All posts by : igg

Merlin Woods Guide Unit in Galway saw its first recipients of the Trail Blazer National Guide Award this year! It is a young Unit (established in 2013) and Aoibha, Rosa and Emily were delighted to be the first from the Unit to receive the prestigious Award after working hard to achieve it. Here they write about their experience:

Throughout the past year I have been working towards the Trail Blazer Award, which I finally received on Saturday 13 October in Croke Park, Dublin. I worked very hard on this badge and was honoured to receive this Award.

I was one of the first ever Brownies to join Merlin Woods Brownie Unit when it first opened back in 2011. I was enrolled as a Guide in September 2014. Last year I was determined that I wanted to get the National Guide Award with my two other friends so I began to work hard to complete all the challenges and earn more interest badges.

It took a lot of time and effort while working for it and we did many different badges and challenges and went to different events, but it was all worthwhile! My favourite part of the year was when I helped out at the Ladybirds and Brownie meetings. I enjoyed showing them all the cool aspects of Guiding!

Overall, Guides has taught me many skills and offered me many opportunities over the years, so to finish the course and receive the National Guide Award really meant a lot to me. Guides also introduced me to a lot of new hobbies I never knew I was interested in, like camping and kayaking, but by far the best thing I gained from Guides was the friendships. Some of my best friends today are those in my Patrol. At the award ceremony in Croke Park I was fortunate enough to re-encounter fellow Guides I met at Timpeall An Domhain nearly two years ago and at IGGNITE last year. These girls are from all around the country and, if it wasn’t for Guides and participating in these events, I never would have met them.

Irish Girl Guides and this Award also taught me about dedication, between doing all the different badge work and choice challenges at meetings to the great example set out for me by my amazing Leaders who give up their time. If it wasn’t for them, I never would have received this Award!

The day of the Award ceremony was so much fun. We went up on the train to Croke Park with my friends, parents and Leaders. When we got to Croke Park I was amazed at all the Guides there. We went outside and got our pictures taken in front of the pitch and then went inside for the ceremony. It was a nice ceremony and I was very happy when it was my turn and received my pin and certificate. It was also a great experience going up onto the stage to receive the award.

IGG members throughout Ireland are preparing for International Day of the Girl (11 October) by drawing their superheroes with special powers! These powers focus on the abilities, characteristics, powers and strengths of superheroes rather than their looks.

We’re inviting our members of all ages to send us photos of themselves with their superhero pictures to communications@irishgirlguides.ie and to share them with us on social media using the hashtag #TeamGirl, #InternationalDayoftheGirl and #IDG2018.

You never know: the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) might share them too!

The superhero activity is just one in the International Day of the Girl pack available on the WAGGGS website. If you complete a certain number of activities, you can earn your #Teamgirl badge.

WAGGGS decided to focus on the power and potential of girls for International Day of the Girl 2018. We know girls are already powerful, but sometimes they need a helping hand to reach their fullest potential. That’s where Girl Guiding comes in!

We want all girls to be their own superheroes and use their powers to change the world for the better!

Well done to the South East Guides, Senior Branchers and Leaders who hiked part of the South Leinster Way! Here South East Region Assistant Commissioner, Cathy Connelly, writes about their experience:

The entire South Leinster way, which runs from Kildavin in Carlow through Co Kilkenny and ends in Carrick-on-Suir in Co Tipperary, is 102km. We hiked half of that distance – from Kildavin to Inistioge.

There were six hikers and we had support from Leaders on our campsites. The hike was open to anyone in the Region who wanted to go. The group size may sound small to those of you in larger Regions – and some Regions probably run Senior Branch hikes – but we South East folk are a small close-knit Region and include everyone in events such as this.

The first day the group hiked from Kildavin to Borris – a total of 22km. They say that to be a Guide Leader, you need to have a shed, a car boot and a dining-room table to be able to give for storage of Guide equipment. In the case of this hike, you also need to have a husband to volunteer to Guiding. I was unexpectedly unavailable for the first half day of the hike and Una’s husband, Donal, generously offered to step in to lead that leg of the hike in my absence. When I met the girls, they were bounding down the slopes of Mount Leinster with what I thought was first day enthusiasm. However, their enthusiasm never faltered right to the end of day three and the last kilometre.

On the second day of the hike, we walked 12km from Borris to Graiguenamanagh along the Barrow tow-path. Along the way we examined the locks, which allow barges and other boats up and down the Barrow. The girls were delighted to see one of the locks in operation, which was much better than any explanation that I could give on how the locks work.

By the third day, I would have thought that enthusiasm for hiking would have been waning a bit, especially since we were heading uphill onto Brandon Hill. If anything, they were more enthusiastic than ever.

This last leg of the hike, from Graiguenamanagh to Inistioge, is 16km long and goes around the side of Brandon Hill and through forestry before descending to the picturesque village of Inistioge on the River Nore. Even though there was plenty of uphill hiking on this day, and it was a warm day, it was no bother to these ladies, who looked as if they hiked those hills every day. From Brandon Hill we could see over to Mount Leinster and see how far we had hiked.

We were staying in Woodstock Guide and Scout Campsite in Inistioge, which, as anyone who has ever visited Inistioge knows, is at the top of a pretty steep hill. The last kilometre of the hike through Woodstock woods and gardens was probably the toughest, but we were absolutely elated to arrive in the campsite where Marie was waiting for us with a warm welcome and a very welcome dinner. Marie and Una had even put the tents up for us so we were really spoiled!

As a Leader, I am in absolute awe of these girls who hiked an incredible distance and did so cheerfully and without a single word of complaint, even though their feet had to have been as tired as mine were. They laughed and chatted the whole way and I loved hearing them discuss amongst themselves the skills that Guiding has given them compared to girls who are not involved in Guiding.

This group of girls aged between 13 and 18 not only hiked 50km but did so with ease. It was a pleasure to accompany the girls for three days and my role was really easy in that all I did was accompany them: they led the way.

A Leader’s job is to make themselves redundant by giving girls the skills to surpass them and I think these girls will make excellent Leaders in the near future.

St Killian’s Brownies, Mullagh, had a fabulous time at camp in Castle Saunderson!

Thanks to Brownie Abby for telling us about it:

I had a brilliant time at Castle Saunderson. After we got settled in, we ate yummy pizza, then watched a movie before we went to sleep.

We had really busy days while we were at Castle Saunderson. I liked crate-stacking but my favourite activity was rock climbing. We also learned how to make friendship bracelets. I love mine so much I wear it everywhere. I also liked what I learned about camping.

I enjoyed the whole trip and I was sad it ended so soon.

Leader Veronica Quinn says:

The IGG tagline ‘giving girls confidence’ was very apt for the weekend with girls encouraged to try crate-building and rock climbing. And they achieved it! Even those who didn’t at first want to participate!

We were delighted to be joined by Rebecca, our new North East Regional Development Officer, for a few hours on the Saturday.

We would like to thank Castle Saunderson for the use of their wonderful premises and surroundings. We also appreciated the opportunity to meet Stephen, chief volunteer of Castle Saunderson, who was funny and enlightened us all with some of the history highlights of the area and gave every encouragement to the girls while crate-building. We would also like to thank Cormac, Operations Manager of the centre, for looking after us and assisting the girls with the night campfire, rock climbing and the backwoods challenge.

We are delighted that Aisling O’Boyle, Leader of Centenary Guides, Dundrum, Dublin, has been elected Youth Delegate to the United Nations (UN) for 2018-2019.

Aisling was selected by the UN Youth Delegate programme, which is organised by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Irish Aid and the National Youth Council of Ireland. The other delegate for the coming year is Jamie Moore from Dungarvan, Co Waterford.

Aisling and Jamie, who were selected through a competitive interview process, were officially announced by Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Simon Coveney TD, at a special event held in Iveagh House, Dublin, on 7 September 2018 in advance of their departure to the UN.

The Youth Delegates will work closely with Ireland’s Permanent Mission to the UN and will have the opportunity to represent the youth of Ireland during sessions of the UN committee dealing with human rights issues.

Helen Concannon, Chief Commissioner of Irish Girl Guides, said: “We are delighted that Aisling has been selected as we believe she is a wonderful candidate. She has demonstrated her commitment to global issues through her ongoing work in highlighting global issues and climate change within the programmes and events of the Irish Girl Guides.

“Aisling’s experiences and commitment to date will stand to her in this role as she lives out our aim of ‘giving girls confidence’. She exemplifies the ethos of Girl Guiding and we know she will do Ireland proud.”

