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Muff scouts going for gold
21.08.09
IT'S BEEN a big couple
of weeks for the Muff Scouts. The were in England
last week for the North Yorkshire Jamboree and this
week they travel to Waterford to take part in
Ireland’s premier scouting competition, the Phoenix
Challenge.
In recent years the Muff Scouts have regularly
competed at the challenge, which is attended by
troops from all over the country. Last year they had
their best ever finish of 11th place, earning a
silver designation. This year hopes are high that
they can get into the gold position.
Twelve members of the Muff Scouts group, boys and
girls aged 12 to 15, will travel to take part in the
challenge, which this year is being held at Mount
Melleray.
The Muff Scouts qualified for the challenge out of
the Errigal heat (Donegal/Tyrone/Derry) in June.
Muff Scouts leader Hazel Browne said Muff’s record
at the competition has been improving year on year.
“The Phoenix Challenge encompasses all the badge
tests that scouts do and is the pinnacle of
competition in Ireland. This is, I think, our sixth
year to take part. The first year we took part we
came 26th but we’ve improved every year. Last year
the top six teams were awarded gold. It will be
pretty tough to get gold because some of those
scouts meet two or three times a week just to
practice for the Phoenix Challenge.” |
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The Muff Scouts will be
tested on a wide range of skills including hiking,
map-reading, camping and cooking.
“The competition is split into two main challenges.
One is a hike from Thursday to Saturday, with the
scouts setting up camp each night along the way. The
other is a standing camp, which is building a
campsite from scratch. We have eight of our scouts
in that competition.”
Meanwhile, at last week’s North Yorkshire Jamboree
in Harrogate, Muff scout Stuart Hyndman won first
prize in the talent competition while 10 members of
the 9th Donegal (Muff) troop won the overall games
day. 1600 scouts from Britain, Ireland and mainland
Europe attended the event.
Hazel said the lessons learned the scouts are useful
primers for adult life.
“The young people get to learn discipline and
teamwork. They might not always see eye-to-eye with
other members of the team, but they have to talk
thinks through. This is a good skill to learn for
when they enter the working world in a few years.”
(Inishowen Independent) |
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