The Cub year started off in October 1998, with 15 Cubs and 7 Leaders. Our first meeting consisted of a Hike, from the Community Centre to Gortatleva and back. It gave the Cubs a chance to use their torches! and was a nice gentle re-introduction to the Cub year.
With an exciting new programme beginning this year, there was great enthusiasm among both Leaders and Cubs, the Leaders having undertaken a weekend of training before commencing the programme.
This year the weekly meetings are taking place in the Community Centre which is a great advantage, as there is loads of space for games, and our very own Den, where we can store and display our handiwork, photographs and achievements. A big thank you to the Community Centre Committee for this facility.
The weekly meetings continued with games and Arrow work (projects which earn Arrow badges). After a few weeks, we saw 5 of our older Cubs moving onto Scouts, and we welcomed 10 new Cubs into the Pack.
These new Cubs attended the meetings and learned what Cubs is all about, as they completed their Tenderfoot, or training period.
On November 7th we had our first real Outing of the year, with a trip to Portumna Forest Park, for a day of Orienteering. 19 Cubs from Claregalway attended on the day, and we joined up with other Cub Packs from the Danann District. A great day was had by all.
As usual, we had an outing at Christmas, and, because of it’s success last year, we again went for Bowling and Laserquest where we had a full house.
1999 now, and the Leaders having met and planned the programme until Easter, we headed back to our weekly meetings again. On February 1st the new Cubs had their Investiture, an official welcoming Ceremony. The Cubs parents attended and watched as their Cub was welcomed into the Cub pack. Afterwards, they were treated to a medley of Cub songs, ably led by Conall.
The next big venture was a District Cub sleepover hosted by Claregalway on the night of February 12th. the Cubs (totalling 121) began arriving at 9pm and our Scouts showed them to their bases for the duration. There followed a selection of games, a disco, party pieces and hot chocolate with marshmallows. Then it was decided to try and get the Cubs to settle down for the night! Some Cubs had decided that this sleepover would be the exact opposite, and were determined to stay awake all night. They failed! Although some of them only drifted off at about 7.30am! It was in fact 4 of our Leaders who got no sleep that night, with 3 of them heading out for a walk at 6.30am.
At 7.45am the Cubs began waking up, and so it was time to prepare breakfast. The Cubs had cereal and toast, followed by a selection of fresh fruit. After a big tidy-up, the Cubs headed off home at 9am, tired but happy.
The food for the visiting Leaders for the sleepover was donated by the Claregalway Cubs parents, so a huge thank you to the parents for their generosity. It made our job a lot easier.
On our final night before the Easter holidays, we went out on another Hike, this time doing the full circuit of Gortatleva, the Rock Road, and back to the Centre along the Oranmore road. It was very easy to pick out the Cubs who were not used to walking after this excursion!
Our next big project will be a clean-up of the Graveyard on Monday April 26th. from 7–8.30pm, as part of An Taisce‘s anti-litter campaign which runs for the month of April. Anybody who would like to join us on this occasion and do their bit for the community will be most welcome.
We will continue our weekly meetings between Easter and summer, and will of course have our annual cycle, a few more outings and we are planning a big end-of-year outing for the Cubs.
To anyone who has supported us along the way since our beginnings back in 1991, a big thank you, and long may it continue.
Patricia Carton (for the Cub Section)
