Douglas & St. FinBarresScout Group – 2nd 6th 47th 93rd Cork

Howdy…

The following was posted to Facebook over the last few days by one of our Scouters – Shane Crotty.

It AMAZINGLY sums up what we’re all feeling after camp – and is well work a read. Kudos Shane

‘Kids are getting worse’

I’ve heard that before, and no… no, I don’t think so. Over the past two weeks I’ve spent with the Douglas & St.Finbarres Scout Group in Adelboden, Switzerland, I’ve witnessed and have come to attest that that idea couldn’t be any less true.

The statement ‘Kids are getting worse’ is a sentiment reserved solely for the cynical and pessimistic amongst us, the ones who look at kids on bikes, kids on trees and kids hanging out and assume the worst in them because they’ve forgetten the best in themselves.

The past two weeks showed me that some kids aren’t merely getting better, they’re leapfrogging even some of the best and brightest in current and older generations. They’re showing us that the virtues that we take for granted, respect, honesty, duty and hard work, courtesy and love of nature are alive and well in young people. I’ve been reminded that the most thoughtful lessons aren’t always passed down through the generations, sometimes they are passed ‘up.’

I’ve been reminded that many of us as we get older often forget the way we were as kids and lose an essential essence of ourselves in order to grow up while forgetting that the most old at heart amongst us are usually the ones that aren’t afraid to be young in spirit.

The Irish seanfhocal ‘níl thagann ciall roimh aois,’ (‘sense doesn’t come before age,’) was the saying that really stood out to me over the past year, as most seanfhocail do, but after two weeks in Adelboden, Switzerland, I’ve come to the conclusion that it doesn’t make any sense at all!