The World Jamboree 2011

Well I can't believe im actually going! I had decided not to go and had missed the closing date for applications but when Brian heard this he was really disappointed. He had been hoping to have one person from our troop going to represent us. I felt bad that I had let him down and so I decided to go. Luckily they accepted my late application and so here I am.

Last weekend we had out first meeting of the Beith troop, which is the troop I've been put into for the Jamboree. It means Birch in Irish. Every troop has been given a tree in Irish and is made up of 36 scouts and 4 leaders.

Our troop has mostly girls and a few guys from all over, mostly Dublin but a few from Wicklow and Donegal too!

Next weekend is our first training weekend, in Larch hill. It'll give me a chance to get to know people and hopefully make friends as I'm pretty scared being on my own.

I'd just like to say now that the fact that I'm able to go is mostly down to the fantastic scout troop I'm in. They have supported me so much in everything and are helping in paying and fundraising a large amount of the camp fee. Without them I wouldn't be going and in fact I don't think I'd be who I am today! They've given me everything I am.. 

Gaisce Hike :)

This hike was part of the gaisce award that we are doing in TY. The word Gaisce basically means the presidents award and its recognised in alot of places as a prestigious award to have.

The award has many parts to it, including: community, physical, skill and adventure, so this weekend was the adventure part.
We started off on Saturday morning in the Glendalough car park and hiked up and around Camaderry Mountain. It was about a 15Km hike I think and we did it really fast! I thought it was easy but I guess thats because i'm used to hiking. It was great craic with about 70 of us and a few teachers who are actually nice outside school!
After the hike we split up. The half who had hiked the night before headed home and we headed to the Glendasan Hostel for our over night! The walk from Glendalough to the hostel was about 15 mins and it ran along a really nice river which i was tempted to get into for a splash!

When we got to the hostel there was a bit of hastle with who was in what house and what room, but it got sorted and we settled in for the night. Dinner was a short affair of spag bol and for supper we had some of Katies mum's amazing cakes!

Mr.Dunne told us some ghost stories and we had a good old gossip about the 3rd years ;)

Then just after we got into bed Inion NiGhallagher arrived for the night at about 1am!
It felt like I had only been asleep 10 minutes when I woke up, and being me once I'm awake I'm up!

We had our breakfast and cleaned the house before heading to mass in Laragh. This was another 20 minute walk including a steep hill!

After mass we completed the final part of our Gaisce hike, a short walk up in the hills behind the church, leading back to Glendalough.

Our Gaisce hike was over, and other than Paris it'll be one of the most memorable things of TY. It made the year closer to eachother and to the teachers, and to think i was contemplating not going!

Womans Mini Marathon

This year for the first year ever, I'm taking part in a marathon. The Woman's Mini Marathon! Its a 10km race which goes all the way around Dublin City.

I started my training last week. After being sick for so long my fitness had really suffered and I'm finding it hard to get back into it. I'm in my second week of training now and am only up to 3km. The race is on the 7 June so I have about a month to get up to 10km which is going to be a big challenge, but if your thinking now, 'why bother?' Theres a certain attraction to the achievement you feel from running that little bit further, and the fact that I'm helping someone at the same time because I am doing it in aid of Down Syndrome Ireland. Every time I run I get the satisfaction that I'm helping make someones life better. I am lucky to be doing some of my training with school, and our coach Ms.Coyne is great at motivating and shes pushing us all the way. Her training schedule involves running to a dart station a week. The next stop is Seapoint, but I can barely make it to Dun Laoghaire! But its early days yet!

So the training goes on. I've no pictures for these posts because I mostly run alone but their will be one of the finishing line!

Kayaking- Level Three

So my level three was coming up, and ask anyone. I was panicking. Until now I did most things the lazy way thinking "If it does what I want it to, its grand."

But coming up to the assessment is wasn't. I very quickly had to sharpen all skills up.

Coming up to the assessment I did two training days. Both on the Liffey. The first day the water was at a good level but we barely covered anything. Only forward ferry gliding! Like what use is that?

So I went for a second trip. This time the Liffey was DIRT LOW! Lowest ever. Sluice was no where near running and in comparison to its normal self I would describe it as a dribble.

