St Patrick's Scout Group's Good Deed collection in aid of Save Our Homeless Dundalk

St Patrick's Scout Group 1st/ 2nd /5th Louth, Dundalk's biggest scout group, is to hold its Good Deeds Collection in aid of Save Our Homeless Dundalk, at the Market Square in Dundalk on Thursday 7 December at 7pm

Scout Leader, Andrew McManus spoke to the Dundalk Democrat ahead of the event, to learn a little more about the Good Deeds Collection and about the scout group.

“As long as I remember”, said Andrew, “when I was a scout, we used to have what was called a Good Deed Mass, it was on in St Nicholas' Church,

“Basically we were asked as kids, to bring a small food hamper with us and then during the mass we would present the hamper.”

Andrew explained that the hampers were then given to St Vincent de Paul, who distributed them to the needy in the town.
For various reasons over recent years however, the attendance at the mass has not been as high, so it was felt that a new approach was needed, especially when Covid came along.

For the past number of years, the the event was taking place in the scout hall on the Castletown Road in Dundalk.
Andrew continued: “This year myself and a couple of the leaders said we want to try and do something bigger this year, so that's why we're doing it at the Square.

“So we got Sonja from Save Our Homeless Dundalk, she's done it for the last two years with us. It's the same principle, the kids were bringing down the hampers, and we were just bringing them to the hall, they were coming down with it on the Friday night and she was coming afterwards taking the stuff away for us. Just a good deed collection.

“What we're trying to do this year is trying to make it fun for the kids. So we're going to get them to come to the Square, at the Christmas tree, hopefully some Christmas carols.

^{Above: The event on 7 December at the Square in Dundalk}

“We're planning to put a few of our tents up at the Square, the kids will arrive at 7pm and they'll put their gifts into the tents, and then we'll have hot chocolate and a bit of singing. And I'm hoping Santy is going to come as well.

"I've opened it up to, not just our group. We'd be the biggest scout group in Dundalk. We're St Patrick's Scout Group, 1st, 2nd and 5th Louth.”

Andrew goes on to explain a bit of background on the local scout groups. “There'd be other groups in Louth, we're 1st Louth, 2nd Louth, and 5th Louth and you've got 3rd Louth and 4th Louth in Drogheda.

“When they opened up, that's what we were known as in the Armagh Diocese. Any other ones around the county are 6th Louth, 7th Louth, and so on. Slieve Foy in Carlingford are 8th Louth.

“We were CBSI, Catholic Boy Scouts of Ireland. It would have been the main organisation in the country. Then we dropped the 'Boy' about 30 years ago, so it's just CSI, Catholic Scouts of Ireland. Girls are allowed to join as well. Then there was SCI, which was a smaller organisation, you've got Northern Ireland Scouts as well.

“The two came together about 25 years ago (CSI and SCI), we're just known as Scouting Ireland now.” He lists off other local groups, including, Buíon Setanta, Ravensdale, Blackrock, and Louth Scout Group, which covers areas including Tallanstown and Louth Village.

While St Patrick's Scout Group have all age ranges, not all the other groups do. Explaining the ranges, Andrew says, “Beavers is the first, with children joining at six years old. We only started Beavers about 15 years ago, we just had Cubs, Scouts and Venturers.”

Andrew adds that they also have Rovers. Venturers are from 15 to 18 year olds and Rovers are 18 to 21-22. “But you find at that age group, most of them are at college or working. They wouldn't meet that often. Our Rovers are helping out as leaders, but they're still our Rovers.”

Andrew adds, “Scouting Ireland changed its policy a few years ago, once you reach 18 you become an adult member, so you have to be garda vetted.

“That wasn't always the case. Once you're 18 you go through the whole procedure- child protection and all that.” He adds that every three years, leaders have to go through Garda vetting. “Even though I'm a leader now nearly 30 years, I have to do Garda vetting.”

Looking at nearly 30 years as a leader, Andrew says, “yeah, since I'm 18” and laughs, adding “for my sins.”
At St Patrick's Scout Group, Beaver “colonies”, who are are six to nine year olds, meet on a Monday and Wednesday night.

Andrew explains, “there are two Beaver colonies, 1st Louth Beavers and 2nd Louth Beavers. When they turn nine years old, they move up to Cubs, with a ceremony taking place to mark moving up.

“Cubs meet on a Tuesday and Thursday night, they're 2nd Louth and 5th Louth. “Then Scouts (12 to 15 years of age) are 1st Louth and 5th Louth, they meet on a Thursday night.

“Venturers meet on a Wednesday night”, Andrew says, adding that he is a scout leader with the Venturers. He further adds that he will be taking over as leader for the Rovers but they don't meet very often.

The groups meet at the scout hall on the Castletown Road in Dundalk, “We have two halls, a small one upstairs and a big one upstairs. Then during the summer, we have the garden.”

Andrew adds that they acquired a piece ofland in recent years that they need to start work on, as at present they don't have enough room.

Looking at just some of the activities they undertake, Andrew says that occasionally they go to places like Wales or Scotland, or climb a mountain.

The Venturers went on a memorable trip, he adds to Switzerland to Kandersteg International Scout Centre, the World Centre of the World Organisation of the Scout Movement.

^{Above: Venturers at Kandersteg International Scout Cente}

The trip was part of the celebration of 100 years of scouting, with the Venturers spending two weeks there.

Before finishing the conversation, Andrew mentions two people who passed away recently, who have been heavily involved with scouting in Dundalk, and are greatly missed by St Patrick's Scout Group.

Mary Duffy, former section leader with 2nd Louth Cubs, and was Andrew's Cub leader when he was young, passed away on 6 November.

Heinz Kampez who was also a Cub leader passed away on 16 November. Heinz originally arrived in Ireland as part of Operation Shamrock, where 50 German refugees made Ireland their home in the years following World War 2.

St. Patrick's Scout Group 1st/ 2nd /5th Louth are always open to new recruits joining. Anyone interested is asked to email stpatricksscoutgroup@gmail.com.