The aim of the United Nations Youth Delegate Programme for Ireland, which was launched three years ago, is to support young people to be agents of change by providing an additional platform for young people to participate at United Nations level and to provide the opportunity for greater engagement on national and foreign policy issues.

Speaking of her “absolute delight” to have been selected, Aisling said: “It is an honour to be trusted to be the voice of Irish youth at the United Nations. In order to do this we will be running consultations with young people across the country to ensure that their voices and opinions are heard at the UN.

“We have seen a huge increase in youth engagement with political issues over the last number of years and I am really excited to be able to harness this energy and include young people in helping to achieve the UN Global Goals for Sustainable Development.”

Aisling joined Irish Girl Guides when she was six and, since she turned 18, has been a Leader with Centenary Guides Unit in Dundrum. “Being involved with Girl Guides on a national and international level has exposed me to numerous different ideas, viewpoints, and experiences,” she said.  “It has also given me a passion for equality and international development, and developed my confidence.”

Aisling has previously been to the United Nations, representing the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts at the 62nd Commission on the Status of Women in March 2018. “I am looking forward to being able to use my experience of lobbying for the rights of girls and young women to ensure the young people of Ireland are well represented throughout the year,” she said.

The people of Ireland will be taking to the polling booths on Friday 26 October 2018 to vote for the next President of Ireland. Vera O’Riordan, an IGG Leader from Cork, has written the following article to help us prepare to vote and to give younger members an insight into the voting process:

You may have heard in the past few weeks that the political parties in Ireland are putting forward candidates for the Presidential Election. The current President of Ireland is Michael D. Higgins and he is a member of the Labour Party – the fourth largest party in Ireland out of between 10-12 political parties active in Ireland with local, national and international representation.

There are four major political parties in Ireland. Fine Gael has the largest representation in the Dáil (the Irish Parliament – where they propose new ‘bills’ or laws), followed by Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin and the Labour Party. There are many other parties too. However, only these four parties have been involved in putting forward a Presidential candidate in recent years.

It is important to note that presidential candidates can also enter a campaign without the backing of a political party. These candidates would be referred to as ‘Independents’.  A President who is completing one term also has the authority to nominate themselves.

The presidential office is described as a ceremonial office. This means that the President does not have the power to vote on new laws or influence the Government in the decisions they make. The President of Ireland acts as a head of state and represents Ireland internationally. Michael D Higgins is currently responsible for:

• Formally appointing the Taoiseach (the Irish head of government – this role is currently held by Leo Varadkar)
• Appointing the judges of Ireland on advice from the Government
• Signing new bills into law to form part of the Constitution of Ireland (you may sometimes hear the Constitution being referred to as Bunracht na hÉireann, the Irish name)
• Representing the state in foreign affairs on advice of the Government
• Acting as Supreme Commander of the Defence Forces, this is described as a nominal role. This means it exists in name only and the decision-making within the Defence Forces of what is done is actually made by the Government in the Ministry of Defence.
• Giving pardon
• Acting as patron for many charities in Ireland and acting as patron for the Gaisce Award, which many of our Girl Guides and Senior Branchers have gone on to achieve!

The President’s term lasts seven years and four Presidents in the past have served two terms – a total of 14 years in office.

Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and the Labour Party are backing the current President, Michael D Higgins. Sinn Féin are putting forward a new candidate, who has yet to be named. There are many independent candidates who are currently seeking support from councillors (elected local representatives) around the country to support them. Independent candidates require the support of at least four town councils in order to be considered a presidential candidate.

A maximum of seven presidential hopefuls will go forward and will go through debates in the run up to the election.  The debates will be aired on television and there will be coverage in the media also. Presidential hopefuls will be placed under scrutiny by the public in order to get a sense of the personalities and qualities each candidate has. Every Irish citizen over the age of 18 will have the right to vote for the next President on the Friday 26 October.

Tip for over 18s: Check if you are on the Register of Electors at checktheregister.ie! If you are not, head into your local Garda station/post office to get sorted! It takes 14 business days to process, so you would need to do so early in October in order to be able to vote in the upcoming presidential election!

Tip for Leaders and girls: Check out the Voting Badge! There are Voting Badges for Ladybirds, Brownies and Guides. Hold a mock election for your Unit and discuss the upcoming election. Now is the perfect time!

Thank you to our President, Maureen Murphy, for her message for the new Guiding year:

We have had a great summer with lots of sun! I hope you have enjoyed your summer and have had time to relax.

I have enjoyed seeing all the photos of the many activities and events that have taken place – from the international events in Georgia, Denmark and the Netherlands to the four-day trek along the Barrow and all the Unit camps. So many opportunities for new experiences, new friendships and fun!

The beginning of a new Guiding year is always exciting – a blank canvas, new members and new plans and opportunities. It is a busy time for Leaders and I hope it is a great Guiding year for you all and for your Units.

The Regional conferences are coming up and they provide opportunities to get new ideas, link with friends and network. Cookie Week too is on the horizon and was a successful way  last year to both fundraise and  get local publicity.

I am travelling to Eastbourne in October with 15 Trefoil Guild members for an International Gathering. There are lots of other international opportunities coming up for you all to consider.

I would like to encourage you all to get involved with  some of the opportunities on offer at local, Regional, national and international level this year.

Eighty-two Guides, Senior Branchers and Leaders from the North East Region – Dunshaughlin, Navan, Ashbourne, Culmullen, Ballybay and Kells – took part in a trip to the Isle of Man in August. Thanks to Lauren Mooney for writing about the trip and for asking other girls and a Leader how the trip was for them >>

I was fortunate to be a part of this group. We stayed in the Venture Centre just outside Ramsey where we got to do activities on Tuesday afternoon, all day Wednesday and Thursday morning. The activities were wonderful: we got to try archery, abseiling, canoeing, a zip-line, kayaking, an assault course, crate-stacking, raft-building and mini golf. There really was something for everyone!

On Thursday afternoon we got to go to the swimming pool in Ramsey and, afterwards, we had 1.5 hours to explore Ramsey, which had plenty of souvenir shops and a delicious ice-cream shop! We took a steam train from Douglas to Port Erin on Friday. The steam train looked like the Hogwarts Express from Harry Potter so this was a nostalgic experience for all “Potterheads”. On Saturday, we took a tram up Snaefell, the highest mountain on the Isle of Man. We also got to see the Laxey Wheel and had some shopping time in Douglas.

Almost everywhere we went we travelled by tram. The trams on the Isle of Man date from the 1800s, so this was an interesting experience for everyone. The Isle of Man has some beautiful scenery – from rolling hills to thundering waves. I want to thank Mary Clarke and everyone who helped organise this fabulous trip!

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On Saturday evening I asked a Guide and a Senior Brancher from each Unit to give me a short synopsis of what they thought of the trip. Some Units had more than one Guide eager to give a review so here’s what they wrote:

“I had so much fun, the activities were so enjoyable. I bonded with so many new girls and made new memories from this trip.” – Saoirse, 16, Ashbourne Senior Branch

“I made friends with loads of new people, the Leaders were really nice and I didn’t want to go home!” – Jeules, 11, Ashbourne Guides

“This trip was amazing, all the activities were fun. I made new friends and everything was so beautiful. I would definitely come here again.” – Molly, 13, Culmullen Guides

“It was truly a once in a lifetime experience. The activities, atmosphere and culture of this area made the trip even better. I can’t wait to come back again.” – Aoife, 15, Culmullen Senior Branch

“It was an amazing trip. I had such good fun and made lots of new friends!” – Helena, 13, Dunshaughlin Guides

“We did a lot of fun things, like shopping and abseiling. I would come back again!” – Emily Brady, 10, Dunshaughlin Guides

“The Isle of Man trip was very good. I made lots of new friends and it is very pretty.” – Lucy, 11, Dunshaughlin Guides.

“I had a ball. I made some amazing memories that I will cherish forever.” – Róisín, 17, Dunshaughlin Senior Branch

“I had a great time. The activities are so much fun. I made so many friends. The activity leaders are so kind. I hope we come back, I had a blast.” – Kasey, 13, Cealla Guides, Kells

“The people who worked in the Venture Centre were really nice. The activities were fun and interesting. We got to see the old steam engines and trams in real life, which was cool.” – Maria, 15,  Cealla Guides, Kells

“We had a great time in the Isle of Man. We enjoyed all the activities and got to explore the Isle of Man, which was awesome!” – Caitlin, 12, Navan Guides and Aisling, 12, Cealla Guides, Kells

“The Isle of Man trip for me was a good experience. I got to see and do the activities. I made new friends here and it was very organised. I would like to revisit again, to see a bit more of the Isle of Man. As a Leader, it was great to see all the interaction with the Guides who were relatively new, who hadn’t much experience of international Guiding before. These girls did really well, even with the high/lows of missing home. Each Guide was always there to listen/comfort each other, for me that was great to see happening- giving each other confidence.” – Sióbhan, Leader with Navan Guides

Well done, well done, very well done to Lauren (10) from Co Offaly who has successfully completed all her Brownie badges! What an achievement!

