group's development fund and programme to construct a new scout den.  He also oversaw the groups 75th anniversary celebrations, the pipe band's 70th anniversary and established the group as an important part of the Waterford Scout County and the new association of Scouting Ireland. He will be sorely missed from his position and the group council wished him all the best for the future, it also expressed its hope that he would back with us soon.

Above: David Rogers (Left) with the band and Owen Riordan (Right) on the County Challenge Weekend.

Owen Riordan was then nominated and confirmed as the new Group Leader.  Owen has over 20 years of leadership experience with De La Salle having been an Assistant Scoutleader and Scoutleader with the 7th Scout Troop for over ten years.  He then went on to become Assistant Venture Leader and then Venture Leader of the De La Salle Venture Scout Group. He has also served as Assistant Group Leader for the past three years.  Speaking after his election, Owen spoke of the challenges that lie ahead, chief of which is the securing of our future with the new scout den. All at the Group Council wished him well in his new role and pledged their support at this important time in the history of the group. Meanwhile Tom Casey was renominated as Group Treasurer while Karen Kenneally was renominated as Group Secretary.

Previous Group News stories are available on our
Group News '05,  Group News '04 and Group News '98-'03 pages.

Entrance | Links | Development | Scouting

Outdoors | Questions | Site Map