"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.
--30--
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