Brackenstown Venturers Year in Review.

As a new venture group we weren’t really sure what to expect for our first year of national activities. We had been set for two years but finally this year we got our act together.

We’d all come up from scouts so we all had been on regionals and Melvins but we knew Ventures would be different.The main event for us last year was the Explorer Belt.

We had two teams entered and where looking forward to it. We only knew a few people from Ventures so were a bit nervous on the first training weekend but it didn’t take us long to get to know people.

On the first weekend in June we to the Burren in County Clare for caving. That was one of the major highlights for us. We were on our hands and knees crawling through tiny little caves, climbing up and down metal rope ladders and walking through waterfalls. It really was a unique environment.

Our next national activity was Cairde in Larch Hill. That, we really enjoyed. It was our first taste of venturing. We did loads of activities there from a first aid base to being thrown into the dirty pool. We did backwoods cooking and putting tents up blindfolded and tied together. It was great craic!!!!!!

In July we were off on the belt. The four of us were off for what possibly is the challenge of a lifetime and were really looking forward to it. We had a laugh on the road but we also found it hard, but the six days back at base camp made up for the pain and suffering of our badly blistered feet. The atmosphere back at basecamp was great and everyone got on really well. Unfortunately we failed to get the Belt, but here’s hoping for this year!

Back in Swords when we all had recovered from our hols we started decorating our venture room. It took about a week to finish and in the end looked really bright and colourful. It looks like “over the rainbow”.

In October we held our Regional Forum in the Den. It was our first forum and we found it useful to meet other ventures from our region.The following week saw the National Forum and the Halloween Black Tie Ball. The ball was great fun, everyone was dressed in their fancy clothes. We got to see all our friends from the Belt who we hadn’t seen since July. The ball was a hit with everyone and was really well organised.

To round off our year we went to Glendalough just after Christmas. We stayed in the International Hostel. It was a really relaxing weekend; we just walked up to the lakes and the old graveyard. We found a little dock at the side of the upper lake where we did the Macarena in front of a bus full of tourists. It was really funny.

Last year was excellent for us and we are really looking forward to this year.

So we’ll be seein ya all soon,

Jenny

164TH BRACKENSTOWN VENTURES