Here Lauren writes about her experiences since joining Irish Girl Guides:

I started Ladybirds when I was five and made new friends and had lots of fun.

I started Brownies in September 2015 – my first six was the Elves. My favourite night was my enrolment night as on that night I received my passport book full of interest badges and so I began earning badges.

I loved earning the badges that we worked on in our Brownie Unit and also the ones that I did myself at home.

My Brown Owl was Jenni and my Mum, Laura, was Tawny Owl. My big sister Bernadette, who is a Guide, helped out with games and activities.

In the first year my favourite badge was the Book Lover Badge as I am a bit of a book worm! As a Unit, we did the Cycle Safety Badge and brought in our bikes one night and worked through all the drills and had lots of fun

In the second year I was Sixer of The Little People with my best friend Andrea as my Seconder. At Easter that year we went to Mount Lucas Wind Farm and earned our Environmental Awareness Badge. That was loads of fun and we learned loads.

I also earned other badges that year. I earned my Water Safety Badge as I trained to be a Rookie Lifeguard. We did lots of badges as a Unit and in the summer we went to Beech Cottage and earned our Hostess Badge, our Nature Lover and Guiding Traditions Badge.

And so in my third and final year I was Sixer of the Gnomes. By then my younger sister, Michelle, was also a Brownie and sometimes we worked on badges together, which was fun.

In November we went to visit the local fire station and they explained all that they do and how to prevent fires and at the end of the night they presented us with our Fire Safety Badges.

Another night our Leaders brought us on a tour of the town and showed us the history of the town and that night we earned our Local Knowledge Badge.

I continued to work at home on badges as I only had a few left to do. Then one night two ladies from Intel came to our Unit and we worked on our Engineering Badge. It was a great experience and we learnt so much that night.

On my last night of Brownies we had a party and I was really happy as I had completed all the badges. At the end Ann got up and said that one girl had completed all the badges on the Journey Programme (it was me)! I was presented with a bag containing a Guide neckerchief, Guide sash, keyring, teddy and notebook but, best of all, the Guide Badge Book so I can start again!!!

I loved Brownies and hope that I will love Guides just as much! I’m looking forward to starting!

Well done to the 17 girls and young women who successfully completed the Chief Commissioner’s Award!

The Award is not for the faint-hearted as it involves hiking 60 kilometres over five days while carrying all your own camping and cooking equipment and completing eight projects … all while living on €3.50 a day!

The girls, who took part in teams of two or three, did not know the location of the survival challenge in advance so they couldn’t prepare for the projects. Some had never even met their team-mates before the start of the event!

They were all delighted to find themselves in rural Co Waterford and they were overwhelmed with the generosity of local people who filled their water bottles, offered tea and biscuits, helped with directions and allowed them use their bathrooms.

Ciara O’Reilly (18), a Leader with Lough Crew Guides, Oldcastle, Co Meath, said taking part was “an absolute pleasure” as they got to meet many amazing people who were happy to help them complete their projects and give directions. “The biggest challenge was the hiking itself,” she said. “It felt as though, with every kilometre, the bags on our backs got heavier. The high point was reaching the end and knowing we had completed everything.”

Sarah McShane (19), a Leader with Navan Guides, said taking part was surreal. “Every day was so different from the last – a new route, new people, new camping ground, new sights and new challenges,” she said. “It was tiring, I will admit, by day three but then you are hit by a wave of determination to finish and it just feels amazing. A high point for me was when we spoke to the local people throughout our adventure – they were just so kind and so determined to help us in every way they could.”

 Anna Higgins (19), also a Leader with Navan Guides, said, “It was all about getting to know the villages, the people and Waterford’s quirks. It was really freeing to be out and about chatting to people and seeing their curiosity in who we were and what in God’s name we were doing. A fair amount of people thought we were mad for walking 60km in five days while camping, all voluntarily!”

Sarah Canavan (22) a Leader with Sika Senior Branch, Killarney, said, “The biggest thing I learned from the whole experience was perseverance. On Tuesday morning I really wanted to give up but I’m so glad I didn’t as the proud feeling wearing the pin afterwards was 100 per cent worth any pain I felt during the week.”

Sarah Kenny (22), also a Leader with Sika Senior Branch, said, “I would definitely recommend to others to do the Chief Commissioner’s Award; it was a really amazing experience and we made so many memories.

“For me, Guiding has helped me become the person I am today. First-hand, I have seen how Guiding gives girls confidence and empowers them to do better. Guiding has given me the opportunity to travel and to make life-long friends. Having joined Irish Girl Guides at age five here in Killarney, and now being a leader, I feel everyone should give Guiding a go.”

Congratulating the participants, Award organiser Ann Doyle, said: “What a remarkable, determined and strong group of young people we have in Irish Girl Guides’ Senior Branch. As the week went on, I met people along the routes who had met the girls and I was blown away by the positive impact the teams had had on the local communities in Waterford. The energy and enthusiasm they put into achieving the Chief Commissioner’s Award was outstanding.

“I want to congratulate everyone on their amazing success. I know that each participant will bring amazing stories of their success back to their communities across Ireland. Their dedication and enthusiasm will no doubt be an inspiration to countless girls and young women.”

Far, far away in a land were a girl can be a king, our adventure started. Five caterpillars embarked on a journey of growth and friendship, resulting in the return of five strong butterflies.

It all started 18 months ago at an interview for an opportunity we knew little to nothing about. Although we did not know what we were signing up for, we knew it was an adventure that we could not pass on. After a day of indoor and outdoor tasks we still did not know much about Georgia except where it is on the map (above the Black Sea beside Turkey, in case you didn’t know).

Before we knew it, we were at Dublin Airport checking in our bags and full of anticipation for what was to come. Two flights, two trains and an afternoon in Munich later we arrived in Tbilisi. The next few days comprised of sight-seeing, Turkish baths and delicious food. When the day to go to camp arrived, we waved goodbye to our host families who had given up their beds for us.

Once at camp, we set to work decorating camp for the opening ceremony. Many paper butterflies and streamers later camp officially started.

What followed was an exciting week, consisting of the best talent show act ever to be witnessed, trips to Vardzia the cave city, white water rafting, workshops on swaps, activities centred around the Sustainability Development Goals and a lot more rain than expected (like home).

We also became secret agents for the week: the mission was to not let anyone know we had brought two extra mattresses into our room so we could all stay together. We held daily flag ceremonies in order to show the Georgians our Guiding traditions. In return, they showed us their culture – from their food to their dance.

If you ever wanted to find us on the campsite, you just had to follow the sound of Mamma Mia where you would find five Irish girls dancing extremely well-choreographed routines (if I say so myself).

From this trip we grew as individuals and as friends. What started as a simple online application resulted in a trip of a lifetime. As we boarded the plane to go home, we were no longer the caterpillars that left Ireland. Instead, we returned as butterflies who were just waiting to emerge.

Twenty members of IGG travelled to Georgia to take part in the Georgian Girl Scouts’ Dia Camp. Thanks to the Senior Branchers who put together this diary of the trip for us:

Thursday 2 August – Kate

On 2 August 2018 our journey began. All 20 of us met in Dublin Airport at 8am. We embarked on our journey to Munich Airport and when we arrived there we got a train to Munich. We went to a German museum in the city centre called ‘Deutsches Museum’. It was great. We got a meal in Pizza Hut and that was delicious. We returned to Munich Airport and prepared for our next flight to Tbilisi Airport. From there we would be getting collected by our host families.

Friday 3 August

Today we collapsed into bed at 6am and slept for four hours. Our host families gave us breakfast and we watched a movie. At 2pm went to Old Tbilisi where we met some of our host friends and our Leader. It was beautiful. We saw a famous artist and we went for lunch, we had amazing food. Hajapoarg was my favourite. We then went to meet our group and took the cable cars to the fort. We had amazing views. We walked the beautiful streets of Tbilisi and collapsed into bed later that night.

