01 Sept 2017
END OF SUMMER TO CHRISTMAS 2017
Dear Scouts and Parents
We’ve had a busy few months and with the Summer coming to an end, we look forward to a busy few months leading to our usual Christmas break. Please print this letter, read it and keep it handy because we plan to stick to these dates as much as possible. See the final page for a pin up planner!
Registration 2017/18 – Details of registration will follow from our Treasurer in the next few weeks. Annual subscription will be due and please complete the permission/medical form and return on the night. If there are any scouts that do not wish to continue, please inform us as soon as possible as it effects patrol numbers and planning going forward.
Boating Season will finish up on the 22nd of September. We are now meeting at 7.00 on Tuesdays and Fridays, with the finishing time shortening each week due to the disappearing light. We may pull the meeting time even earlier, so keep an eye on Facebook and emails. Our first Hall Meeting will be the 4th of October, meeting each Wednesday ready for fall in at 7.30, falling out at 9.00. The Floorball League will kick off in November and we will issue the league table closer to the date. If your patrol is playing after scouts, you will be finished at 9.30. Badgework will progress over the winter, and we would like to see all scouts climbing the ladder but remembering that you yourself need to drive your own progress. Each scout should have a skills book as a reference and progress on your own too. Patrols will be confirmed on or before our first Hall Meeting.
Events –September & October are busy times for the section with plenty of competitions and training, along with our own activities, if you don’t forward plan, you will miss out. We had two events so far this period: Our Curlew patrol (along with some addition Scouts), represented 3rd Port at the Phoenix Challenge in Belfast and came home with a very respectable Silver award. We also brought home a very heathy hand full of medals from the Kayak Sprints in Dun Laoghaire on Aug 26th.
The next event on the calendar is the Scout Liffey Descent, to do this you’ll need to have gained the ICU Level 2 skills and paddled on at least one river. There’s currently a level 2 course in progress, and a river trip the day before the descent for those with no experience but want to do the descent. Following that is the Hamill Cup, this is a Seamanship Competition for a team of scouts, 14 or under – it’s a great leaning and fun experience. We then have the Sea Scout Sailing regatta; this is a team racing event with a Seamanship sail in the BP. The Sea Scout Triathlon is run both in a relay and in an ironman/ironwoman format – 80m swim, 800m kayak and 800m run. The Fry Cup is similar to the Hamill Cup but at a much higher level and is aimed those 15 and over. The Swimming Regatta has categories in all types and styles, so something to suit everyone.
We have additional national events such as Sionnach, where a patrol of 4 experienced scouts (and a leader) carry all their own equipment and tents, hike a route through the mountains starting on Friday evening and finishing on the Sunday afternoon.
We also have our own troop events such as our day hikes, a hostelling weekend, and orienteering. Orienteering is based in a woodland area where you navigate over a short course from base to base. The length and difficulty is based on your skill level and can be run or walked, so an ideal event for all levels! We also run a winter kayaking program. This sees us starting the season paddling on the Boyne, then progressing to paddling on rivers in Wicklow. Due to the increased skill required, this is only open to those with their level 2 skills. A separate letter will be posted with dates of river trips.
We also plan a traditional spot of skiing in Kilternan just before Christmas where no experience is necessary.
And while this is into next summer, it’s important to note; Instead of our usual Irish Summer Camp, we are going to attend Nawaka, the National Jamboree for Sea Scouts in The Netherlands run every four years. The Troop has
been to Nawaka three times previously and always had a fantastic time. Please keep note of the date, as your summer plans may be arranged to suit, if need be. We will also hope that both scouts and parents will be involved with fundraising for this trip.
Boatwork will commence on Sundays come November and progress over the winter. A schedule will be announced and we expect all scouts to do their part. Times vary but are always on a Sunday, times are driven by the Patrol Leaders choice, so if you cannot attend a session, there is likely another time on another day that will suit instead, just inform your PL of your plans. Always wear old clothes, as it’s very likely you will get paint on them, including your runners!
Some of our older scouts will have their transitional year into Ventures this year, the next section above Scouts. We will confirm those applicable. They spend this year as a full member of the Scout section while also operating as a Venture. This means that there will be separate Venture meetings along with Venture activities and events. Ventures are self-driven and self-organising, so while leaders are there to help and assist, you’ll only get as much out of it as you put in!
The 12 days of Christmas is an important source of funding for the troop – every scout is expected to help as it is a team effort. We meet for one day and pair off to sell raffle tickets locally door to door raising as much funds as possible. Anyone who cannot attend that day are expected to sell them locally before the return deadline. Parents are encouraged to request a booklet to bring to their work place or the likes – maybe prop them up on display by the coffee machine!
Our means of communications is via various formats: Letters and information are emailed to the parents address that was provided. Messages are sent via WhatsApp to the Patrol Leaders who should then forward information to the Scouts in their patrol via WhatsApp. We have a private group on Facebook which is quite active for parents and scouts – if a scout does not have a Facebook account, then we suggest that a family or parents account is set up or used to join it.
And finally the best and most active means of communications we use is at the Hall Meetings where we plan and announce details each week. Looking forward to seeing you there.
As always, if you have any question or queries, please feel free to contact myself, your PL or any of the other Scout leaders.
Yours in Scouting,
_______________
Simon Hall
087-7510763
simon@dalkeyseascouts.ie