Scouts in

Scouting Ireland Scouting Ireland ( ga, Gasóga na hÉireann) is one of the largest youth movements on the island of Ireland, a voluntary educational movement for young people with over 45,000 members, including over 11,000 adult volunteers . Of the 750,000 peo ...

are aged between 11 and a half to 16 years of age. Each group has a Court of Honour/Patrol Leader's Council which under the guidance of an adult Scouter designs and implements activities. Scouts is the section where activities begin to really challenge the youth member and impart responsibility and self-reliance in accordance with the Scout method and the educational philosophy of

Baden-Powell Lieutenant-General Robert Stephenson Smyth Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell, ( ; (Commonly pronounced by others as ) 22 February 1857 – 8 January 1941) was a British Army officer, writer, founder and first Chief Scout of the worl ...

. The organisation also currently has

Sea Scout Sea Scouts are a part of the Scout movement, with a particular emphasis on boating and other water-based activities on the sea, rivers or lakes (canoeing, rafting, scuba, sailboarding). Sea Scouts can provide a chance to sail, cruise on boats, ...

and

Air Scout Air Scouts are a part of the Scout movement with a particular emphasis on an aviation themed programme and/or flying-based activities. Air Scouts follow the same basic programme as other Scouts, but they devote certain amounts of time focused o ...

programmes. The highest award is the Chief Scout Award.

Crean Awards

As part of ONE programme, the award scheme in the Scout section mirrors that in other sections, with its specific symbolic framework. Polar explorer

Tom Crean Tom or Thomas Crean may refer to: *Thomas Crean (1873–1923), Irish rugby union player, British Army soldier and doctor *Tom Crean (explorer) (1877–1938), Irish seaman and Antarctic explorer *Tom Crean (basketball) Thomas Aaron Crean (born Ma ...

is the inspiration for the Crean Awards badge scheme. There are 4 badges, named after Crean's expeditions (

Discovery Discovery may refer to: * Discovery (observation), observing or finding something unknown * Discovery (fiction), a character's learning something unknown * Discovery (law), a process in courts of law relating to evidence Discovery, The Discovery ...

, Terra Nova,

Endurance Endurance (also related to sufferance, resilience, constitution, fortitude, and hardiness) is the ability of an organism to exert itself and remain active for a long period of time, as well as its ability to resist, withstand, recover from a ...

and

Polar Polar may refer to: Geography Polar may refer to: * Geographical pole, either of two fixed points on the surface of a rotating body or planet, at 90 degrees from the equator, based on the axis around which a body rotates * Polar climate, the c ...

), with each needing about a year to complete. The first badge Discovey, doubles as a requirement for

investiture Investiture (from the Latin preposition ''in'' and verb ''vestire'', "dress" from ''vestis'' "robe") is a formal installation or ceremony that a person undergoes, often related to membership in Christian religious institutes as well as Christian k ...

into the section. The Chief Scout Award is also available to obtain for Scouts in their final year in the section.

Adventure skills The ''ONE Programme'' personal progression system for youth members of Scouting Ireland has been designed and refactored since the merger of earlier organisations, using a number of key underlining principles. Activities and personal progression ( ...

and Special Interest badges are a requirement of this award.

Troop Structure

Scouts are divided up in patrols and troops. 6-8 Scouts make up a patrol. The patrol is the main unit of the Scout programme and most activities are done in the patrol. The patrol is led by an older Scout known as a patrol leader (pl). He is helped by an assistant patrol leader. All other members of the patrol are given jobs (e.g. cook, first aider, scribe). The patrol system encourages teamwork and youth leadership. A standard troop is made up of 20-32 Scouts (divided into 3-4 patrols) under the leadership of a group of Adult Scouters. The PLs come together in Court of Honour/Patrol Leaders Council to help the Scouters run the troop. The highlight of the Scouting year is the troop annual camp which usually takes place at summer time

