“Scouting in Ireland needs to be relevant or redundant,” according to the former Lord Mayor of Dublin, Councillor Dermot Lacey.

Addressing the 4th National Council of the new, merged Scouting Ireland, Councillor Lacey said that “as Scouting begins a second century it needs to be central to the local communities and be a voice for and on behalf of young people.

Scouting– boys and girls, young men and young women. Rich and poor. North and south, City and country. All backgrounds, all faiths– all Scouts. What an incredible success story– unequalled by any other similar body in Ireland or abroad.

In my view, one of the best things about the new Ireland is the vibrancy, honesty and confidence of our young people. They are full of enthusiasm. Eager to learn. Capable of greatness. And heavily influenced in their formative years by what they see around them

And what do young people see today? They see that Ireland is a prosperous country with more retail space per head of population than any other country in Europe.

Incredibly, we have more mobile phones than we have people. As a nation, we arespending more on consumer goods than ever before. Despite working hard, or indeed perhaps because we are working harder, we have less time for the things that matter. ‘I’m all right Jack’ as a motto for the modern Ireland has perhaps never been more apt. Scouting should challenge that attitude.

In Scouting it is about, indeed it must be about, enthusing young people. Helping them to learn the skills of citizenship and helping them to develop and grow as people.

Far from being an out of date, old-fashioned body, Scouting is a movement whose time for renewal has come. A renewal and a growth that will come– provided it is bold enough and enthusiastic enough to grasp the opportunities with both hands.”
For Further Information: Dermot Lacey, 087-2646960.

Above: Dermot and Jill Lacey with their children Adrian and Sam.
Photo reproduced courtesy of Priory Studios.