But all the same I learnt most the stuff on the syllabus, and all you people above Level Three are probably thinking ahh its a piece of piss and yes it was but it didn't feel like that the morning of it!

We met at the ICU centre at 1.45 where we all got changed and put our stuff in the trailer. From then we transported to the get in, just before Lucan Weir.

And it began! Basically the trip was ran as if we were leading it. The water was at an average level and everything was easy going. I didn't go for the boxes this week though! I wanted to start with a good start not by falling off the side of the boxes!

My breaking in and out was ok, but I was only getting comfy on the river by the time we were off it! The assessor had noticed me and Rachel were hesitant and he pulled us aside at the start and told us to relax. I kind did after then, but i'm never a relaxed person on the river. Or off for that matter.

The only thing that came as a shock to me on the assessment was the breaking in and out with a bow rudder. I hadn't really done it much before because it wasn't really on the syllabus but I knew the gist of it so I gave it a lash.

And I passed!! Whoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Surprised myself really. Everyone kept telling me it would be fine and I'd pass but I didn't quite believe myself that I would, and I did. I was also proud of myself on the day because I shot the middle of Wrens. I have an aversion to that weir and never like shooting it and normally go for the very left side. ie, the safest! I had said to the assessor I was going for the left but changed my mind at the last minute, ran it and styled it!! If i might say so myself! I even had a little surf at the bottom even if it was on the left side! :)

Work Experience

Well, some of the best weeks i've had in fourth year are over. I anticipated them for so long and it was so worth it! :)

My first week was in The Great Outdoors in town. I started off on Monday morning in the main store, where I was introduced to everyone and shown round. I was pretty nervous the first day because I didn't know anyone and felt a bit awkward.

By then end of the second day I was loving it. I am lucky to have an extensive knowledge of camping, hiking, skiing and outdoors gear so I could help customers on the floor. I had to get a bit of help but I like to think I held my own in the store.

On wednesday I had a day off because there was a staff meeting in the morning and in the afternoon I had a hockey match!

On Thursday I started off in the storeroom doing stock in the mainstore but as I only had 2 days left at this stage I was eager to get into the Watersports dept. Which I like to think is my speciality! Seeing as I spend approximately 100 days of the year in the water!

That night GOD would be hosting the launch of the movie Dream Results, so i was kept busy helping prepare for that, and was entertained by Dave and Albert who were both very funny and nice to me! I also learnt a few new things such as how to fill a dive tank, which I was terrified to do but Dave wouldn't let me away!

Anyway back to the Dream Results launch. It was in my opinion and in many others, a great success so well done to the organisers.

Russ Sturges and Tyler Bradt came over from The States to launch it in the store and the paddling community turned out in their masses to give them the warm Irish welcome.

The movie itself was great aswell, and i have to say i loved the carnage. I've now seen the movie about 12 times seeing as it was one repeat in the store the day after but nonetheless still a good film.

The atmosphere in GOD on the night was amazing and Russ Sturge's rap at the end was epic as was the input from Dave. :)

All in all the launch was AWESOME, as the yanks would put it.

The next morning was not so awesome though. Ye kayakers are a messy bunch and you left your mark. The morning was spent putting the shop back together and cleaning up the booze spilt on the floor so that the customers would not stick to it or wonder what the smell was!

On Friday I also got to meet Laura, the lovely girl who works in the watersports dept. Poor her working with Dave and Albert! Joke :)

I had fun chatting to her, learning about the shackletons course which has caught my interest! Hmmm.

I also had the pleasure of cleaning out one of Paul's store rooms in the shop, which was a big enough job! He'd better keep it clean!

So that was the end of my time in The Great Outdoors, which I honestly thoroughly enjoyed despite all the negative comments I got about it. I met a sound bunch of people and learned a few life skills, aswell as getting to meet Rush Sturges and Tyler Bradt, TWICE! (The next morning they called back to the store to say bye)

My next work experience was in The Ski Centre in Sandyford, another experience which was incredible to say the least. The people up there are the soundest bunch of guys (boy do I sound like a culchie here! ) EVER.