Saturday 4 August

On Saturday we had a tiring day. Our day started with the Museum of Georgian Houses. In one place we saw the different types of houses from all over Georgia and also wine cellars. After this we went to a cathedral. Then we went to the Museum of Georgian History and learned all about artefacts and the stories behind them. It was so interesting.

Sunday 5 August – Amy

The day started early with us all meeting at 9am to get on a bus to go to camp. This was our first time seeing all the Georgian Girl Guides that we would be camping with. Once on the bus we had a three-hour journey to our campsite in Atskara. The camp itself was up in the mountains and was very spacious. There were hammocks and sports/games equipment scattered around the camp ensuring we would never be bored. We were soon given our rooms and then we had a chance to meet the other members of our patrol as well as the other campers. We were all given our camp neckerchiefs and t-shirts too. At the end of the day we had an opening ceremony to welcome us all to the camp and to officially open Dio 2018.

Monday 6 August

Today my troop went rafting. We went over many rapids and it was so much fun. The view was amazing along the whole river. Thankfully no-one fell out but towards the end we all jumped out of the raft and swam close to the boat. On Monday we had a talent show in the evening. It was lots of fun and everyone got involved. Myself and my friends performed to ‘The Rattling Bog’. I had a lot of fun; it was an amazing day.

 Tuesday 7 August

Today I stayed on camp and we played games based on the SDGs. In the evening the three patrols were given time periods and we had to make up a skit about Scouting in those times. My patrol was given the Stone Age so we dressed up as cavemen and discovered fire. We all enjoyed the night and it really put our imaginations to use.

Wednesday 8 August

Today I went to the caves in Vardzia. These caves are 8,000 years old and amazing to see. After a three-hour bus ride with the windows wide open we arrived. Already from the ground, a kilometre below, the caves were breath-taking. We walked up and went on a guided tour. It was so unreal that these caves had been there for so long and I’d had no idea. We went into the chapel and other room through steep, secret tunnels. After the caves and a quick stop at the supermarket, we were back at camp for tonight’s campfire. We gathered in the gazebo because of the thunder and lightning. We danced, sang and had fun through the night. I learnt new songs and taught others the ones I knew. It was definitely one of my favourite days in Georgia, if not ever.

Thursday 9 August

Today was our last full day at camp. We spent most of the day practising for International Night and closing ceremony. There were many great performances from traditional Georgian dance to Irish dancing and a spectacular performance from the Lebanese girls who arrived at camp for just one night. We finished off the night by honouring our flags and singing each country’s national anthem.

Friday 10 August

Today we left the camp. It was very sad to leave. We took a three-hour bus journey into Tbilisi where we dropped all our bags into Sunny House. After a big welcome to Sunny House, we went to a water park called Gino Paradise with a few of the Georgian girls from camp. It was great fun but emotional to say farewell to them. We had a sing-song with two of the Georgian leaders before we got off the bus; it was the icing on the cake to an amazing 10 days.

Saturday 11 August – Aoife

We were woken at 2am to head to the airport. We said our final goodbye to Kety and made our way through security and onto our flight to Munich. We were all exhausted and slept nearly the whole flight. We landed at about 9am in Munich, where we left the Irish staff team and went into the bright sunshine. Most of us had missed breakfast on the flight so we got food in the airport. We had two hours before we had to go back through security so we wandered around the shops, relaxed in the sun or had another nap. Some of us were even brave enough to get on a mountain bike and do a few laps of the track that had been set up!

We all made our way back through security and re-joined the staff and headed to our gate, where we learned that the flight had been overbooked! Three volunteers were required to stay overnight and be booked on a flight the next morning. Luckily, the issue was resolved and soon we were on the final leg of our trip. We landed in Dublin, collected our bags and were reunited with our parents!

The goodbyes were emotional but we were all excited to tell our stories and look ahead to our next adventures!

Earlier in August I attended MedJam 2018 (Mediterranean Jamboree), an international camp jointly hosted by the Malta Girl Guides and the Scout Association of Malta.  The camp took place in the Ghajn Tuffieha campsite on the west coast of Malta. The campsite is run by the Scout Association and, when it doesn’t have 1,600 Guides and Scouts in it, is open to the public. This was the first time that Malta had hosted an international camp and it was attended by 21 different countries. I was there on behalf of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) to run a workshop about WAGGGS and the WAGGGS Programmes.

The worskhop included activities about WAGGGS, some Thinking Day packs, Surf Smart, Free Being Me and the YUNGA challenge badges. I told the Guides and Scouts a bit about each of the activites and packs that I had with me and offered them the choice of which one they sampled. The choice of programmes that the participants picked was interesting. Boys unanimiously went for Free Being Me. Most Guides had already done Free Being Me in their units and so preferred other WAGGGS activities.

I camped in the National Service Team and International Service Team subcamp and it was a novelty to be on camp without any Guides to look after! As with all Guiding experiences, especially international experiences, they are all the more enjoyable because of the new friends that we make. I shared a tent with a Maltese Leader and there were some Maltese Rangers in the tent next to me who translated important announcements such as “dinner is ready”! I also met some Leaders from the UK who, as it turns out, are from the same  Guide Unit as another Leader who I know. (I know we say that it’s a small world a lot in Ireland, but sometimes it really is a small  Guiding world)!

The camp programme allowed participants to experience some of the culture and heritage of Malta in the morning sessions. As my workshops were only on in the afternoons, I was able to join the excursions off site with groups. I visited Esplora, an interactive science museum which was full of things for the Guides and Scouts to do and experiment with. An experiment involving liquid nitrogen and boiling water was particularly popular! I also got to explore Valletta, visit the Malta Experience and go on a tour of  the Knights Hospitillar exhibition which had plenty of underground tunnels and gruesome historical medical facts to keep Guides and Scouts interested. More importantly, as an Irish visitor unused to hot weather, the underground tunnels had some lovely cool walls to lean against!

This was my first time camping in the Mediterranean and it was interesting to experience a camp in a different climate. While we take precautions for rain on Irish camps, the activities and sub camps at MedJam were focused on dealing with hot temperatures.

International Guiding is about new experiences and meeting new people and that is certainly what I got from MedJam2018.

A member of Griffeen Valley Senior Branch has scooped top prize in the Students for the Advancement of Global Entrepreneurship (SAGE) World Cup in South Africa!

Aoife Dardis (18) took first place in the Socially Responsible Business Category along with two of her school friends, Caoimhe and Katie.

The three young women have created – and published – ‘No Limits’ children’s books that feature heroes/heroines with a disability. The books promote inclusion and diversity and the girls are generously giving the proceeds to charities that support people with disabilities.

Winning the SAGE World Cup was “completely and utterly overwhelming”, says Aoife. “It came as a real shock to us! …. It was honestly the most amazing feeling in the world!”

The idea behind the books is to show that a disability is not a disability as such, but a different ability. “My cousin, Niamh, suffers from severe epilepsy and Katie’s dad, Colm, has cerebral palsy and is hence a wheelchair user,” says Aoife. “Myself and Katie get to see every day how our relatives are just the same as every other dad and cousin despite society not seeing them the same way. Of course there are some everyday things that their disability complicates for them but everything they do – and can do – make them, in our eyes, their own kind of hero.”

The ‘No Limits’ books are available online but the girls are hoping to get them into school libraries and plans are afoot to translate the books into other languages so that they can be sold in other countries too. The girls have already brainstormed ideas for further ‘No Limits’ titles.

Aoife joined IGG when she was seven and, as well as being a member of Griffeen Valley Senior Branch, she also helps out with Tír na nÓg Brownies. “Being part of IGG has completely changed my life,” she says. “I have learned so much about myself and about others.

“IGG has offered me the most amazing experiences, such as the 2013 trip to Switzerland or singing at the ceremonies of Camp 101 in Roscommon. The only reason I wasn’t on this year’s Chief Commissioners Award was due to the SAGE World Cup in South Africa!

“I have made friendships for life and also found non-biological sisters. The most important thing I think I’ve gained from IGG is how to be a confident girl and, to quote Camp 101, ‘Together we can change the world’.”

Thirty-one IGG members took part in Roverway in the Netherlands from 21 July to 2 August. Here Lauren Mooney of Castleblaney writes about her experience:

At 7:15am on Saturday 21 July 2018, I found myself standing in front of the Aer Lingus check-In desk at Dublin Airport. After some reunions, catch-ups, check-in, security checks and shopping, we were on a plane to Amsterdam for Roverway 2018. The plane landed at 12:30pm and we got a train onto Haarlem, where we would spend the next two nights for our Pre-Camp. We had lunch and rested for a bit, then we decided to explore Haarlem. Haarlem was beautiful, with a magnificent church and cobblestone streets. That evening we had a campfire where we sang and toasted some marshmallows.

