A century of Scouting in Prestwick

Nov 27 2009 by Edwin Lawrence, Ayrshire Post (main ed)

SCOUTING in Prestwick has chalked up 100 years – just two years after the Scout movement celebrated its centenary.

The 14th Ayrshire (1st Prestwick) was formed back in 1909, when a number of young boys approached their school teacher and asked if he would be their Scout master.

Mathew Foulds agreed to take on the role until the summer holidays of 1909 – but was soon enthusiastically caught up in Scouting for Boys.

And Matt was still involved in the group an incredible 62 years later.

A number of leaders, past and present, arranged a reunion and centenary celebration, held in Prestwick Indoor Bowling Club.

Some 75 past and present members turned up on the evening, including Matt’s son Iain and his daughter Margaret – both of whom were involved in the group, Iain as Scout master and group Scout leader for some 48 years, and Margaret as Akela with the Cub pack for some 40 years.

The oldest ‘old Scout’ present was Willie Nicolson, who joined the Scouts in 1930, and present leaders of the group were also in attendance.

The celebration featured a selection of documents from the archives – log books and records of camps going back to the very early days of the troop, as well as many photographs.

There were also fantastically interesting logs of later years, with incredible detail, evoking many memories.

Robert McIntyre, a former member of the group in the 1950s and 60s, said: “I was intrigued to read records that my brother Sandy had written as a Scout in the late 40s and early 50s, and then to come across some of the reports of my peers and members of my patrol.

“To meet up with the leaders of my time in the Cubs and Scouts again, and friends of my brother in his time with the group, was great.”

Robert added: “It was also great to see a number of younger people there that had come up through the group in the 1980s, many of whom I had met in my days as a district Venture Scout leader when they joined the unit after leaving the Scouts.”

The 1st Prestwick met for many years in Glenburn School, before moving to the Bridge Street Scout Hall, and currently the Beaver Scouts, Cub Scouts and Scouts meet on a Friday night in St Nicholas Church, Prestwick.

The group has grown considerably in the last two years, but there is a continuing need for new leaders to keep the sections going.

Nigel Cochrane, the current Scout leader, has been in that role now for 22 years. But the Beaver Scout and Cub Scout leaders are much newer to the Scouting activities.

As always, a Scout group is dependent on help from adults, and there are rarely enough leaders in any group. The 14th is no exception to this rule, and they would welcome any offers of help in running the sections whether it be on an occasional or regular basis.

Anyone interested in helping out can contact Nigel on 01292 677898 or by email to fourteenthayrshirescoutgroup@yahoo.co.uk