Open night event as scouting marks 100 years in Athlone

The local scouts group, 2nd Westmeath Scouts, marked the approaching 100th anniversary of scouting in Athlone with an open night last week.

The event was organised in conjunction with the Department of Education and Youth and the Longford Westmeath ETB, saw parents, local representatives and friends of the Scout Group to visit St Mary’s Hall.

Sean Mimnagh, the Group Leader said scouting was the largest uniformed movement of young people in Ireland and was growing in popularity with currently about 50,000 scouts and leaders in Ireland. Locally there are 150 youth members and 48 adult scouters running programmes several nights of the week and at weekends.

He went on to say that there was a long history of scouting in Athlone and that scouts was first established in Athlone following a meeting of parents in September 1929. Its first Scout Master was Fr. Wall and Assistant Scout Masters were John Bracken and Gerald Mac Entee.

The Chairman was Mr. William McCrea and the Secretaries were Mr Frank Flannagan and Jim Kennedy, with Rev Fr. Wall as Unit Chaplain. The first Scout Camp was held in Sandy Bay using Bell tents loaned from the Defence Forces. By 1936, the Scout Group had its own marching band with drums.

Nowadays the local Scout Group is very well equipped with its own extensive range of tents from Icelandic Ridge tents, to Bell tents, Dome tents for overnight events and a couple of large Army style Mess tents for camps of longer duration. Scout skills like camping, cooking, hill walking, First Aid and hiking are still taught.

Athlone Scouts were only too pleased to put on displays and demonstrations of scouting skills in St. Mary’s Hall for parents and visitors which ranged from cooking outdoors, putting up tents, games, using specialised equipment and first aid.

Tea, coffee and cakes were available for everyone, with a pop-up display and a photo board plus video of recent activities and camps.

Sean Mimnagh thanked all the youth members and the adult leaders for their support for the event and went on to say that the Scout Group appreciated the support it receives from the people of Athlone and thanked LWETB, Foróige, and Westmeath County Council and its public representatives for the assistance in provision of equipment and training in recent years.