On Sunday we were up bright and early to go to Amsterdam. We took part in a Scavenger Hunt with groups of Scouts who were also going to Roverway. Through the Scavenger Hunt, we got to visit some of Amsterdam’s most famous landmarks such as Dam Square, Rijksmuseum and Museum Square. In the afternoon we had free time, so we divided into groups. Maggie, Nicki, Orla, Orna, Méabh, Danielle, Ciara-Beth and I all went to Primark, The Duck Shop and The Cheese Museum. We went back to the Museum Gardens to have our dinner and then onto the Anne Frank Museum where we met the rest of the Contingent. After the museum, we went back to Haarlem.

For Roverway, we were divided into patrols. My patrol was called Mint and there was seven people in our patrol – Ellie, Niamh, Cathy, Kate, Gráinne, Aisling and me. For five days of Roverway, participants go on a path. A path can be standstill (where the tents are set up and are not taken down until you go to main camp) or roaming (where participants stay in various locations over the five days). Our path was roaming and we decided to put some of our belongings in a bag to be taken straight to main camp.

On Monday, we tidied up the Scout Den and went to The Hague for registration and the Opening Ceremony of Roverway 2018. The Hague is a city in the Netherlands where most of the government buildings are. It also has a huge beach, where the 4,500 Roverway participants and 1,000 International Service Team members were camping for a night. I had lunch, then talked to some people from Oxford that were on our Path and went for a walk along by the water. The Opening Ceremony was amazing, with music afterwards.

The next morning our breakfast was scheduled for 6:30am and our bus was leaving at 7:30am. We went to a Scout Den in Harlingen, where we would be staying for one night. By 11am, we were all on a boat (about the same size as a tall ship) heading out to sail across the Ijsselmeer. The boat stopped twice so that we could go swimming. We got talking to many people from our Path and there was a lot of food so, overall, it was a great day.

On the second day of our Path we arrived in a small town called Giethoorn. We were about 3.5km into a 14km hike with our backpacks when we were told to stop because of the heat. We sat in the shade, drank a lot of water and talked to plenty of people and, after a while, a bus came to get us and we were taken to a Scouts Den in Zwartsluis. At this Scout Den, there was a huge lake for us to swim in.

The next day was International Day. To start the day, we had an English breakfast, then some free time to go to the shops, swim and relax. For dinner that evening, we tried food from each patrol on our Path. There were patrols from Slovenia, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Germany and the UK. We decided to cook Irish Stew with creamy mashed potatoes and, for dessert, we made Fifteens. We then did an activity from each country. We did the Walls of Limerick and Dreoilín with our Path group.

On Friday we went cycling to our next Scout Den in Kampen. The cycle was 48km, so we made sure to stop plenty of times for water breaks in the heat. About 8km outside of Kampen, we stopped in a lake to go swimming. That evening, we had a Dutch Barbeque.

Saturday was our last day on the Path. One of our Path leaders, Jeffry, said he would take a small group of us to a farm shop outside of Kampen to get some food for dinner that evening. We had to cycle about 8km to get there and, when we arrived, there was a strawberry farm. In the afternoon, we went into Kampen to explore the city.

On Sunday morning we went to the Main Camp in Zeewolde and pitched our tents and set off exploring the campsite. That evening we had the Main Camp Opening Ceremony and there was different music and activities in each of the cafés. On Monday there were activities on different fields – some activities were related to the environment and recycling while others were to do with mindfulness and well-being. I got to make a solar oven for cooking food and I took part in a yoga class.

As part of the activities on Tuesday, we went to the town of Zeewolde by bike and, in the afternoon, we went canoeing and swimming. On Wednesday we spent our last full day with people from our Path group and we went to a ceremony called Celebrating Roverway. On Thursday morning we packed up, went to the Closing Ceremony, said our goodbyes and got on the bus to Schiphol Airport. On our way to the airport, we found out that our flight was cancelled, but luckily enough we had had our amazing International Commissioner and two fantastic Heads of Contingent who organised hotels, new flights and kept everything running as smoothly as possible. Some of us flew back to Ireland on Thursday night while the rest waited until Friday morning to fly home.

Overall, I had an incredible time at Roverway. I would highly recommend it and I can’t wait until the next Roverway in 2024. This is a journey that I will always remember. I learned so much from Roverway and got to meet some great people. Honestly, I couldn’t pick a favourite day or moment because I enjoyed them all so much. The worst part was having to leave and say ‘goodbye’ to everyone. All our international friends promised to go to the World Scout Moot 2021 in Ireland. I want to say a huge ‘thank you’ to our Heads of Contingent, Aoife and Fiona, IGG International Commissioner Lorna and everyone else who helped make this trip possible.

If I could give six tips to future Roverway participants, they would be:

1) Pack lightly (get help from an experienced packer, if needed)

2) Don’t let the word ‘roaming” on a Path description scare you off

3) Ask your Path Leader lots of questions

4) Push yourself out of your comfort zone

5) Talk to as many new people as possible

6) Embrace and enjoy every moment!

Twenty-eight members of IGG took part in a Friendship Camp in Denmark from 29 July to 4 August. Here Guide Katelyn talks about her experience:

To be chosen for this amazing opportunity I had to fill out an application form and go for an interview. Luckily, I passed both.

Around 9 o’clock on Sunday morning, we discovered that our flight had been cancelled. No one knew what was going to happen and we were told the next flight could be between three to five days. It was only a couple of hours later we found out that our flight had been rescheduled to 6 o’clock instead of half 2. When we got to the airport we discovered that our flight had been delayed until just before 9 o’clock that evening. This meant that after we had gone through security we still had more than two hours of freedom.

Since our flight had been cancelled and delayed we were all given a €10 voucher to spend on food, which meant we didn’t have to pay for our dinner. After a bit of confusion on where to go we finally made to our gate at 8 o’clock which meant we had to wait another 20 minutes until boarding. The plane finally departed about half 9 for the flight to Copenhagen. The flight was short enough, landing at a quarter past 11 Irish time.

From the airport we got the metro to Christiana and then we had a 15 minute walk to the hostel that we would be staying the night at. There was a bit of confusion because a group of Scouts had taken our rooms so we had to sleep on mattresses on the floor.

On the Monday morning we all got up at 8 o’clock Danish time so we could go do some sightseeing. On our tour around Copenhagen we fist stopped off at Newhaven. It is a popular tourist attraction because the houses are very colourful. Then we stopped off at the Little Mermaid statue. Afterward, we went back to the hostel, got our bags and caught the bus to Copenhagen train station. There was a bit of time to buy some food for lunch before we went to our station and waited for our train.

We got on the train at 1 o’clock for the two-hour bus journey to Vejle, where we were staying. When we got to Vejle we had to get a coach to bring us to the campsite. When we arrived at the campsite, we had some snacks before helping the Danish girls put up the remaining tents.

The Danish girls do things slightly differently: they eat off tables that they make themselves using their pioneering skills. All of the Irish girls didn’t know a lot about pioneering so the Danish girls had to help us a lot.

That evening we had a campfire, but, because of the dry weather Denmark was experiencing, the campfire consisted of some electric candles surrounded by logs.

On the Tuesday morning we all woke up at 7 to be ready for a quarter to 8 for the flag ceremony. We then all met up at 9 o’clock and got on the coach that brought us to Legoland. Once there, we split up into our patrols and were told to meet back at a quarter to 6. All the patrols were back in time except for one patrol, who thought at the time it was a quarter to 5! They eventually made it back – then we all got back on the coach that brought us back to the campsite, where we continued working on our tables.

On Wednesday we started working on the social entrepreneur badge. We had to decide on a problem in our local community and then think of a way to solve that problem. My patrol decided to do our project on the environment and what you can do to make it better. That evening we had an Irish-themed campfire with the Irish girls singing some songs in Irish and teaching the Danish girls some Irish dancing.

On Thursday we did the ‘action’ part of the social entrepreneur course. We all got the bus out to the nearest town, Vejle. Me and my patrol got random people in the street to fill out a survey on what type of bags they use when they go shopping and whether or not they recycle. From our survey we discovered that most people said they do recycle but we concluded that some people might have just said ‘yes’ to make themselves look better.

When we all arrived back at the campsite we had to tell everyone about our project and what we did in Vejle. That was the last activity that we had to do for the social entrepreneur badge so afterwards we were all awarded our badges.

