On the 26th of October 2006 last the 3rd De La Salle Scout Troop held its Annual Investiture and Achievement Awards at the Wytec Centre on the Cork Road in Waterford City.  The event also included a review of the 2005/2006 Scouting Year and the troops plans for 2006/2007 were then unveiled including the plan for the abroad camp to Blackwell Adventure Scout Centre in Birmingham. The awards were as follows: Camper Merit Badge: Simon Gaffney, Ciaran Purcell, Dean Purcell, Aidan Purcell, Lisa Rea, Sarah Kennedy, Cian O’hOgartaigh, Richard Smith, Emlyn Farrell, Colm Mullally and Ruairi O’hOgartaigh. The Pioneering Merit Badge was awarded to Ciaran Purcell and Cian O’hOgartaigh while Stephen O’Rourke, Alex di Camillo, Lisa Rea and David Fan all received Swimmer Merit Badges.  Hiker Merit Badges were presented to Cian O’hOgartaigh, Ruairi Griffin, Dean Purcell, Brian Haughney, Simon Gaffney, Richard Smith, Emlyn Farrell, Sarah Kennedy, Lisa Rea, Stephen O’Rourke, Adam Buckley, David Fan and Ruairi O’hOgartaigh.

From the scout award scheme the following received Tracker Badges: Dean Purcell, Simon Gaffney, Richard Smith, Stephen Bailey, Emlyn Farrell, Alex di Camillo, Alex White, Adam Buckley, Sarah Kennedy, Lisa Rea, Lee Cheevers, David Fan, Gleb Konan, Aidan Purcell, Colm Mullally and Ruairi O’hOgartaigh. Explorer Badges were presented to Ciaran Purcell, Stephen Bailey, Dean Purcell, Sarah Kennedy, Lisa Rea, Brian Haughney and Cian O’hOgartaigh.  The Patrol Leaders Cian O’hOgartaigh, Ciaran Purcell, Lisa Rea, Stephen O’Rourke and theAssistant Patrol Leaders: Dean Purcell, Brian Haughney, Sarah Kennedy and Stephen Bailey were also all presented with their leadership stripes.

History was also made with the investiture into the De La Salle Scout Group of Lee, a trainee guide dog for the blind who had been cared for in the past twelve months by troop member, Emlyn Farrell and his family. They had been acting as “Puppywalkers”. Aine Farell, Emyln’s mother went on to explain that Puppywalkers foster a six-week old pup in their own homes for 12 months.  The puppywalker’s job is to rear the puppy and educate it so that it becomes a well-mannered, well-adjusted, socially acceptable animal. This education forms an essential foundation for the future. All veterinary fees and feeding costs are covered by Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind, and the puppy’s progress is monitored by regular visits from a supervisor.

Scoutleader, Paschal Guilfoyle congratulated all of the badge recipients on the hard work that they had put in to achieve the awards. He expressed the wish that some of those present would receive National and Chief Scout Awards in the near future.  He also welcomed all of those scouts who had now become official members of the De La Salle Scout Group and the World Organisation of the Scout Movement after they took the Scout Promise and were invested. Group Leader, Owen Riordan also congratulated everyone who had been invested and who had received awards and went on to thank the leaders of the troop for their work in the past year and the parents and families for their generous support. Our Gallery page has loads more photos of the event.

Read the article that appeared on the 16th of November 2006 in the Waterford News and Star here.