Apart from the trek of getting there (which was actually nicely sorted out for me because Jane and Tamsen lived across the road from me so I scabbed lifts off them. Thanks!) I have nothing bad to say about the place.

While I was there I got to ski for a few days which I'm sure improved my technique, learn (kind of) how to use there very confusing booking system and learn how to fit boots and skis which I'm sure all of will come in handy in the future!

But it wasn't all fun, games and skiing. I had to do a bit of work aswell ; Sorting out files, shredding files and spraying boots with minty antibacterial spray which left my hands minty for two days after!

I've less to write for the ski centre but thats because two weeks later my memory is failing me! But it was a great week of work experience that I'll be recommending to next years fourth years!

After that I went to Killiney Castle for one week. No wait thats a lie. I went for four days, i couldn't bear to do the last one. I'm not going to write much on this and bore everyone but I wouldn't recommend anyone to go here. All I did for the four days was polish glasses and cutlery and fold napkins. WORST WEEK EVER!

Scouting In The New Year

The weekend after the senior hostel, Hannah and I made a brave decision to go hostelling with the cubs, which is surprisingly energy-consuming. When we reached Larch Hill, the cubs and leaders set off for a small hike, while Hannah and I volunteered to cook dinner. And believe me cooking dinner for 35 people is no easy feat. You should have seen the size of the pots and pans we used.

But dinner wasn't going to take us the amount of time we had, sooooo the pictures below will describe what you can get up to with an industrial roll of tin-foil.

(disclaimer: TINFOIL LEAVES SEVERE CUTS ON YOUR FINGERS! BEWARE)

The senior hostel trip was on the 26/27 February. We hiked from the Glendalough carpark, to the hostel in the valley called Glenmalure. It took us about 5 hours, but we had alot of breaks. The ground underfoot was really snowy the whole way up and that made it quite hard to walk in. But we made it eventually, and plenty of fun was had. That hostel always remains my favourite despite the fact it lacks running water, heat or electricity. The evening was spent playing charades by the fire, dinner was cooked in the dimly lit kitchen, by means of a gas hob. The only way of providing light or cooking power in the hostel! Hi- Jinx were high between us all, or me and Aisling at least and I think we finally got to sleep at about 4! Sorry Donna! Another good hostel over and done with :)

Boatwork has also begun, not too long now before we're back on the water. My favourite time of the year!

Dail Na Nog

http://www.rte.ie/tv/theden/news2day/news2day_av.html

Last Friday I was given the chance to attend Dail na nOg, a big conference which gives the youth of today a chance to voice their opinions!

When I was elected from my local Comhairle na nOG to go to this, I had no idea what it was and to be honest weasn't really looking forward to it. Boy did I change my mind. I'm not sure if I would go as far as saying it was a life changing experience as of yet but I was delighted at the chance to really get my voice heard.

A week before Dail na nOg we had a training day where we learnt to discuss the themes we would be given and how to make reccomendations.

A week later we were at Croke park for the real thing.

We arranged to meet in town at 9.45, and on Friday morning 6 out of 7 of us were there. e waited around for the last person for a while only to find out they thought we were meeting in Dun Laoghaire at 9.45. So we had to go on without them, but ironically he was the only person who knew the way to Croke Park.

We found a computer and googled how to get there but without a map it was kinda useless. A few people thought they knew the way so we chanced it.

Then we sa another Comhairle so we tried to follow them, only we followed them to a taxi rank!

Eventually we made it to Croke Park, although we couldn't race up to the pastries because we had to wait for the last person to arrive, and our picture to be taken of our Comhairle.

We headed upstairs to register where we were given a backpack, with loads of stuff in it!!

Shortly the show got on the road, it began with a short introduction, followed by discussion groups then lunch ( yes!!) . Then we went back for a Q&A session, electronic voting for the recommendations and finally, the closing ceremony, or whatever its called.

It was a great day and to top it off later that night I appeared on both the Six One news on RTE and on News2day on The Den, which i was well happy about!

If your between the ages of 12-18 get yourself on a Comhairle today and then get yourself to Dail na nOg 2011, for a chance to have your voice heard!