That evening we had a Danish-themed campfire. One of the activities we did was seeing who could eat their string of liquorice the fastest without using their hands. We were then taught some Danish songs and dances by the Danish girls.

On the Friday, the Leaders set up activities for us around the camp. The activities included professional tree-climbing and a very muddy slip-and-slide. That evening we had our last campfire because it was our last full day. We also had a celebration because it just so happened to be my birthday the next day! We had made some traditional Danish birthday cake as one of the activities so we used that as a birthday cake.

After the campfire, we had some more activities. I found it a lot more fun because it was dark by the time we were doing them. Since it was our last night and we had taken the tents down earlier that day, we slept in shelters.

On the Saturday morning we had the closing flag ceremony before saying goodbye to everyone. It was a little bit sad saying goodbye but we knew we would all be meeting up again in November.

I had so much fun camping in Denmark and hope to get the opportunity to go to another camp next summer.

IGG International Commissioner Lorna Finnegan, Sleaty Guide Leader Sorcha Harkin and Aoife McDonnell, a Leader with Cuchulainn Brownies, represented IGG at the Market of Ideas conference in Lebanon in early July. The event, hosted by the Association des Guides du Liban, was an opportunity for young Leaders from member organisations of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts to get together, share and freely discuss experiences, ideas and challenges around Girl Guiding.

Here Sorcha writes about the event:

The concept behind the conference was for our different organisations to come together and share the different ideas our organisations have, to get inspiration and to make new connections around the world. There were people attending from Lebanon, Ireland, Canada, Tunisia, Oman, Slovenia and a WAGGGS representative from Egypt. We arrived in Lebanon just before midnight on Wednesday. The first thing I noticed leaving the airport was the heat! Even Ireland’s heatwave couldn’t beat it! We travelled to our hotel and went straight to bed after a long day of travelling.

The next morning, we got up early to go sightseeing around the region. We met the women representing Canada and quickly made friends. We were driven up to Northern Lebanon, where we visited a cedar forest and the museum and tomb of the poet Gibran. To get there we drove up Mount Lebanon and the views were absolutely stunning!

Later that day we met up with four girls from the Guides du Liban who showed us around more of the city. We went to Byblos, one of the oldest cities in the world that has always been inhabited. When we were there we saw a fortress, went on a boat trip and had falafel for dinner. It was a great experience to see some more of the country, meet some of the Lebanese Guides and try some of the local food.

On Friday the conference started. We took part in some icebreaker games. Usually I dread these types of things because they can be a bit boring, but it was really interesting this time and a great way to immediately mix with different people. We also had some workshops surrounding the issues that each of our organisations face. It was interesting to see that most of the organisations had the same issues and we shared some solutions that have worked for different countries. It was a great opportunity to meet and get to know different people from the other organisations and discuss problems and issues that we’ve all faced.

On Friday evening we had the opening ceremony, which was a lovely performance of the history of Lebanon and a great official start to the conference. After the ceremony, we had a barbeque of sorts, a feast of Lebanese foods, meat, salads and mini flatbreads that I can’t remember the name of but that tasted amazing!

On Saturday we started the literal Market of Ideas. We all set up our displays and projects and Leaders from around Lebanon came to see our presentations and chat with us. We displayed lots of different aspects of our organisation, but we focussed the most on Senior Branch and the Crumlin Hospital Guide Unit. We spoke to nearly 200 Leaders from different Lebanese organisations over the weekend!

On Saturday evening we all headed out to a restaurant in Beirut for an authentic Lebanese meal. There was a gorgeous view from the restaurant and the food was amazing. There was so much food, we were all stuffed by the end of the meal!

On Sunday we finished the Market of Ideas, had a roundtable discussion to end the conference and had our closing ceremony. It was bittersweet because we were all tired after the weekend, but we didn’t want it to end! Unfortunately, after the closing ceremony, we had to say goodbye to our new Lebanese friends. After that, the international guests were given the opportunity to do more sightseeing. We all hopped on a bus and headed to a teleférique, aka a cable car, which took us up the side of Mount Lebanon. We then visited the Lady of Harissa statue, which provided an amazing view of the city. After that, we visited a Leaders’ training camp nearby and said ‘hello’ to some of the people who had been at the conference, and some people we had never met before. We then headed to the Jeita grotto. Unfortunately we were not allowed to take pictures there, but the cave and its surroundings were absolutely amazing and so beautiful. After our visit to the grotto, we headed into downtown Beirut, where we visited the city’s largest mosque and had a tour of the city centre, thanks to more of the local Leaders of the Guides du Liban. We had dinner and then we headed back to the hotel. At this stage we were absolutely wrecked, and had to get up in just a few short hours to fly home. So again, we said our goodbyes and went to bed.

I had an amazing experience in Lebanon at the Market of Ideas. I met so many wonderful and inspiring women, I made lots of new friends, I learned more about the way Guiding works across the world and I got to see an incredible country. It’s an experience I’ll never forget and something I’ll carry with me forever.

Drogheda Area camp was a huge success! Members of Tullyallen Guides, Drogheda’s Boyne Valley, Cúchulainn Guides and Millmount Guides as well as Senior Branchers from Drogheda, Monasterboice and Dundalk all took part.

Here Róisín (12) of Millmount Guides writes about her experience:

This summer I went camping outdoors for the first time! I had an amazing time. Between cooking, campfires and activities I was so tired after the weekend!

On Friday, when we arrived, we pitched tents. We made a table from logs and ropes! It took a while but it was successful. Later that day we made camp flags. I was part of the Waterproofs Patrol.

On Saturday we had French toast for breakfast. After our delicious breakfast we all made tie-dye T-shirts. They were surprisingly easy to make. We twisted the T-shirts into a swirl, put elastic bands around them and dipped them into buckets of dye. We let them dry in the elastic bands for a few hours, took off the elastic bands and put them on the line to dry.

After that, we did a slip and slide using two huge tarps and fairy liquid! I was hesitant to do it at first but after my friend, Aoife, convinced me to do it I had a brilliant time! All of our Leaders had a go and they had a great time as well.

On Friday and Saturday night we had campfires. We sang loud songs, quiet songs and anything in-between songs! Unfortunately our camp was during a drought so we couldn’t actually have a real fire, so we improvised! Instead, we used fairy lights. It actually worked really, really well to make a campfire, and then, to make it even better, we had s’mores!

During this camp I made friends, I learned to tie new knots and I cooked. We learned how to be more independent and we made friendships that will last forever. I had an amazing time, we had great Leaders, great activities and great weather!

We learned a lot by going to this camp. I wish it could have been longer. I had a great time with the people who I shared a tent with and who I camped with. We have great opportunities in Guides and I would love to camp again.

Six weeks of fun, fabulous weather and a group of wonderfully enthusiastic girls from every corner of the world! Where else could we be, but in the new Brownie Unit in Mosney? The once very well-known summertime Irish amusement attraction that brought joy to families across Ireland is now bringing joy and comfort to families from across the seas, a home and a place of sanctuary for those who do not have a home.

IGG had the amazing opportunity to get involved with the Mosney community for a six-week period and introduce Guiding in the form of Brownies. Even though we introduced the idea to the seven to 10-year-old girls, the girls were already Brownies at heart with their enthusiasm, positivity, eagerness to lend a hand and an astonishing kindness. Everything that represents what a Brownie is!

By the end of the first meeting it was clear that this amazing group of girls from all different walks of life all had what it took to be a Brownie. So, what did we get up to? Over the six weeks the girls kept a folder that was full of arts and crafts from paper dolls wearing their home countries’ Girl Guide uniform to friendship bracelets and helpful elephants. The girls learnt what it meant to lend a hand and become a Brownie by being introduced to the Brown Owl and the Brownie story, learning what their promise meant, shaking with their left hand and learning how to tie their neckerchiefs very successfully. Absolute naturals! There were also games galore such as musical bumps, relay races and much more.

Although we didn’t all speak the same language it really did not seem to matter that there were more than six nationalities of all different English-speaking abilities in the room because we all knew how to speak FUN and, when you’re a Brownie, it’s safe to say that is the most important language to know. The six main nationalities in the Mosney Brownie group are from Zambia, Zimbabwe, Pakistan, Nigeria, Albania and Angola. We hope that this expands even more in September. It’s no surprise to say that Mosney was familiar with Guiding before our arrival. We were incredibly lucky and absolutely delighted to find out that a resident of the Mosney community was a Guide in Angola before coming to Ireland. She selflessly volunteered her time with us over the six-week period and was brilliant. The starting up of Brownies in Mosney meant a lot to her as Guiding, like for all of us in IGG, is close to her heart.

