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Hi all,

It might seem like a long way to go yet. But remember it all starts in June.

Passports and EHIC’s

Passport’s are NOT required as we don’t need them to travel into the North of Ireland. However, as we are leaving the republic and EU, we all require an EHIC card. They are free of charge and can be ordered online. https://www.sspcrs.ie/portal/ehic/pub/application

Gear List.

Things you will need are:

• FULL UNIFORM.  We will depart in full Uniform.  No Exceptions!  Now is a great time to check you have all parts of your uniform.
• Spare neckerchief.  While not essential, would be useful as a spare, or if you wanted to swap yours etc.  (You must always have a Douglas neckerchief, so if you’ve only one with you, then you can’t swap it if the opportunity should arise).

• Hiking boots will be necessary.  Remember too that it’s VITAL to “wear in” hiking boots.  If you need to or choose to buy new boots, you MUST have them “worn in” before camp or you’ll be VERY uncomfortable in them!
• Water bottle – At least 1 litre – possible 2 x 500ml’s would be a good idea.
• Sleeping Bag
• Pillow (optional) 
• Cup, bowl, plate, cutlery.
• Track-ends/Leggings
• Warm Sweater
• T-Shirts, NO JERSEYS
• Changes of Underwear
• Plenty of Socks
• Warm Nightwear
• Change of Shoes or Runners
• Shorts & Trousers
• Raingear – Waterproof Jacket & Trousers
• Warm Hat & Gloves
• Wash Gear – Toothbrush & paste, Shower Gel, Shampoo, etc.
• Towel
• Swimwear & hat
• Tea-Towel & Dish Cloth
• Sun hat
• Sun cream & Lip salve
• Torch & Spare Batteries
• Rucksack or similar type hold all
• Day trip bag
• Sunglasses (optional) 
• Walking Socks

Just for information, there are NO clothes washing facilities at the campsite.  As far as we know there are no launderette facilities nearby – so either have enough of clothes for the duration or be prepared to do a hand wash yourself!

Spending Money

We operate a Camp Bank during our summer camps. All youth members will hand up their spending money before we head away. Spending money MUST be in STERLING. ££££. Over the course of camp the Scouts and Ventures will be allocated their own money during days out & when deemed necessary.
This is to ensure a) Scouts & Venture Scouts don’t loose their money and b) Scouts & Venture Scouts don’t spend it all at once!
This service is not optional and all youth members must hand up their spending money in advance at one of the pre-camp meetings (these will take effect in late May/early June). The spending money MUST be in STERLING.
We will not take Euro currency as spending money.

Obtaining Sterling

From past experience not all of the Irish banks will supply foreign currency at this stage- even on order. So this is also something that needs to be looked into in advance. We BELIEVE that Bank of Ireland and AIB do allow you to order foreign currency. Please check it out with your bank! Credit union or post office are also worth enquiring with.

That’s all for now.

All new information will go up here.  Travel information will go up here very soon.  Also, we expect that the “gear list” above will be added to.  If that happens, you’ll read about it here!

Any queries do not hesitate to reach out – seantaaffe@douglasscouts.ie

Cheers,

Sean

Hi All,

We’ve a few things to post here. Yes, it’s very early, but hopefully it’ll help you to be well planned!

Gear List. It WILL change so please keep an eye on the website!

Things you will need are:

• FULL UNIFORM.  We will depart in full Uniform.  No Exceptions!  Now is a great time to check you have all parts of your uniform.
• Spare neckerchief.  While not essential, would be useful as a spare, or if you wanted to swap yours etc.  (You must always have a Douglas / St. FinBarres neckerchief, so if you’ve only one with you, then you can’t swap it if the opportunity should arise).

• Hiking boots will be necessary.  Remember too that it’s VITAL to “wear in” hiking boots.  If you need to or choose to buy new boots, you MUST have them “worn in” before camp or you’ll be VERY uncomfortable in them!
• Water bottle – At least 1 litre – possible 2 x 500ml’s would be a good idea.
• Sleeping Bag  – THE SLEEPING BAG IS A MUST!  YOU WILL NEED IT!!
• Pillow (if you like.  Inflatable maybe?)
• Pillow Case.  (We think there may be pillows in the chalet but you will NOT be able to use them without a pillow case that you bring yourself.
• Track-ends/Leggings
• Warm Sweater
• T-Shirts
• Changes of Underwear
• Plenty of Socks
• Warm Nightwear
• Change of Shoes or Runners
• Shorts & Trousers
• Raingear – Waterproof Jacket & Trousers
• Warm Hat & Gloves
• Wash Gear – Toothbrush & paste, Shower Gel, Shampoo, Comb
• Towel
• Swimming costume & hat
• Tea-Towel & Dish Cloth
• Sun hat
• Sun cream & Lip salve
• Torch & Spare Batteries
• Rucksack or similar type hold all
• Day trip bag
• Sunglasses  (Nothing expensive please!)
• Walking Socks
• House shoes – the hostel are quite strict about no “outdoor footwear” to be worn inside. So something suitable. Slippers, flip flops, whatever would be comfortable.

