Kilcully hosts Base Camp South

Base Camp south

From 2–5 June 2017, Kilcully hosted Base Camp South, a major Southern Province Scouting event and an important milestone in the campsite’s continuing revival.

The proposal to bring Base Camp South to Kilcully was put forward by Camp Chief Derek Long and required the approval of the Southern Province Management Support Team (PMST). The event received great support from across the Province, including Provincial Commissioner Chris McSweeney, and from the Kilcully team who worked to prepare the campsite and help make the event a success.

The camp took its inspiration from the remarkable story of Irish Antarctic explorer Tom Crean. The theme ran throughout the weekend, with the two subcamps named Annascaul, after Crean’s Co. Kerry birthplace, and Elephant Island, associated with the famous Endurance expedition in which Crean played such an important part.

The subcamps were led by Fr Dave Kenneally and David Shalloo, while even the camp mascot became part of the Antarctic story. A competition was held to name the penguin mascot, with the winning name — appropriately — being Shackleton.

For Kilcully, Base Camp South represented much more than another busy weekend. Only a few years earlier the campsite had been going through a difficult period, but considerable work was now underway to restore its facilities and rebuild its role within Scouting. Successfully hosting a Provincial event demonstrated what could be achieved through the combined efforts of the Kilcully team and the wider support of Scouting in the Southern Province. You can see more of the event on this facebook page https://www.facebook.com/basecampsouth

Base Camp South 2017 became both a celebration of Scouting and an important marker in a new chapter for Kilcully.