4th Carrickfergus Scout Group

Due to the awareness from the media of the increasing incidences of children and adults being
recognised as being on the autistic spectrum, 4th Carrickfergus Scout Group organised a training
evening in St Nicholas' Church Hall, Carrickfergus on Thursday 3 September.

Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASDs), which includes Asperger's Syndrome, are recognised as
disabilities. Those with an ASD are affected in many ways but most especially with difficulties in
communication and socialisation. As a result, they are often misunderstood and easy targets for
bullies.

Sue McLeod, Training Manager from Autism Northern Ireland (formerly known as PAPA) delivered
training on a Social Skills project which received 2-year funding from Children in Need. The session
was attended by leaders from 4th Carrickfergus Scout Group, 5th Carrickfergus Scout Group, 1st
Ballyclare Scout Group, Rainbows, Brownies, Guides, BB and members of St Nicholas' Church Select
Vestry.

Submitted by Anne Cole, Group Scout Leader, 4th Carrickfergus Scout Group

On 26th April Beavers, Cubs and Scouts from South-East Antrim come out in force to celebrate St. George’s Day
acknowledging the patron saint of the Scouting Association. It was also a day for parents to take pride. One mother even
asked for a photo to be taken of her young son holding the Section flag. This year the parade was hosted by 1st Ballyclare
Scout Group in Ballyclare town centre. More than 300 Beaver, Cubs and Scouts from 12 different Scout Groups attended the
District parade. Thankfully the weather stayed dry and many parents lined the streets ready to catch sight of their children
passing by. The parade made its way from the Six Mile Leisure centre onto Main St and up around The Square to Ballyclare
High School. It was a sea of flags and scarves as the Scouts made their way to the main hall in the breezy weather. The
children were on their best behaviour enjoying themselves as they marched to the school. At the hall speeches and prayers
were said to a hall full of Scouts reminding them of their promise and Scout Laws before marching back to the Leisure
Centre along the same route. All in all it was a great day marking an important event in the Scouting calendar.

We had invited 1st Whitehead to have a joint meeting at our
hall for fun and games. Two leaders and a large number of
scouts attended packing the hall with over 30 Scouts. As you
can imagine it was organised chaos with lots of group games
going on. We also provided refreshments for our guests and
they really did enjoy the evening as did we. So we would like
to thank 1st Whitehead for attending our meeting, they are
warmly welcomed again.

On the weekend of 20th / 21st March 14 Explorer Scouts from Ballyclare, Carrick, Islandmagee, and
Kilbride, along with 5 leaders, embarked on a Survival weekend.
Despite an indifferent forecast we set off from our start point on Shane’s Hill in perfect walking
weather, our route taking us along a portion of the Antrim Hill’s way towards Shillnavogey Wood.
Through the kind permission of a local land owner we were able to spend the night in a small copse
close to Shillnavogey itself, which provided some protection from the elements, and a good supply of
firewood. The first task was to sort out overnight accommodation, which ranged from straightforward
bivvy bags, to rudimentary shelters. As the light began to fall, a fire was built ready to cook dinner. The
next task was to skin the rabbits which were to form our main course; a task that was carried out
surprisingly well after the initial surprise. The rabbit was supplemented with chestnuts, mushrooms,
trout and chicken. Night time temperatures dipped to below zero but it remained dry and everyone
rose in good spirits on Sunday morning. Breakfast was limited to a hot drink and whatever emergency
rations happened to be left, and after clearing all traces of our presence we set off again to pick up the
Antrim Hills Way and made our way to our finish point at Slemish.

As well as introducing some new experiences the weekend provided a good environment for Explorers
from each of the different groups to bond and establish relationships.
There have already been enquiries as to when we can do it again!