Scouting         bbermingham@corkcity.ie    www.bbermingham.com

Introduction

It is with particular delight that I find myself acting as Deputy Lord Mayor representing the City of Cork at this special ceremony to day.

I take such delight in welcoming you into your City Hall and to be amongst members of the Scouting movement in Cork again.

To day we celebrate the presentation of National Scouting Awards to members of the 37^th Cork Scout Unit, for their service and efforts to scouting in Togher.

Congratulations to Pat, John, Jim, Patrice, Mark, Donal, Fr.Owen, Frank

The skills of Leadership, Initiative, Team work Social and Personal Interaction, are so important in to-days social and economic society. They are qualities most sought after.

History

You are part of the noble tradition initiated by Baden-Powell in 1908. It has never stopped growing since its founding.

Today there are more than 20 million members worldwide - boys and girls.

Scouting Ireland CSI, the largest youth association in Ireland, with a membership of 35,000 in the 32 counties of Ireland, have been providing Scouting to young people for the last 70 years.

I joined the 4^th Cork oh! So long ago now that when asked to attend to-day the images and memories flooded back to those golden days in the Scout Hall, on so many hikes most Sundays and of course the thrill of the summer camp in larch hill, Shirkin Island and indeed the Isle of Mann.

Like so many others Youths I benefited from great Leadership.

Leadership

The quality of Scouting is reflected in the quality of its leadership.

Scouting is a voluntary organisation and 7,000 adults within it work unselfishly with young people week - in week - out.

Scout leadership is a serious commitment for an adult. It will involve intensive training, time, and personal interaction.

–       A young person attends school for approx. 1020 hours a year.

–       A good Scout Troop will provide approx. 500 hours of Scouting to young people a year.

–       This is the type of impact that Scouting can have on the complimentary education and development of young people in Ireland.

–       It has been calculated that the adult leadership of Ireland’s Scouting is in excess of 1.5 million hours to young people every year.

May I take this opportunity to show you my most precious 1960 photo of my dear colleagues of yesteryear, and to that giant in Scouting Mr Johnny Hurley, who we all loved so much? He gave his life in the service of scouting and to the youth of Cork.

I know that the Scouting Movement treasures his memory and I would very much like the City of Cork also, to find some means of expressing their gratitude to this great man.

May he rest in peace?

Later I joined the 5^th Lough Troop under Scout Master Mr Michael Byrne. May I take advantage of this occasion to thank Michael also for his dedication and commitment to Cork Scouting?

There are so many others, Cork was and is,

So fortunate in its Scout Leaders - Inspiring with incredible commitment,

That as Deputy Lord Mayor and on behalf of the City of Cork, I thank all who were and are involved in Cork Scouting down the Years.

Venturer

In time I moved on to become a Venturer like Richard, Andrew, Brian, and Daniel to day.

May I congratulate you on your Investiture into the Venturer Group?

As a Venturer you become part of a team which will plan programmes and activities that will challenge you and develop your talents.

My Investiture ceremony was on the summit of Carrigtwhoill in County Kerry. Indeed it was a damp rainy day, mixed with the excitement of youths having climbed the highest mountain in Ireland and sensing and experiencing such an important event in their lives.

That event represented a mark in our development, as yours is, to you, to day.

Scouting assists the school and family, in developing 

1.  self knowledge,- the need to explore, to discover, to want to know.

2.  A spiritual dimension seeking a commitment to a spiritual value of life beyond the material world.

3.  A social dimension seeking participation in the development of society, respecting the dignity of others and the natural world. Promoting local, national and international peace, understanding and co – operation.

So through a programme of Fun, Adventure and Challenge

Scouting achieves its purpose to help young people to develop physically, intellectually, socially and spiritually to their full potential.

Members are involved in a great variety of traditional scouting activities and in Conservation, Community Development, Drug Abuse and socially orientated Programmes.

Scouting, will continue to appeal to young people and push out the frontiers as it has done in the past.

Scouting, is essential in society where the most urgent requirement is the transformation of negative peer pressure, into positive youth peer leadership.

Thank You.

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