The Phoenix Patrol Challenge

The Phoenix Patrol Challenge is the national

Scoutcraft Scoutcraft is a term used to cover a variety of woodcraft knowledge and skills required by people seeking to venture into wild country and sustain themselves independently. The term has been adopted by Scouting organizations to reflect skills and k ...

competition. It is organised by the National Events Team. Patrols of 8 members qualify from their respective Scout Counties to reach the 4 day event. Patrols combine traditional Scout skills with team games. Tasks vary from year to year, with pioneering, water activities,

hiking Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...

bivouacking A bivouac shelter is any of a variety of improvised camp site, or shelter that is usually of a temporary nature, used especially by soldiers, or people engaged in backpacking, bikepacking, scouting, or mountain climbing. It may often refer t ...

and crafts. There are separate prizes for Campcraft,

Cooking Cooking, cookery, or culinary arts is the art, science and craft of using heat to Outline of food preparation, prepare food for consumption. Cooking techniques and ingredients vary widely, from grilling food over an open fire to using electric ...

, Health & Safety, activity bases and special projects and the coveted overall winners' prize. The Phoenix evolved from the

Melvin Melvin is a masculine given name and surname, likely a variant of Melville and a descendant of the French surname de Maleuin and the later Melwin. It may alternatively be spelled as Melvyn or, in Welsh, Melfyn and the name Melivinia or Melva may b ...

competition of

Scouting Ireland (CSI) The Catholic Boy Scouts of Ireland (CBSI; ga, Gasóga Caitliceacha na hÉireann) was an Irish Catholic Scouting organisation active from 1927 until 2004, when it formed Scouting Ireland by merging with the former Scout Association of Ireland ( ...

and the Smythe Cup of

Scouting Ireland S.A.I. The Scout Association of Ireland (SAI; ga, Cumann Gasógaíochta na hÉireann) was an Irish multi-denominational Scouting, Scout association from 1908 until 2004, when it merged with the former Catholic Boy Scouts of Ireland to form Scouting Ire ...

The name "

Phoenix Phoenix most often refers to: * Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore * Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States Phoenix may also refer to: Mythology Greek mythological figures * Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...

" was chosen for its symbolic meaning by the National

Patrol Leader A patrol is commonly a group of personnel, such as law enforcement officers, military personnel, or security personnel, that are assigned to monitor or secure a specific geographic area. Etymology From French ''patrouiller'', from Old Frenc ...

s' Forum in August 2004. The first official Phoenix Challenge was run in 2005 in

Pallaskenry Pallaskenry () is a village in County Limerick, Ireland. Pallaskenry derives its name from Kenry Castle (the palisaded castle at Kenry), nowadays known as Shanpallas Castle. opographical Dictionary of Ireland, p455, Lewis It was one of the prin ...

(

County Limerick "Remember Limerick" , image_map = Island_of_Ireland_location_map_Limerick.svg , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Ireland , subdivision_type1 = Province , subdivision_name1 = Munster , subdivision ...

). Although, the National Patrol Challenge was held in

Larch Hill Larch Hill International Scout and Guide Centre is the national campsite, and administrative and training headquarters of Scouting Ireland. It was previously owned by Scouting Ireland (CSI). Overview Larch Hill was purchased in 1937 and has gon ...

in August 2004. In 2006 it was held in Tollymore Forest Park (

County Down County Down () is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of the traditional thirty-two counties of Ireland. It covers an area of and has a population of 531,665. It borders County Antrim to the ...

). Each Phoenix is themed and all of the activities relate to the theme, Pallaskenry 2005 had the theme ''"Journey Through

Science Science is a systematic endeavor that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe. Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earliest archeological evidence for ...

";'' Tollymore 2006 was ''"The

Medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the Post-classical, post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with t ...

