SCOUTS PITCH IN FOR PLIGHT OF REFUGEES
OVER 200 young people took part in a scouting camp in Kilmore village organised by teenagers Josh Quigley Power and Haley Power in aid of the Syrian Refugee Crisis.
Josh and Haley were upset to see the plight of families, especially children, on television screens last autumn as people tried to flee the war in Syria.
During a class discussion in Bridgetown Vocational College, a teacher suggested they could do something if they felt strongly enough about the situation.
The two members of 35th Wexford Kilmore Scouts came up with the idea of a scout camp where participants would pay an admission fee and they pitched it successfully to Kilmore scouts as well as a county management meeting.
Josh and Haley approached local businesses and individuals in Kilmore who donated equipment, services, transport and a camping site free of charge as well as making financial contributions.
The event took place over the weekend from June 24 to 26 and raised €2,200 with all the camping fees going to the Syrian charity.
Scouts and parents spent the week leading up to ‘Wamboree Kilmore’ preparing the site and organising activities. It was the first county camp where beavers, cubs, scouts, ventures, rovers and scouters camped together while enjoying their own individual activities. They were also joined by girl guides from around the county.
Groups from Clonard, 2nd Wexford, Piercestown, Kilmore and guides from Clonard, Kilmuckridge and Enniscorthy did the two-day camp while Oulart scouts and beavers from Rosslare, Kilmore, Clonard, 2nd Wexford and Piercestown camped for one night.
Among the activities were an open air cinema with popcorn, hikes, sub-squa demonstration, beach games, teddy bear picnic, bug hunt, nature talk by environmentalist Jim Hurley at Kilmore Quay, team-building exercises and a monster campfire on Saturday night, attended by everyone involved - the singing could be heard throughout the parish of Kilmore!.
There was a surprise visit on Saturday evening by Chief Scout Christy McCann who met all the groups.
Bad weather hit Kilmore on Sunday morning, forcing an abandonment of planned Fair Day games and shaving foam water fight but everyone agreed that the camp should be continued on an annual basis.