Just a reminder that we have no meeting this Saturday, 17th February, because of mid-term.

We have a few more regular meetings in the Den before the St Patrick’s Day weekend, when we will also be off. We’ll be using this time to hone some of our scouting skills, and for the “Newbies” to learn a bit about the history of Scouting and what it all means.

After the break on St Patrick’s Weekend, our next meeting will be the overnight hostelling trip, on Saturday 24th March. We’ll have a hike, lots of fun, and on the Sunday morning we will invest the “Newbies” into 8ú Calafort and into the international scouting movement.

So now is a good opportunity to start getting the uniform together. The Scout shop in Liffey Street is open all weekend, while the Scout Shop in Bray is open on Saturday morning. You can also have a look at John Higgins’ email earlier this week for items of 2nd hand uniform and gear that we have to pass on.

Enjoy the quiet Saturday morning and slán go fóill go dtí an tseachtain seo chugainn!

Banba Programme up to Easter (5^th April – early this year):

• Sat 10^th Jan: Den: Welcome the new cubs and parents
• Sat 17^th Jan: Den: Scouting History + Surrounding Area
• Sat 24^th Jan: Den: Introducing the new watches, 6ers and 2^nders
• Sat 31^st Feb: Den: Activities
• Sat 7^th Feb: Den: DL Harbour Scavenger Hunt (Outdoors)
• Sat 14^th Feb: Den: Activities

MID-TERM-BREAK

• Sat 28^th Feb: Killiney Hill – meet at the playground at 11:30.
• Sat 7^th Mar: Den: Preparation for Glendalough

St. Patrick’s Weekend

• Sat 21^st Mar: Overnight in Glendalough Hostel. Car pool. Details to be announced.
• Sun 22^nd Mar: Glendalough at 1:00pm: Investiture of new cubs. This is a very significant ceremony for your cub, so it would be nice if the family could attend – all welcome. We’ll also go for a walk after the investiture. Bring a packed lunch.

Easter Break

Hi Banba,

this year, for the first time, we are allowed join the scouts for the sailing course being run over two weeks, from 6-12th July and 15-19th July at the den. If your cub is aged over 11 1/2 at that stage, please let us know and we can enroll him/her on the course.

BANBA 9-10 March

This year we ran our trip to Glendalough and our investiture a bit earlier than usual as March seemed so full of dates! The hostel was, as usual, a welcome retreat from real life and, following a hike up the Glendasan river walk, the cubs made and served dinner efficiently with the bulk of the organising done by one of the two quartermasters, Pierse( oh, yes…and his Mum. Bernie!!)
The hike in the dark through the graveyard was very well attended with nearly all of our newbies partaking, and the paper airplane competition afterwards ‘hotted up’ especially well thanks to Alva Larsen’s new landing platform of one of the light fittings!!

An early night( ahem..) gave way to an early start the next morning. After breakfast and some housekeeping we were off to Mass in Glendalough Church followed by our investing ceremony held in the visitor’s centre at Glendalough where we mesmerised the staff and other visitors with our beautifully turned out cubs and our sense of pride in the scout flag.

The entire troop, together with parents, siblings, dogs and sticks( very important, you know), marched to the Upper Lake to picnic and party and finally headed home with more great memories of a happy bonding trip with friends.