Scouting in Sallins started in 2006 with Beaver and Cub Sections
For our first fourteen years we used Sallins National School as our Den.
We now have over 100 youth members across Beaver, Cub, Scout and Venture Sections and are in the process of moving onto our new Scout Den in Oldbridge, on the bank of the Grand Canal

SCOUTING IN IRELAND

Scouting in Ireland, as part of the British Empire, started in 1908 in Dublin and soon began to spread across the city there and then across the country. Scout groups were initially established in Dublin, coming together to form the Dublin City and County Boy Scouts. Simultaneously, the County Wicklow Scout Association and the Port of Dublin Sea Scout Association established themselves in and around the capital. As Ireland remained part of the British Empire, the governance of Scouting in Ireland was headed in an official capacity by The Scout Association and its Chief Scout, Robert Baden-Powell

In 1921, the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty established the Irish Free State. At this time, the name of Irish Free State Scout Council was adopted, as the association expanded its reach outside of the greater Dublin area, becoming a national organisation. The name of the association was changed again with the foundation of the Republic of Ireland. Taking on the title of the Boy Scouts of Ireland. At this time, the association also gained the recognition of the World Organisation of the Scout Movement (WOSM) becoming Ireland’s only officially recognised scout association.

Then in 1925 and 1926, Father Ernest Farrell, a curate in Greystones, County Wicklow began working with a youth programme loosely modeled on the Scout Method. Under the pen-name “Sagart”, he wrote a series of articles in Our Boys, a magazine published by the Christian Brothers, advocating the formation of an official Catholic Scout organisation. This initial group, while more in line with the methods of the Boys’ Brigade was viewed as an effective means of imprinting a Catholic ethos on the young men of Ireland. Father Farrell’s brother, Father Tom Farrell, a curate in the Pro-Cathedral gave this fledgeling association the backing of the church and its resources. In 1927 the Catholic Boy Scouts of Ireland was officially founded, with a constitution drawn up and a headquarters from which the association could be organised, clothed and supplied.

The CBSI grew quickly and at an early stage John O’Neill, a motor works proprietor and former member of Seanad Éireann who had been associated with Fr. Ernest’s Greystones venture, became Chief Scout. A “national committee”, forerunner of the National Executive Board, was set up. Fr. Tom kept up constant contact with the hierarchy of the Catholic Church, and with the Dominicans, Franciscans, Carmelites, Passionists,Jesuits, Capuchins and other religious houses, all of which sponsored CBSI troops in Dublin at a very early period.

CBSI played a significant role in services to the 1932 Eucharistic Congress with a large camp at Terenure College. The First Aid Corps later evolved into the Headquarters Division of the Irish Red Cross when established in 1939. In 1934 a major Holy Year Pilgrimage to Rome was organised, chartering the cruise liner ‘Lancastria’.

On the voyage Sir Martin Melvin, the proprietor of the English Catholic paper ‘The Universe’, presented a silver trophy, later named in his honour, which became the premier award for the CBSI’s National Scout Campcraft Competition held each August. Larch Hill camp site in Tibradden on the slopes of the Dublin Mountains was purchased in 1938, using surplus funds generated by this Pilgrimage, and is today the National Office and Campsite of Scouting Ireland.

Meanwhile, the Boy Scouts of Ireland continued to operate and developments following the late 60’s saw the association take on the name of the Scout Association of Ireland. Then In 1965, the CBSI and SAI formed the Federation of Irish Scout Associations with the WOSM recognised Scout Association of Ireland. This allowed both associations access to the recognition and resources available through the world association. All scouts in Ireland were thereafter able to play an active role in International Scouting. The name of the SAI was subsequently changed to Scouting Ireland (SAI) in advance of the merging of the association with the CBSI.

In 1967, to celebrate its 40th Birthday, the CBSI held a National Camp at Lismore Co. Waterford attended by 3,500 Scouts. The Association’s Golden Jubilee Year was marked in 1977 by events throughout the country, culminating in an International camp, Jamborara held in the grounds of Mount Melleray Abbey, Cappoquin, Co. Waterford.

A Jamboree, Portumna ’85 was organised in 1985 by all Scouting Associations in Ireland (CBSI, SAI, and NISC)through the Federation of Irish Scout Associations. It was held in Portumna, Co. Galway to celebrate International Youth Year. Jamborees were also subsequently held at Gosford Park, Gosford ’89 in 1989 and Ballyfin in 1993.

During the 80’s, CBSI started to accept Girls as Venture Scouts and soon afterwards in all sections. A Beaver section was also started and the association was renamed The Catholic Scouts of Ireland (CSI).

In 1998, both the CSI and the SAI voted to begin discussions to form a single, unified association. When, on May 11, 2003 the National Council of the association voted to form a single body with the second largest scout association on the island, it was a major departure in Irish scouting. While close ties were always maintained with Scouting Ireland S.A.I., a divided approach to promoting scouting was seen as a substantial impediment to the growth of the movement in Ireland. Its National Headquarters was at Larch Hill.

The CSI and SAI ceased operations in 2003, allowing for the formation of Scouting Ireland in 2004. This body now governs all of the scouting in Ireland, run by the National Management Committee (NMC) with the support of some professional staff.