Just for information, there are NO clothes washing facilities in the chalet.  As far as we know there are no launderette facilities anywhere in the vicinity – so either have enough of clothes for the duration or be prepared to do a hand wash yourself!

The two types of bag are important and worth considering.  The main rucksacks will be going onto the coach before we leave Cork, and will not be available again until we get to Switzerland.  So everything needed for the journey will have to be packed in the day bag.  We would recommend that this would at least contain:

• Change of clothes
• Washgear & towel
• Water Bottle  SUPER IMPORTANT
• Swimwear

If it’s small enough, it might be nice to have the sleeping bag in the day bag?  While not essential, it would add to the comfort on the journey, both on the coach, and possibly on the ships.

Money

Totally get that a lot of people nowadays live in an electronic world – and use Revolut or similar for nearly all their spending. BUT…

Where we are in Switzerland is very rural. There are zero guarantees that all cards will necessarily work. Were that to happen, we wouldn’t be in a position to give you money to carry you over.

So…

We would strongly suggest that spending money is brought in Swiss francs – at least some of it. (i.e. not relying on your card for everything.) We will be, as usual, offering a camp bank system whereby we can take care of any cash for you until it’s needed.

Obtaining Swiss Francs:

It’s come to our attention that not all of the Irish banks will supply foreign currency at this stage- even on order. So this is also something that needs to be looked into in advance. We BELIEVE that Bank of Ireland and AIB do allow you to order foreign currency. Please check it out with your bank!

That’s about it for now.

PLEASE keep checking this website.  All new information will go up here.  Travel information will go up here.  Also, we would anticipate that the “gear list” above will be changed / added to.  If that happens, you’ll read about it here!

Contact any of us with any queries – camp24@douglasscouts.ie

Yours in Scouting,

Adelboden 2024 Team!.

Booking’s for Camp24 are now closed.

We thought it would fill quickly, but didn’t think it would be this fast!

To eeveryone who has secured their place, Congratulations! It will hopefully prove to be an experience of a lifetime!

Hi all,

Hope you all survived the ridiculous weather last night without too much disruption!

As has been sent out by various channels, the camp announcement will now happen tomorrow, Friday night, at 8pm in the Scout Hall.

Looking forward to seeing you all there!

On Thursday 29th the bus departed at 3.00m in the morning and Summer Camp 2023 officially commenced.

Bus to Ferry to trains followed by lunch and another bus and then we were at Silver Cross

We got started straight away setting up tents and camp. The sun acted as both a positive and a negative in that the weather was wonderful but tiring especially after the journey.

After camp was set up there was some free time before we had dinner.

Friday 30th

After the traveling yesterday it was not much of a surprise that we had a late start today

We started off Camp with a light day onsite.

This consisted of a shelter making demonstration for bivvying and then practice. Following that, the scouts and ventures split into 6 patrols and then partook in some team bonding activities. This included Flag designing and making, coming up with Patrol names, assigning roles; Patrol Leader, Quartermaster, Scribe etc. Claiming Huts and Fires. At the end of the day we all got a lovely surprise trip to Costa Coffee.

Saturday 1st

Today was spent mostly out in Swansea.  We went to the Leisure Centre: Which was a very cool swimming pool with multiple slides. After the LC we got to spend time on the promenade where we witnessed some of an awesome airshow and then wandered into a fair with many different stands for example a Lego minifigure stand, and Ferrets. We also had a brilliant encounter with both Batman and Spiderman.

The day came to a close with some card games and Tarot reading.

Sunday 2nd

Today’s primary activity was an Inter-Patrol Cooking competition. This was won by a 6th scout patrol group who made Burgers.

Other activities included; Putting up tents without sight and/or hands.

Traversing a minefield with a ‘Scout’ (Ha)

Blind Obstacle course & Cup of Water

Disabling bombs and rescuing civilians from between burning buildings.

Cooking breadsticks

Camouflage hide and seek in the woods.

Another Late night ended the week with exciting discussions regarding Aliens and Life on other planets.

Monday 3rd

Today started at 10.00am with a Hike into Morriston which lasted about an hour and a half. We then continued on for a further half hour to Swansea AFC Stadium where we stayed for 2 hours. We decided to return via a more direct route back to camp from the Stadium. Highlighted conversation on the journey back was about James Gunn and Mark Reeves’ DC movie adaptations.

