Emma scoops deserved silver Gaisce Award
A MACROOM Guide Leader was presented with a silver Gaisce Award at a special award ceremony in Thurles last week.
Emma Barry, age 19, who is a Leader with Macroom Guides and a member of MacEgan Senior Branch (the Irish Girl Guides’ branch for 14-30 year olds) said working towards the Award involved going outside her comfort zone. “I got to do things such as get to know an elderly neighbour better and learn yoga,” she said.
“However, undertaking and successfully receiving, my Chief Commissioner’s Award with two close friends as my adventure journey had to be my favourite part of the experience. The Chief’s was an Irish Girl Guides (IGG) event that involved a 60 km hike over five days with just €3.50 a day to feed our team of three. We had to keep a log of our journey, help in the community, complete projects and write a song at the end of our journey (the most entertaining part)! The best part was making lifelong friends and learning how much we could achieve under pressure.”
Emma said the skills she had learned through her involvement in IGG helped her achieve her Gaisce Award.
“The team-building skills I’ve learned throughout my Guiding experience definitely made my adventure journey possible to achieve,” she said. “My Guiding background also gave me the drive to keep going with the Award, which at times was hard but was worth it in the end. You’re used to a positive, hard-working atmosphere when you grow up in Guiding and being involved in Guiding for so long has made me the kind of person capable of achieving in general, including the Gaisce.
Emma says receiving the silver Gaisce Award was “a memorable and satisfying feeling when you finally receive the products of your (at times) hard, but rewarding, work.”
In tandem with the Gaisce Award, Emma worked towards her IGG Silver Moon Award, which she will receive on 22nd February.
She is already working steadily on her gold Gaisce Award and plans to undertake the IGG Golden Sun Award too. “I’d like to attempt it at some point as I’ve no doubt it would just add to the whole rewarding experience that comes with doing your Gaisce” she said.
“I’d really like to thank Deirdre Henley, my Senior Branch Leader who is also IGG’s South West Regional Commissioner and Gaisce Co-ordinator, for all her support along the way.”