The enthusiasm and kindness I saw from the girls in the short six weeks was incredible. From the moment we stepped foot inside the gates of Mosney the enthusiasm was looking right at us with huge smiles, full of chat and ready to go, run, jump, lift, carry and sing. Even the smallest gestures throughout the meetings spoke volumes whether it was helping someone colour, tie a knot, remember the words to a song, a quick translation to a friend in difficulty or even down to sharing the last piece of chocolate was heart-warming to watch and a huge eye-opener at how willing these Brownies were to share.

By the end of the six weeks the girls’ heads were bursting with campfire songs (which were 100% a favourite) that just had to be let out before they exploded with excitement. So for our final meeting we had a campfire, sang our hearts out and then filled our bellies with delicious chocolate bananas which were made over the campfire. We said our goodbyes not for good but just for the summer.

We hope to continue the Brownie group in Mosney on Tuesday nights and for it to be as successful as it has been already. I think it is safe to say that we, as a group of Leaders, enjoyed the experience as much as the girls did and look forward to it continuing in the future.

Loud applause and cheering broke out in the public gallery of the Dáil at around 4pm yesterday with the historic passing of the Fossil Fuel Divestment Bill. The bill was passed with all-party support and there was widespread applause in the chamber too. A perfect way to end the Dáil term!

It was truly a historic day as it makes Ireland the first country in the world to commit to selling off its investments in fossil fuel companies, the industry most contributing to climate change.

The state’s €8 billion national investment fund will be required to sell all investments in coal, oil, gas and peat “as soon as is practicable”, which is expected to mean within five years. The Ireland Strategic Investment Fund currently holds more than €300 million in fossil fuel investments in 150 companies.

It was a privilege to witness history in the making. Trócaire has been working hard with independent TD Thomas Pringle over the past two years to bring about the ground-breaking legislation and, as partners with Trócaire, Irish Girl Guides signed a letter sent to TDs last month urging them to support the bill.

Such a bill was urgently needed! Last month Ireland was ranked the second worst European country for climate action in a Climate Action Network report and we are set to fall well short of our EU emissions’ reduction targets for 2020.

Hopefully the bill will pass rapidly through the Seanad, meaning it will become law before the end of the year.

The fossil fuel divestment movement has grown rapidly in recent years with the widespread recognition that there is a need to move away from fossil fuels and invest in renewable energy instead. There is clear evidence that the vast majority of remaining fossil fuels must remain unburned if the temperature limits adopted in the Paris Agreement on Climate Change are to be respected. Cities, universities and churches have committed to divest from fossil fuels but Ireland is the first country to make this commitment.

The sad reality is that it is those contributing least to climate change who are suffering most from the consequences. Droughts, floods and storms have already contributed to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people in developing countries, with millions more facing hunger and displacement.

The passing of the Divestment Bill is good news. It is only right that Ireland takes on its fair share of the burden of climate action – that we move away from fossil fuels and invest in a cleaner, greener future.

Let’s hope that Ireland sees through its commitment to divestment and that other countries will follow.

Many of the TDs who spoke in the Dáil yesterday praised the work of Trócaire and other NGOs who have campaigned on the issue of climate change and talked about the hundreds of emails they had received from concerned constituents, which goes to show that speaking out and taking action can not only change minds, but can also lead to important new legislation.

Well done to everyone who raised their voices on this issue and helped make history!

The tall ship voyage on the Pelican of London was an extraordinary experience, which I am grateful I got the opportunity to participate in. Although it was only 10 days, they were quite possibly the best and most memorable days of my life. There was never a dull moment on board and I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.

We boarded the ship at 10am on Sunday. I was both terrified and excited. I was scared as I didn’t know anyone or anything about how the next 10 days would be. It was a comfort, though, to have my fellow Guides beside me. I was also ecstatic and hopeful to meet new people and learn new skills. I hope to have both of these for the rest of my life.

We soon got to know the other trainees and, by the second day, it felt as if I had known some of these people for my whole life. The second day was also when we started to learn about sailing a ship. Most of the learning was done on our watches.

The watch system made it so you were usually on watch a third of the time. This meant that we bonded with the others on our watch and, although some watch times were more desirable than others, there was never an unenjoyable watch.

We learned lots of new skills while on board, one of which was climbing the rigging. I didn’t do this as much as some others as it was entirely voluntary. However, I did try it a few times as I was trying to push myself to do new things.

Another skill I learned and loved was helming. While we were on watch, we all got to take turns steering the ship by changing the rudder angle. One of the biggest issues with this was trying not to oversteer. We were always supervised by a member of the crew who were all very helpful and understanding.

As I mentioned before, I tried to push myself to try new and scary things on this voyage. One example of this would be the day we went swimming, which doesn’t sound scary but I was a little worried because I can’t swim! The crew helped me out by giving me a buoyancy aid. Many of the other trainees were more adventurous and jumped from the bikini deck, a rope or the bowsprit but I decided to start small and just jumped from the rail. This worked well for me the first time but the second time my swimming suit got caught on a pin and ripped! Luckily not many people saw this, and those who did just wanted to help. At the time I was a little embarrassed but I can now see the funny side.

Another element of the voyage was the views from the boat. It was always so beautiful and you never knew what you would see but it never disappointed. The views were always a highlight of the night watches – whether it was watching the sunset on the 8pm to 12am, seeing the stars on the 12am to 4sm watch or the sunrise on the 4am to 8am watch. Of course, the day watches had equally stunning views as well, like the time we saw dolphins!

As the voyage was ending, we decided to throw a small party with lots of sweets, crisps, and juice. It was fun and soon turned into a sing-along. Fortunately, some people brought instruments. We had two guitars, two ukuleles and two tin whistles on board. Everyone sang along without judgment. It was one of my best memories on board.

I loved every minute of the trip and would recommend it to anyone and everyone. If I could go back and change anything I would probably just have packed more warm clothes but, other than that, I wouldn’t change a thing and, if given the chance, I would go again in a heartbeat.

It was a truly unforgettable experience.

On 4 June 2018 I stepped onto the Pelican of London for the first time. This was also my first time ever being near a tall ship and yet there I was ready to set sail on this ship until the 14 June with people I had never met before. It was a comfort to know that I would be accompanied by three other members of Senior Branch from all corners of Ireland.

The first thing we had to do was check in with our captain and hand over our passports. After that, all the trainees started to mingle and to get to know each other. Within minutes we could see ourselves becoming close friends with everyone on board. The crew then gave us a brief introduction to sailing and went over all the rules and safety precautions.

Within a day we were all set up in our watch systems and we were ready to work to the best of our ability for the next few days.

It did not take long for me or anyone else to get into a routine. We would wake up for watch, eat, sleep and also find time to become friends with the other trainees. It was no easy task but soon we were so used to it that it felt like we had been doing it for years.

My favourite part about life on the ship was being on watch. I loved tackling new and exciting challenges with a group of like-minded peers. With each new challenge we took on together, we became closer as friends.

The hardest challenge I had to face was leaving the ship because I felt as if I was leaving behind my family. On a positive note, I left the Pelican of a London with a wealth of nautical knowledge and large number of new friends. The experiences I have had on board have shaped me into a more confident and more outgoing person.

I would highly recommend for everyone to go on a tall ship voyage at least once in their life. Now that I’ve been once, I can’t wait to go again!

On 4 June 2018 I travelled to Dublin to begin my journey on The Pelican of London. When walking to the ship my feelings were a mix of fear and excitement. I was looking forward to making the ship my home for the next 10 days. We left Dublin Port in a parade of sail and, seeing the other tall ships sailing around us, was amazing. There were people from all over the country on the ship and everyone quickly got chatting to each other.

We anchored in Dun Laoghaire and began our training. We were shown how to put on the harnesses and, with difficulty, we managed to put them on. I was the first trainee to climb the rigging and the feeling of adrenaline while doing it made me want to stay up there. The next morning we set sail for Cork. There was very little wind so we weren’t moving very quickly but the sun was shining and we were having fun getting to know each other.

We experienced our first night watch as my group was on watch from 12.00 till 04.00. Sailing during the night was so peaceful. You might think that four hours is a long time to be on watch but we easily passed the time by telling stories, laughing and drinking tea. Over the next few days we were taught about how the ship works and we began to feel very comfortable on the ship. After three days’ sailing we arrived and dropped anchor in Ballycotton near Cork Harbour. We went swimming from the boat and the atmosphere on board was lovely. That night we played cards and people played their musical instruments and sang.