Experience";'' The Curragh 2007 was themed ''"The Flight of the Phoenix";'' Larch Hill 2008 was themed ''"1908: In The Beginning";'' Mount Melleray 2009 was themed'' "SURVIVOR: Fun, Friendship & Challenge"; Larch Hill 2010 was themed "The Big Bang"; ''Pallaskenry 2011 was themed ''"The Era of Adventurers";'' Larch Hill 2012 was themed ''"The Olympics"; ''Castlesaunderson 2013 was themed ''"Peace";''

Winners

* 2004 - ''Larch Hill'' - 34th Limerick (

) * 2005 - ''Pallaskenry'' - 17th/20th Waterford (St. Pauls) * 2006 - ''Tollymore'' - 34th Limerick (Pallaskenry) * 2007 - ''Curragh'' - 17th/20th Waterford (St. Pauls) * 2008 - ''Larch Hill & Lough Dan'' - Gold Recipients: 91st Dublin (Bluebell), 11th Belfast (St. Colmcille's), 7th Waterford (De La Salle), 18th/19th Cork (

Fermoy Fermoy () is a town on the River Blackwater in east County Cork, Ireland. As of the 2016 census, the town and environs had a population of approximately 6,500 people. It is located in the barony of Condons and Clangibbon, and is in the Dái ...

), 17th/20th Waterford (St. Pauls), 3rd Cork (St Patrick's), * 2009 - ''Mount Melleray & Glenshellane'' - 7th Waterford (De La Salle) * 2010 - ''Larch Hill & Lough Dan '' - 17th/20th Waterford (St. Pauls) * 2011 - ''Pallaskenry & Curragh Chase '' - 17th/20th Waterford (St. Pauls) * 2012 - ''Larch Hill'' - 17th/20th Waterford (St. Pauls) * 2013 - ''Castle Saunderson''- 7th Waterford (De La Salle) * 2014 - ''Mount Melleray & Waterford City'' - 18/26th Waterford (Ferrybank) * 2015 - ''Pallaskenry'' - 4th Louth St. Olivers Group 3/4/6 Louth, Drogheda (The Snow Patrol) * 2016 - ''Mount Melleary '' - 80th Cork (Little island) * 2017 - ''Stormont'' - 18/26th Waterford (Ferrybank) * 2018 - ''Pallaskenry'' - 2nd Cork (Ballyphehane) * 2019 - ''Cork Showgrounds'' - 4th Louth St. Olivers Group 3/4/6 Louth, Drogheda (The Snow Patrol) There was no competition in 2020 and 2021 due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

. * 2022 - ''Pallaskenry'' - 13th Wexford (Clonard)

Mountaineering Events

Scouting Ireland has 3 mountaineering events- the Mountain Pursuit Challenge, Sionnach Adventure and PEAK. The Mountain Pursuit Challenges (MPCs) are a series of weekend events for teams of 4 Scouts aged 13–16 with a leader. There are four events — Munster (April), leinster (May), Connaught (September) and Ulster (October). There is also the locally organised

County A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

Expedition and County Pursuit Challenge which are aimed towards younger Scouts. The Sionnach Adventures were originally run by SAI. There are 3 events run each year. Patrol Expedition Adventure Kamp (PEAK) is a week-long training adventure for Scouts aged 14–16 run over Easter week in Caponalea Outdoor Education Centre is Kerry. Scouts learn hiking and teamwork skills.

Air Scouting Events

"Air" is one of the nine adventure skills under the One Programme, and the main national event is the "Iolar Challenge" which takes place in Ballyboughal Airfield in late August each year. The weekend provides an opportunity for Scouts and ventures to camp on an active airfield for the weekend and participate in aviation themed programme provided by a mix of Scouters and external industry experts.

National Scout Forum

The National Scout Forum represents Scouts on all national administrative bodies in line with the organisation's ''Youth Charter''. The nine member committee is elected annually at the National Youth Forum and meets regularly to discuss matters of importance to Scouts nationwide. See also National Venture Forum and National Rover Forum. One of the primary roles of the nine member team is to present the successful motions of the National Scout Forum to the company's General Meetings.

References

{{authority control Scouting Ireland