Mitchelstown Scouts win County Shield Challenge
The Dolphin Patrol of the Mitchelstown Scout Troop emerged winners of the North Cork Scout County Shield Challenge Weekend Camp in Kilcully Scout Campsite on the weekend after Easter, in mostly pleasant camping conditions.
The weekend saw 10 Patrols from the county come together in the Scout campsite near Cork City to test their Scouting knowledge in various aspects of Scouting skills, to meet friends and enjoy the experience of the “out of doors”. This was the first county event since the lifting of most of the restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic and everyone is glad to be back Scouting, enjoying the fun adventure and challenges which Scouting offers.
The weekend started with all patrols putting up their campsites, where they would “live in” for the weekend, in as comfortable a manner as their campcraft skills dictated. This was followed on the Saturday afternoon with a series of Challenging Bases designed to ascertain the participants’ Scouting knowledge in skills such as backwoods, navigation, bushtucker trials and the ability of the patrol to work together. There were also fun tasks such as a lip-sync battle, trek cart race and campfire, while ensuring that you fed yourselve at the same time! A jam-packed weekend to say the least.
The final presentations were made on Sunday by the Chief Scout of Scouting Ireland, Jill Pitcher Farrell. Qualification for the Phoenix Challenge (the All-Ireland of Scout Craft) was the goal of the weekend, along with learning and expanding one’s Scouting skills among friends, both newly made and those met at other events.
Some days are more special than others, long after the mundane and everyday have slipped in the memory, these remain crystal clear, at a moment’s recall! No more so true for the Mitchelstown Scout Troop’s Dolphin Patrol as they captured the Cooking Trophy, The Skills Bases Trophy, The Campcraft Trophy and the overall County Shield Trophy for their efforts before and on the weekend.
On last Friday night (29th April) the troop then celebrated the achievements of the Dolphin Patrol with the visit of the County Commissioner John Fitzgerald for an awards night. Chief Scout Awards (Cubs) were presented to Zach and Holly Laughton, Will Murphy, Ben Cooke, Felix Potter Finn and Alisa Bargelyte. Adult Service awards were presented in recognition of their time and effort given to Mitchelstown Scouting to Simon Laughton, James Roche and Siobhan Lewis.
In his address to the troop, the County Commissioner expressed his delight with the spirit and good humour the patrol displayed during the County Challenge.
MITCHELSTOWN CUB AND BEAVER SCOUT SECTIONS
Currently both sections have a waiting list with the Cub Section up and running but limited to the current numbers until the enlargement of the Leader numbers in the section. The Beavers Section will be opening in the near future after Covid restrictions and the parents of children on the waiting list will be contacted.
If your child (boy or girl) would like to join the fun, adventure and challenge of Scouting with their friends, then contact the group by e-mail at 2930cork@gmail.com or visit and let a message on our Facebook page (Mitchelstown Scout Group – 29th/30th Cork). If any adults would like to join the same fun and adventure in the Beavers or Cubs, whether you have experience or not, if your child is interested or you are interested please contact us and we will give you an insight into what’s involved. We are looking to future adventures, we hope you are also looking forward to those adventures.