Macroom Guides travel out on the roads less travelled as they look back on 40 years of work

WHEN it comes to seeing the world, the Macroom Guides and Rangers have been on their travels more than most, having ventured to France, Germany, Wales, Switzerland, Kenya and India.

And since 1983 they have also been to Scotland, Austria and America. Next year, Macroom Guides will mark 40 years, and to mark this historic occasion there are more international trips planned, with one group going to the World Centre Chalet in Switzerland at Easter, and the MacEagan Rangers and their leaders travelling to the World Guide Centre in Puna, India as part of the National Irish Girl Guide contingent.

Recently the Ardilaun Guide members, Niamh McFall, Aisling Burns and Mia Normoyle O’Sullivan, along with their leader, Deirdre Henley, were in Copenhagen as part of the Irish contingent of Irish Girl Guides’ links with the Green Guides of Denmark.

Together, they did social entrepreneurship projects. researching and carrying out Social Entrepreneurship projects and taking in an itinerary covering a wide range of events and topics. These included mental health services, environmental plastic packaging reduction, cycle safety, animal welfare, LGBT Awareness, tree climbing, sleeping out in the forest, visiting Legoland, and baking traditional Danish food.

The Green Girl Guides of Denmark is the only Danish guiding organisation exclusively for girls and women. Next year, the Green Guides of Denmark will pay a return visit to Ireland.

Also on the road were four MacEagan Rangers of Macroom, who went to the Netherlands as part of an Irish contingent from Irish Girl Guides to ‘Roverway’. MacEgan Rangers who went included Orna Sexton, Lorna O’Connor, Nadine Relihan and Danielle Riordan.

Roverway is a biennial European gathering of Rangers and Rovers. They attended the grand opening ceremony at the Hague, and then the rovers and rangers left for a path of their choice. Roverway 2018 hosted between 60 and 80 paths across the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany.

The activities of these paths are embedded in a specific region and lined by a local guide or scout association, or a local rover team.

Joe Willis of Macroom Guides outlined that they will be in the community space in Macroom library during the month of August. Anyone who is interested in getting involved in their organisation or becoming an adult volunteer, please email macroomguides@gmail.com

Irish Girl Guide Contingent of the Senior Branch who travelled to Roverway from July 21 to August 2 in the Netherlands. It includes Rangers from Macroom: Lorna O’Connor, Orna Sexton, Danielle Riordan and Nadine Relihan

Irish Girl Guide Contingent prior to them leaving Ireland for Denmark. The picture includes Guides from Macroom.

Ardilaun Guide members Niamh McFall, Aisling Burns and Mia Normoyle O’Sullivan with their leader, Deirdre Henley, who recently travelled to Copenhagen as part of the Irish contingent of Irish Girl Guides.