Charelville Scout winning the Shield.
The Scout County Shield contest was held at Kilcully campsite, just outside Cork, from 21st to 23rd April. A total of 13 patrols entered the competition with the top 4 selected to represent the county at the All-Ireland Phoenix Challenge to be held in Stormont Belfast in August. Throughout the weekend the scouts were tested in some technical scouting skills such as camp craft, navigation, first aid/emergencies, semaphore, log books, cooking, campfire sketches and survival. Each patrol consisted of 8 scouts aged from 12 to 15. All teams worked without the help of an adult from Friday evening up to Sunday afternoon. All weekend the scouts were being tested and to survive the weekend each patrol had to work as a team putting all their knowledge and experience to good use. When the results were announced on Sunday evening there was a tense atmosphere as every patrol was hoping for the best or a place in the phoenix challenge. Camp Chief Paudy O’Brien thanked all the scouts before he announced the results, Charleville scored well in all areas tested and won the camp craft element of the competition. When all the totals were combined, Chief Scout of Ireland Christy McCann came forward to present the County Shield to Patrol Leader Evan O’Connor and the rest of the patrol. Until last year Charleville had not won a County Shield since 1999 and now they have won two in a row.
Congratulations also to Mallow Scout Group who put in a very strong performance and came second, and to Kilworth and Fermoy who finished 3rd and 4th, all qualifying for the Phoenix Challenge in Belfast.