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"Together we achieve"

One of the most heartening pieces of news to come out of Ireland has nothing at all to do with politics, north, south, east or west. Or with politicians. By simply ignoring artificial divisions, religious differences, and carefully fostered bigotry, an invigorating breath of fresh air swept away a lot of ingrown prejudices when 1,130 scouts on both sides of the Border, from Donegal, west Tyrone and west Derry, came together to form the Errigal Scout County.

Its formation as a cross-border, cross-community troop is heralding a new approach to help heal old wounds stemming from the artificial partitioning of the country in the 1920s of the last century.

The Errigal Scout County troop's first public parade took place on Sunday, February 22, in Letterkenny, County Donegal, and included an ecumenical service in St. Eunan's Cathedral, Letterkenny, followed by a civic reception in the Guildhall in Derry City.

The troop was formed after the dissolution of the Scout Association of Ireland and the Catholic Scouts of Ireland and, the launching of a new organisation, Scouting Ireland.

Instead of the traditional "Be Prepared", the troop has adopted its own scout motto "Together we achieve".

And it has appointed a female lay person as its spiritual adviser to emphasise its new-found secularisation. Errigal Scout County Commissioner Joe Boland stressed: "We still have spiritual obligations but we no longer have religious affiliations."

In keeping with its precedent-breaking example, the troop has designed its own badge and its own web site.

Errigal Scout County is showing adults on both sides of the partition divide what can be accomplished together with good will and mutual respect.

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