A Jamboree was held in 2007, in Punchestown, Co. Kildare as an an anniversary of 100 years of Irish Scouting. The reported attendance was 10,000 people although it was cancelled on the 9th day due to extreme weather and flooding. Many troops were evacuated and the closing ceremony was cancelled.

Another Jamboree was due to be held in Stradbally in 2013 but was cancelled in late 2012 due to lack of sign-ups. A replacement series of camps starting in 2013 based on “Patrols in Action” were started instead in Larch Hill with Camp One. Five of these will be held all over the country in the 5 National Campsites based on the new “One Programme”. The first 2 of these camps have been successful.

As a replacement to the CBSI Melvin Shield, the Phoenix competition was created and has grown hugely as the National Campcraft competition. This was attended by over 800 scouts in 2014 and is is only looking to get bigger in coming years.

The Story of Scouting

There are more than 50 million Scouts, young people and adults, male and female, in over 200 countries and territories. Some 500 million people have been Scouts, including prominent people in every field.

Early Beginnings

 All this began with 20 boys and an experimental camp in 1907. It was held during the first nine days of August in 1907 at Brownsea Island, near Poole in Dorset, England. The camp was a great success and proved to its organiser, Robert Baden-Powell, that his training and methods appealed to young people and really worked. In January 1908, Baden-Powell published the first edition of “Scouting for Boys”. It was an immediate success and has since sold over 100 million copies, making it one of the best selling books of all time. Baden-Powell had only intended to provide a method of training boys, something that existing youth organisations such as the Boys’ Brigade and YMCA could adopt. To his surprise, youngsters started to organise themselves into what was to become one of the largest voluntary youth movements in the world. 

Expansion of the Movement

 The success of “Scouting for Boys” produced a Movement that quickly – automatically it seemed – adopted the name of The Boy Scouts. By 1909 “Scouting for Boys” had been translated into five languages, and a Scout rally in London attracted more than 11,000 Scouts. As a result of Baden-Powell taking a holiday in South America, Chile was one of the first countries outside Britain to begin Scouting. In 1910 he visited Canada and the United States where it had already started. The coming of World War I in 1914 could have brought about the collapse of the Movement, but the training provided through the patrol system proved its worth. Patrol leaders took over when adult leaders volunteered for active service. Scouts contributed to the war effort in England in many ways; most notable perhaps were the Sea Scouts who took the place of regular coast-guardsmen, freeing them for service. The first World Scout Jamboree took place in 1920 with 8,000 participants, and proved that young people from different nations could come together to share common interests and ideals. Since that first World Jamboree at Olympia in London, there have been 21 others at different locations. During the Jamboree, the first World Scout Conference (then called “International Scout Conference”) was held with 33 National Scout Organizations represented. The Boy Scouts International Bureau, later to become the World Scout Bureau, was founded in London in 1920. In 1922 the first World Scout Committee was elected at the 2nd International Conference in Paris, where 31 National Scout Organizations were represented. World membership was just over 1 million.

The Early Scout Programme

Scouting began as a programme for boys 11 to 18 years of age. Yet almost immediately others also wanted to participate. The Girl Guides programme was started in 1910 by Baden-Powell who designated his sister Agnes to manage it. In 1915 Robert Baden-Powell became Chairman of the Girl Guides Association, and his wife Olave, whom he married in 1912, became the new Chief Guide in 1918. A Wolf Cub section was formed for younger boys. It used Rudyard Kipling’s “Jungle Book”, to provide an imaginative symbolic framework for activities. For older boys, a Rover Scout branch was formed.

The World Wars

Between the two world wars Scouting continued to flourish in all parts of the world – except in totalitarian countries where it was banned. Scouting is voluntary and based on democratic principles. During World War II, Scouts undertook many service tasks – messengers, firewatchers, stretcher-bearers, salvage collectors and so on. In occupied countries, Scouting continued in secret with Scouts playing important roles in the resistance and underground movements. After the war ended, it was found that the numbers of Scouts in some occupied countries had, in fact, increased.

The ’60s, ’70s and ’80s. 

Many countries gained their independence during these years. Scouting in developing countries gradually evolved to be a youth programme which was designed by Scout leaders in each country to better meet the needs of their communities. Scouts, particularly in developing countries, became more involved with issues such as child health, low-cost housing, literacy, food production and agriculture, job skills training, etc. Drug abuse prevention, life skills training, integration of the handicapped, environmental conservation and education, and peace education became issues of concern to Scouts around the world.

Post Communistic Era 

By the 1990s Scouting had been reborn in every country where it existed prior to World War II, and it started throughout the newly independent countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (formerly the USSR).

100 years and beyond

 In 2007 the Movement celebrated its centenary – 100 years of Scouting. What started as a small camp on Brownsea Island is today a growing Movement with members in nearly every country in the world. Through its unique combination of adventure, education and fun, Scouting manages to continuously renew and adapt itself to a changing world and the different needs and interests of young people across the globe. In doing so it continues to be an inspiration for young people to become active local and global citizens, helping them in creating a better world.