Finally Monday came to a close with a coloured themed Inter-Patrol eating challenge

Beige – Whistling Crackers   Blue – Cheese   Red & White – Uncooked Pasta and Jam   Red – Chili Pepper   White – Cake   Yellow – Lemon   Green – Olive

Tuesday 4th

Today was spent in Oakwood Theme Park. The most enjoyed ride was probably Speed -A rollercoaster with a near vertical drop, loop-the-loop, and corkscrew- or Vertigo -A slingshot-like-ride where up to three people were drawn up to what must have been at least the height of a seven story building and then let swing down.

While at the Theme park the Ventures engaged in some delightful Plotting.

Once back at camp everyone partook in some Jovial Birthday Celebrations which ended with a Woodland Disco. Highlighted Songs include; Ra Ra Rasputin, Mr Brightside, California Girls, and Footloose.

Wednesday 5th

The day was spent onsite and started out with avoiding ‘spiderwebs’ in the forest by climbing or crawling. Following that we delighted in trialing the much talked about  Spiderland. One person went through a total of 13 times.

After cleaning up from Spiderland we all were challenged by a Quiz about our Patrol Leaders. We know them so well. After that we got to trial laser tag in the woods we then got to partake in crate stacking and the aforementioned plotting was executed.

Thursday 6th

We had a dark and early start today at 03.30am and traveled to Rhosilli where we went Coasteering; Coasteering involved swimming along the coastline, climbing and then jumping off Cliffs and it was outstanding and an incredible experience.

When we returned to camp we took down shelters and repacked patrol boxes and some other site items to lessen the workload for later. Then we had a number of hours of free time where we laid back; read together, played games and, notably, built a wonderful bandstand with a porch, roof, decorative leaves and flowers and carved wooden rings.

In the evening we got to meet Explorers from the area and enjoyed an excellent Barbeque with them. The night was spent socialising and playing Uno.

Friday 7th

The second last day of Summer Camp was spent taking down camp, packing bags and generally preparing for the journey back to Cork. After finishing packing early. We got to spend 1.6 hours in Swansea and then a further hour and a half at the LC. The markets in Swansea were the highlight of the time there. Upon returning to camp we prepared for the last campfire which included collecting firewood and getting songs prepared. We found Frogs which definitely would make a list of the best things to happen on camp. At the campfire we got the results of the Interpatrol competitions the overall winners being A Ventures patrol called Baskets

The final competition was a pronunciation competition of the longest place name in Welsh; llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch

The last night was a late night with some goodbyes.

Saturday 8th

The travel back was bittersweet considering people were happy to be home but no doubt sad camp was over.

Nevertheless many wonderful memories were made and experiences had.

We are very grateful to all the leaders and everyone who was involved in making Camp happen and running it.

Thank you all very much, Míle Buíochas, Diolch.

Katie Byrne.

We are pleased to announce Summer Camp 2023 will be to Swansea, Wales

Where: Silvercross Scout Campsite, Llangyfelach, Swansea, Wales
When: Departing on June29th and returning on July 8th
How will we get there: We will travel by bus from Douglas to Rosslare and then the ferry from Rosslare to Wales and a train into Swansea City and onwards to the campsite
Cost: €600 per youth member

The site is made up of 15 acres of deciduous woodland, bordered by the small river Llan, and has been a scout campsite since 1951. This will be the 6th time the Group has camped at this site.

Onsite activities include Archery, Air-rifle Shooting, Tomahawk Throwing, Soft Crossbows, Pioneering, Orienteering and much more.

Offsite activities include swimming, coastal adventures, Museums and Swansea City centre itself.

Camp is open to all members of our Scout Troops and Venture Crew

What happens now?
To secure your place you must put down a €150 non-refundable deposit by February 12th.
You need to pay this via the Easypaymentsplus system. This is non-refundable as it will be used to secure activities and a place on the ferry for travel.

Questions: Please speak to your section leader

Yours In Scouting,

Conor Crowley
On behalf of the Camp Leadership team
conorcrowley@douglasscouts.ie

Click your prefered county.

Antrim – Armagh – Carlow – Cavan – Clare – Cork – Derry – Donegal – Down – Dublin – Fermanagh – Galway – Kerry – Kildare – Kilkenny – Leitrim – Limerick – Laois – Longford – Louth – Mayo – Meath – Monaghan – Offaly – Roscommon – Sligo – Tipperary – Tyrone – Waterford – Westmeath – Wexford – Wicklow

Antrim

Province: Ulster

Armagh

Province: Ulster

Carlow

Province: Leinster

Cavan

Province: Ulster

3rd Monaghan Carrickmacross Scout Centre – Carrickmacross SG own the centre which is in Co. Cavan.

