Celebrations to mark the golden jubilee of the St Oliver’s scouts
MEMBERS, past and present, of St. Oliver’s Unit of the Irish Boy Scouts came together last Friday night for a special celebration to mark the golden jubilee of the troop.
Amidst a deluge of toasts, a special birthday cake was cut and a golden pennant attached to the St. Oliver Unit flag as a richly deserving sign of the unit’s contribution to scouting in Ireland.
When on May 24,1935, Mr. Vincent Dempsey, 7 Sandyford Terrace, wrote to the secretary of the C.B.S.I. requesting permission to form a Scout troop in Drogheda, he could hardly have foreseen the hours of happiness and adventure that the troop would bring to so many young Drogheda boys during the next 50 years.
Permission was granted, however, and the troop was formed, taking St. Oliver Plunkett as their patron and scarlet and purple as their colours.
On December 8, 1935, the first eight scouts were invested. The members of this new patrol were: John Behan, Oliver Bowden, Larry Gogarty, Turlough Lynch, Oliver McKeown, Vincent Roche, Mick Sheridan and Frank Taaffe.
Three of that original eight were in attendance on Friday night and they spoke of experiences during their years in the unit.
Larry Gogarty, Turlough Lynch-both of whom are now living in Dublin—and Frank Taaffe, Bothar Brugha, could all remember going on a day trip to Bath in England, the cost of which was £1, including fare and lunch.
They also told of their first camp on Gormanston strand, during which all their tents were blown down. The unit has changed quite a bit since then, however. Its membership has now swelled to 220 scouts and with a waiting list of over 100 applicants for membership, the St. Oliver Unit is one of the most successful troops in all of Ireland.
They have their own scout den at the back of the Parochial Centre, which was built in 1979.
Young Derek Holcroft, Hand Street, received a special award for raising £204 during ‘ Bob-ajob’ week this year.
Paddy Roe, Kevin O’Neill, Mrs. Mary MacQuail and Mrs. Joan McDonnell all received long service medals, and unit leader Austin Marley received a silver medal of merit for his 32 years service to the troop, along with a silver service medal.
At the moment the troop is involved in forming new units in Termonfeckin, Monasterboice and Clogherhead.
Very Rev. John Murphy, P.P., Eglish, Co. Tyrone, a former member of the unit and a native of Drogheda, sent his congratulations to the scouts