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Muff scouts celebrate double
success 16.05.08
by Liam Porter, Inishowen Independent
A group of Scouts from Muff were celebrating this
week after they saw off stiff competition from
troops across Donegal, Derry and Tyrone to scoop the
prestigious Errigal Cup and Errigal Shield
competitions.
The weekend-long competition was held in Oakfield
Park in Raphoe when scouts in all of the packs were
set a gruelling set of challenges under the watchful
eye of judges from the all-Ireland training team.
Speaking to the Inishowen Independent yesterday,
Hazel Browne Muff Scout leader said she was very
proud of all of the members who travelled to Raphoe
for what was a very demanding competition.
“We had three teams taking part this year, one was
made up of scouts who were for the most part in
their first year in the scouts but who nevertheless
had to do the same as the other groups. For them the
experience will be invaluable for the years ahead
while it was fantastic that the other groups won the
Errigal Cup and the Errigal Shield.” |
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Hazel explained that
the contest over the weekend challenged the scouts
in a wide variety of ways leaving them to
demonstrate a huge array of skills and of course
teamwork.
The scouts were left to fend for themselves from
Friday night, having to build up an entire camp site
including washing and cooking areas and furniture.
Other skills included demonstrations on the Saturday
of their knowledge of knots, their knowledge of the
scouting movement and a number of other skills.
The scouts then had to cook a main meal and dessert
again judged on a number of key factors including
safety and hygiene.
“After the cooking the had to prepare a camp fire
and entertainment in the form of a sketch and even
when they were finished they came under scrutiny
with their site checked to see how tidy it was and
their equipment checked to see how clean it all
was.”
With seven troops competing in each of the Cup and
Shield categories for Muff to win both was a
fantastic achievement.
“The competition was very close and it was brilliant
that we got first ahead of Culmore,” said Hazel who
added that the win now qualifies the troop to take
part in the Phoenix Cup in Dublin in August of this
year.
In the meantime the scouts from Muff where the troop
has 25 in all are looking forward to attending
Ireland’s biggest ever jamboree when 10,000 scouts
are set to assemble in Punchestown.
“It’s going to be a busy summer, but we’re really
looking forward to it,” Hazel concluded. |
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