Captain Richard Percival Fortune

RNVR The Royal Naval Reserve (RNR) is one of the two Volunteer Reserves (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve forces of the Royal Navy in the United Kingdom. Together with the Royal Marines Reserve, they form the Maritime Reserve (United Kingdom), ...

(born 1878) was the founder of the

Scouting Scouting or the Scout Movement is a youth social movement, movement which became popularly established in the first decade of the twentieth century. It follows the Scout method of informal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activi ...

movement in Ireland. Fortune hosted the first Boy Scout patrol meeting at his home at 3 Dame Street, Dublin in 1908. One of four children born to boarding house keeper Elizabeth Fortune, his time as a mariner ensured early Scouting activities afloat. His troop quickly took to water activities, and it appears his troop evolved into the 1st Port of Dublin Sea Scout Group as part of the Port of Dublin Sea Scout Association. The 1st Port group received training from the Coastguard at Ringsend. The London Gazette of 23 March 1915 shows Fortune was granted a temporary service commission as a Sub-Lieutenant in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve on 16 March 1915. He was subsequently promoted to Lieutenant in March 1916 while in command of ML580, the highest numbered of the World War I motor launches, a 37 tonne vessel with a crew of 8. During World War I, he served as part of the Royal Navy Motor Boat Reserve, aboard HMS Thalia, a Juno-class wooden screw corvette used as a base ship from 1915 and in command of various motor launches in the period directly after the war. Fortune's Royal Naval Volunteer service card shows he was demobilised from 31 December 1919, having been earlier had orders cancelled and leave granted to sit for examination as a merchant Master. His service record notes Fortune as "Scout Master, in charge of Sea Scouts of Spec. Serv Squad." His son was Captain Desmond Fortune, the founder of the Irish Institute of Master Mariners, in whose name the annual senior seamanship competition for Scouting Ireland is awarded.

Growth of Scouting

Fortune's troop registered in 1908 as a member of the Dublin City Boy Scouts Association and in 1912 as a member of the Port of Dublin Sea Scout Association. In 1921, the signing of the

Anglo-Irish Treaty The 1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty (), commonly known in Ireland as The Treaty and officially the Articles of Agreement for a Treaty Between Great Britain and Ireland, was an agreement between the government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain an ...

established the

Irish Free State The Irish Free State (6 December 192229 December 1937), also known by its Irish-language, Irish name ( , ), was a State (polity), state established in December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty of December 1921. The treaty ended the three-ye ...

. At this time, the name of ''Irish Free State Scout Council'' was adopted, as the association expanded its reach outside of the greater Dublin area, becoming a national organisation. The name of the association was changed again with the foundation of the

Republic of Ireland Ireland ( ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 Counties of Ireland, counties of the island of Ireland, with a population of about 5.4 million. ...

. Taking on the title of the ''Boy Scouts of Ireland''. At this time, the association also gained the recognition of the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) becoming Ireland's only officially recognised Scout association. In 1927, the Catholic Boy Scouts of Ireland (CBSI) was formed under the guidance of the Catholic Church as a means of imprinting a Catholic ethos on the young men of Ireland. Originating with Fr. Ernest Farrell, a curate in Greystones, County Wicklow in 1925/1926, the association was hastened in its initiation by his brother Fr. Tom Farrell, a curate in the Pro-Cathedral. The association continued to work through the 1950s and 60's during which it adapted to the development of Ireland as an independent republic. In 1965, the SAI formed the ''Federation of Irish Scout Associations (FISA)'' with the CBSI. This enabled the two associations and their members the recognition and resources of WOSM. All Scouts in Ireland were thus able to play an active role in International Scouting. Developments following the late 60's saw the association take on the name of the Scout Association of Ireland. This was subsequently changed to Scouting Ireland (SAI) in advance of the merging of the association with the CBSI. From 1 January 2004, both the SAI and the CSI ceased operations. Scouting in Ireland from this point forward would be overseen by the unified

Scouting Ireland Scouting Ireland () is one of the largest youth movements on the island of Ireland, a voluntary educational movement for young people with over 45,000 members, including over 11,000 adult volunteers . Of the 750,000 people between the ages of 6 ...

First Scout meeting in Ireland

The first recorded Scout meeting took place at Fortune's home at 3 Dame Street, Dublin on 15 February 1908 where four boys were enrolled in the Wolf Patrol of the 1st Dublin Troop. Fortune's 1st Dublin Troop would go on to become the first group to register as part of the ''Port of Dublin Sea Scout Association'' in 1912, becoming 1st Port of Dublin Sea Scouts (

Ringsend Ringsend () is a Southside (Dublin), southside inner suburb of Dublin, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is located on the south bank of the River Liffey and east of the River Dodder, about two kilometres east of the city centre. It is the sou ...

). A plaque marks the location of the house, now demolished, on the plaza next to Dublin’s City Hall. The 2nd Dublin formed the following week at 5 Upper Camden Street.History of Scouting in Ireland

References

External links

Official Scouting Ireland website

Scouting Ireland Members website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fortune, Richard P. Year of death missing Scouting Ireland 1878 births