The next day we docked in Cork Harbour and over the weekend we got the chance to show the public around the ship. Although we had only been on the ship six days we had become very familiar with it and had somewhat forgotten how impressive the ship looked. The public was in awe that we were sailing aboard the ship and we got to hear stories about people’s experiences on other tall ships.

We left Cork on Sunday evening and faced windy weather and wavy seas on the way back to Dublin. Everyone got to spend a day in the galley, or kitchen, to help the chef. It was a challenge to work in such a small environment and with the ship rolling back and forth. However, it was a nice feeling knowing that I had helped prepare the meals that fed all the trainees and crew for a day. On Wednesday we docked in Dublin. We tidied all the sails and cleaned the ship. That night we had a party during which each group performed a song and there was a prize-giving.

My time on the ship passed so quickly and it is an experience I will never forget. I have both dinghy and yacht sailing experience but it was amazing to have the opportunity to sail on a tall ship. I would recommend this experience to people with and without sailing experience because it is an environment that is both challenging and rewarding. Climbing the mast, living in a small place, making new friends and spending time away from home are all skills that will help you in the future.

I have developed friendships with people from all over the country. The trainees, mentors and crew made the experience one that I will never forget. We laughed together, drank way too much tea together and learned how to sail the ship together. The amazing views from the top of the mast, the sunsets and sunrises and the ship with all the sails out are images that I will remember forever.

I hope that one day I’ll get another chance to sail aboard a tall ship.

I arrived excited and a small bit nervous at the dock in Dublin on 4 June to board the Pelican of London. It was fairly easy to find the rest of the Senior Branchers – Grainne, Amy and Tarah – as our neckerchiefs tended to make us all stand out. I was soon relieved to discover that I had most certainly not over-packed despite the fact that I had taken a slightly bigger bag then the one which I would usually bring to camp. Once we were all together, we boarded the ship. In total there were 28 trainees going on the voyage. We left Dublin in the Parade of Sail with the rest of the tall ships which had been in Dublin for the Tall Ships festival. They had raced to Dublin from Liverpool. Some of the ships were now continuing on to Bordeaux in France.

We travelled by motor to Dun Laoghaire. All of the trainees mainly just spent the day chatting and getting to know each other as the majority of us had never met before. Once we arrived in Dun Laoghaire we dropped anchor and covered all the safety information. Then we moved onto the work we would have to do on the ship coiling ropes, helming (steering) and knots (some of which I already knew from Guides), and we were put into watches. Your watch is basically the group of people who will be on duty with you at the same time. After dinner we went aloft for the first time. It was a small bit scary the first time especially because you had to lean back to get on and off of the platform but everyone managed it.

That night I had my first watch at 2am! As we were anchored the watch was only one hour and only two people were on at a time. All we had to do was keep note of the radar and wind speed. The watch passed surprisingly quickly but we were grateful to head back to bed at 3 nonetheless.

The next day we set off. We would be going over towards Fishguard in Wales before turning back to head into Cork. We had our first proper watch at 12:30pm where we had to help with trimming the sails. Two people had to be on lookout all the time and one person had to be steering the ship. We also got to partake in our first Happy Hour, which comprised of a full clean of the ship. The announcement for Happy Hour was always preceded by a cheery “bing, bong!” from Anoush, the second mate, so this was something we soon would all come to dread. As we were on watch we got to clean the ship’s deck, which included getting out the hose and giving it all a good scrub.

By the end of the second day we were beginning to settle into the ships routine. I got my first experience of helming the next day on our 8am-12:30pm watch. It was slightly harder than I expected trying to keep the compass needle pointing at the correct number as often it would swing past the point you were aiming for and you’d then have to bring it back but I soon got used to it.

By the fourth day we were beginning to head back towards Cork. We anchored in Ballycotton Bay that evening. Much to everyone’s delight we were allowed to go swimming. Soon everybody was leaping into the water and having a great time. That was definitely a highlight of the trip for many people. By this stage we had also started up a murder mystery game onboard. Everyone was given a name, a place and an item. They then had to get that person in that place and get them to hold the item to kill them. So began the plotting. We soon became wary of taking anything another person tried to hand you.

We arrived into Cork on the Friday and, after tying up at the dock, we then had to pack away the sails. The second time climbing the rigging was a lot easier and much less daunting now that I was more confident doing it. We had an open ship on Saturday and Sunday. As part of Cork Harbour Festival people could come onto the Pelican and have a look around it. While in Cork we got a chance to go ashore and stock up on essentials. You know: biscuits, ice pops, that sort of thing. We even managed to invent a new word – swindy – which refers to a day when the weather is just sunny and windy enough for sailing.

After spending the weekend in Cork we headed back out to sea and began our journey back to Dublin. On the way back it was decided to use the Gallant and Royal sail. I got the opportunity to climb up to release the gaskets so we could use the sails. Climbing up the mast while the ship is anchored or docked is one thing but, climbing up while we were out in the middle of the Irish Sea, is slightly different. Despite my nerves I made it to the top. The stand out moment of the trip for me was standing on the top platform looking down on the ship as it rocked up and down in the waves.

We anchored in Greystones for one night where we were greeted by locals in speed boats who came out to have a look. The next day the Pelican ended up on The Happy Pear Instagram story when they spotted her.

We eventually arrived back in Dublin on 13 June. That night we had a party on the boat where we had a good laugh. Every watch performed a song and awards were handed out based on what we had achieved over our 10 days on the Pelican of London.

My adventure aboard the Pelican of London was the most amazing experience of my life so far. There are so many great moments to choose from and it definitely helped that all of the other trainees were so much fun to be around. I learnt so many new card games and, of course, sailing skills. I would really encourage anyone to apply. I was admittedly quite nervous before I went, especially in regard to sea sickness and just the idea of being on a ship for a week but as soon as I got on board all those fears were soon put to rest and I had a brilliant time.

I have to say a big thank you to Irish Girl Guides for giving me this opportunity and to Sail Training Ireland for providing these experiences.

Free Being Me is a programme designed to help young people aged between seven and 14 to learn the important lessons around body image and self-esteem. It was launched by the Dove Self-Esteem Project in partnership with the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS).

Irish Girl Guides (IGG) has taken a huge interest over the past number of years and it has been successfully rolled out in dozens of their Units nationwide. Full training is available to all Leaders to allow them to effectively deliver the Free Being Me message.

Helen Hartnett is a Brownie and Guide Leader in the Kildare area, and has successfully delivered the programme to girls aged seven to 10 and 11 to 14. When I asked her about the programme she told me that while there were differences in the content for both age groups, the message of body confidence was central to both: getting girls to focus on their bodies and develop their own self-esteem regardless of make, shape or colour.

When Helen initially began delivering the Free Being Me programme she says “It was surprising how informed the ‘vision of beauty’ was, even in girls of a young age.” She explained to me that in one particular exercise with Brownies (seven to 10 years old) they were asked to draw a picture of a princess. In 99% of the cases the images produced were identical – blonde hair, blue eyes, clear skin, small waists and so on.

In another exercise with the Guide group (11 to 14 years old) the girls were shown a series of pictures before and after they had been photoshopped.

 “In all instances the girls agreed that the altered image was better. It was as if recognising the image myth wasn’t enough to deter the girls from feeling the need to comply with it. We’re just trying to get the girls to understand that conforming to stereotypes isn’t always in their own best interests, that it’s OK to just be yourself.”

She continued by telling me that, as a Leader, projects like this gave her a clearer understanding of the image issues affecting young girls as well as the skills to talk about them with young people.

“As a Mum, it has allowed me to open channels of discussion with my own daughters. It’s been an eye opener in so many ways”

In order to explore the idea of body confidence and self-esteem further, Helen told me that the girls work on projects exploring similarities and differences between themselves.

Through the course of their work the girls are encouraged to understand that differences in appearance don’t make your friends like you any less.

“The point is,” explains Helen, “that we don’t all have to be the same to be beautiful.”

To conclude, Helen told me that Free Being Me is bigger than IGG and indeed WAGGGS. “The girls also have a chance to spread the word in their communities. Through the ‘Take Action’ part of the programme the girls are encouraged to tell others in their communities about what they’ve learned.”

And with over 10,000,000 members worldwide, from Sudan to Japan and America to Australia, the potential for Free Being Me to help change people’s body attitudes is enormous.

“In IGG we are striving to shape the leaders of tomorrow; our tagline is ‘giving girls confidence’ and body confidence is as good a place as any to start.”

For further information see www.freebeingme.com and www.wagggs.com

This blog post was originally published on www.yourdailysliceoflife.com.