Castle Saunderson International Scout Centre

Clare

Province: Munster

Clare Scout Centre

Killaloe Scout Centre

Cork

Province: Munster

Brinny Campsite – Bandon

Fota Scout Centre

Kilcully Scout Centre

Derry

Province: Ulster

Donegal

Province: Ulster

Wild Atlantic Adventure Centre

Down

Province: Ulster

Dublin

Province: Leinster

Larch Hill Scout Centre

Fermanagh

Province: Ulster

Galway

Province: Connacht

Kerry

Province: Munster

Muckross Youth Venture Centre

Kildare

Province: Leinster

Kilkenny

Province: Leinster

Laois

Province: Leinster

Leitrim

Province: Connacht

Limerick

Province: Munster

Castleconnell Campsite

Curraghchase Scout Campsite

Longford

Province: Leinster

Louth

Province: Leinster

Collon Campsite

Mayo

Province: Connacht

Meath

Province: Leinster

Monaghan

Province: Ulster

3rd Monaghan Carrickmacross Scout Centre – Centre is in Co Cavan.

Offaly

Province: Leinster

Roscommon

Province: Connacht

Lough Keel Scout Campsite

Sligo

Province: Connacht

Tipperary

Province: Munster

Dundrum International Scout Campsite

Tyrone

Province: Ulster

Waterford

Province: Munster

Faithleg Scout Centre

Glenshelane Scout Campsite

Mount Melleray Scout Centre – Currently closed

Westmeath

Province: Leinster

Portlick Scout Campsite

Wexford

Province: Leinster

Internationl Scout & Guide Centre

Piercestown Campsite also known as Knockingall Organisation Community Centre

Wicklow

Province: Leinster

Lough Dan Scout Centre

Each Scout section (Beavers 6-8, Cubs 9-11, Scouts 12-14, Ventures 15-17) run over 3 years, with 8 for Rovers 18-26. During the final year of their section a Beaver, Cub, Scout and Venture can participate in the Chief Scout Award (CSA) programme. The Rover award programme is longer.

A Scout, Venture or Rover undertaking their CSA are also eligible to apply for the Gaisce award. The tasks for both award programmes are very similar.

The Gaisce programme is structured in levels as follows:

Bronze for final year Scouts
Silver for final year Ventures
Gold for Rovers

As the scout progresses through their age sections the effort required to complete tasks to attain their awards will naturally increase and should reflect the skills they’ve learned over the previous 3 years.

If your Beaver, Cub, Scout or Venture has an interest in undertaking the CSA awards programme you and they should speak with their section leaders to discuss the committment they’ll need to make to achieve their award and how they can achieve each milestone of the programme.

If you’re a Rover speak with the GL and they’ll put you in contact with the Groups PAL.

The documents listed below will give you details of the requirements for each level of the CSA awards programme and the final link will allow you download the overall programme hand book that contains indepth info on the various tasks that are required for each level and the application form to be completed.

Cubs

Scouts

Ventures

Rovers

CSA Programme Handbook

Downloaded the full CSA Handbook from here… CSA Handbook

—- Beaver Details —-

Duration: 1 Day Transport: By train. Arrive: Sat 1st, meet Kent station at 9.40am Depart: Sat 1st, TBC Cost: €5 (Speak with your leader about booking) Gear They’ll Need: Neckerchief A packed lunch Rain gear – coat & water proof pull ups Boots Hat & Gloves Day bag / small backpack Bottle for water Wear old clothes Insect repellent Sun cream

—- Cub Details —-

Duration :1 night Transport: By train. Arrive: Sat 1st, meet Kent station at 9.40am Depart: Sun 2nd, collect Kent station at 1pm. Cost: €25 Gear They’ll Need: Neckerchief A packed lunch Rucksack Rain gear – coat & water proof pull ups Boots Hat & Gloves Head torch + spare batteries Day bag / small backpack Bottle for water Old clothes + change for day 2 Sleeping bag Ground matt Small pillow PJs Personal wash gear Personal 1st aid kit Insect repellent Sun cream Cup / Plate / Bowl / Knife / Fork / Spoon / T-towel

—- Scout Details —-

—- Venture Details —-

Duration: 2 nights Transport: By train. Arrive: Fri 30th, meet Kent station at 5.30pm Depart: Sun 2nd, collect Kent station at 1pm. Cost: €35 Ventures should have food before leaving for train. Gear They’ll Need: Neckerchief Rucksack Rain gear – coat & water proof pull ups Boots Hat & Gloves Head torch + spare batteries Day bag / small backpack Bottle for water Old clothes + change for day 2 Sleeping bag Ground matt Small pillow PJs Personal wash gear Personal 1st aid kit Insect repellent Sun cream Cup / Plate / Bowl / Knife / Fork / Spoon / T-towel