Hi guys,

I'm sorry the blog has been kind of dormant for a while now, but everyone's been fairly busy with work committments.

Firstly, I would like to take this opportunity to thank our Group Council for kindly buying us new equipment - three Trangias, three fuel bottles and some methalated spirits for them as well. This equipment will be of great use on our trip to Conamara at the end of the month, and into the future as well.

We have a fairly busy couple of months coming up for V5, between an invitation to the Wednesday Troop's Annual Camp (July 18th - 24th), a trip to the West of Ireland (July 30th - August 3rd), another to Edinburgh (August 22nd to 25th) and other day activities in between. Murphy has written up the programme and will post it on this blog soon as well as emailing it to everyone.

Our next meeting will be held at the Crow's Nest on Tuesday, July 28th at 20:00 hours. For anyone going to Edinburgh this meeting will be important, and it is absolutely required that anyone planning on going on the Conamara trip attends also. Anyone planning on going to the West should inform either myself, Rick or Evelyn this week so we can book final numbers for the hostels on the way.



The map above outlines the route, and documents about the plan overview and costs can be found on this page. In short, it's from the afternoon of Thursday July 30th til the evening of Monday August 3rd and will cost around €150 in total. We're starting in Galway, finishing in Clare, and passing by Inis Oirr and the Cliffs of Moher on the way. It should be great!!!

We look forward to seeing as many of you as possible at our next meeting. Please spread the word and if you are going on either the Edinburgh or the Conamara trip we really need you to be there.

Thanks a million.
Yours in Scouting,

Spud.

Summer programme planning meeting - Tuesday, May 5th at 20:00

Hi guys,

we're having what will probably be one of the last meetings before the Leaving Cert this coming Tuesday at 20:00. We need to pin down a plan for a summer trip, suss out who's going to Oxegen and sort some accomodation out for Edinburgh while we're at it.

Also we'll try to get dates for a few boating sessions or something. I know Ethan and Flynner were asking if we could have a BBQ or something to celebrate the end of the exams so it'd be good to sort something like that out.

Hope to see you there.

Spud.

Oxegen 2009 - Scouting Ireland Festival Crew

Hi guys, just a heads up that I got an email saying that Scouting Ireland is teaming up with the organisers of Oxegen 2009 to provide a tent pitching and repair service over the weekend of July 9th-12th. A new service they're also offering is a tent packing service on Monday July 13th.

Scouts interested in taking part must be over 18, and it'll cost them €20 for the weekend. In exchange for 6 hours of work a day you get to see a load of acts and get a free camping pass. Demand is pretty high so apply ASAP.

* * *

Also, there's going to be a tent salvage on the Monday. Basically if a scout group registers they can claim any leftover tents when the whole thing is over. I heard some 12-man Vangos got left behind last year, and seeing as we're in need of gear this could be great for us. If anyone intends on attending Oxegen (either with mates or tent pitching) let me know if you're available for the salvage. Cheers!

Easter Camp 2009

11 members of the V5 group camped from Good Friday to Easter Monday in Powerscourt, Co. Wicklow. We were quite lucky with the good weather conditions, and had hardly any rain.


At the Den on Good Friday. L-R: Murphy, Sarah, Spud, Sam, Eoin, Katie, Barrett, Rick & Laura. (Absent: Evelyn and Izzy.)

L-R: Katie, Sarah & Laura.

The site, Powerscourt.

The dining shelter.

Meeting on Tuesday 21st April at 20:00

There will be a meeting of the Ventures on Tuesday, April 21st at 20:00. Topics on the agenda will include group finances and equipment, possible fundraising ideas and the plan for a summer camp. Hope to see you all there!

Tuesday 24th March - Easter Camp meeting at 20:00

Hi everyone,

as Easter is getting closer and closer we need to sort out the specifics of our camp - food, tentage, transport, who's coming, etc.

We will be having a meeting solely about this at 20:00 this Tuesday, March 24th, in the Den. Everyone planning to be on the camp should be at this meeting.

Venture Challenge 2009 - for the attention of all V5 members

Hi guys,

I found this information about the Venture Challenge 2009 - http://www.scouts.ie/filestore/documents/events_documents/2009_events/09_NE_178_%5BVS_Chal%5D.pdf - and I think every V5 member should at least consider this, as it would be excellent training for anyone considering the Explorer Belt in 2010.