Troop History
Part One - The Early Years
The earliest known reference to the Group was an article in the St. Andrew’s Parish Magazine in August 1918. It reads:
Signal School, Fort Burgoyne,
28/8/18.My dear Friends – I should like to take this opportunity in expressing my warmest appreciation and thanks for the help received both financially and otherwise from the members of the congregation and parents in assisting me to form our troop of Scouts in Buckland parish. I am pleased to state that our collection at the Investiture amounted to 14/-, which was a great help towards our funds.
I am always open to receive new members between the ages of 11 and 16 at the Schools on Mondays. Also any young boys between 6 and 10 are welcome to join our Young People’s Class, under the Misses Holmes and Smith.
W. H. Waller
Scoutmaster, 15th (St. Andrew’s) Dover Troop
B. P. Scouts
The original article can be viewed here.
Records show that the Group was registered with Scout Association Headquarters on 1st October 1919, the earliest of any Dover Group still in existence.
It is believed that in 1919 or 1920, following the Armistice, the two founders of the Troop, W. H. Waller and another soldier, whose name is not known, returned to their home towns and the Rector of St. Andrew’s, Charles Henry Bailey, asked Fred Pelham to take over the Troop. He later also became the Group Scoutmaster.
Troop meetings were held in Buckland School, London Road, which had opened in 1860. As early as 1919, the possibility of purchasing an Army Pay Corps hut was discussed at a Vestry Meeting. It was to serve as a war memorial and it was hoped that it would be used by an institute, yet to be created.
Buckland School
The Upper London Road Children's Peace Treat. Held in the playground of Buckland School on 26 July 1919.
The first National Parochial School opened in 1839 in a room in the Master's House in Church Close , which was situated on what is now the western end of the churchyard. In 1842 it moved to new, larger premises, and again in 1856. In 1858 it was decided to build a new school and a site on London Road was obtained, and the foundation stone was laid on 24 February 1859. During the excavation for the foundations of the new school a quantity of Roman pottery was found. The bell for the new school came from the sailing ship 'Earl of Eglinton', which was wrecked off St Margaret's Bay in 1860. When she was salvaged the bell was purchased for a few shillings by the Church Managers and was hung outside the school soon after it opened. The school closed in 1968.
Reproduced from "Dover: Lock and Key of the Kingdom" © 2000 - 2010 www.dover-kent.co.uk
In 1920, the Parochial Church Council, as it now was, agreed to borrow up to £250.00 to buy a hut. A sub-committee of four was formed, one of whom was Fred Pelham. Enquiries were made about one of a number of suitable huts at Northfall Meadow but, before an offer was made, it was learned that they had all been sold. There were, however, other huts for sale at The Quay and two at The Dockyard were found to be suitable, one 40 feet long and the other 80 feet in length. The PCC was, however, unable to secure a loan from any of the building societies in the town. Eventually, the bank agreed to lend £500 and the PCC submitted a tender of £200.00 for the purchase of the hut. By the end of the year, the hut had been purchased, dismantled and transported to the Rectory garden.
The hut was reassembled during the early months of 1921 and was opened on 5th May, Ascension Day. It had also been decided by then that the hut would be used by a newly formed Men’s Club. The wood burning stove known to so many future Scouts was purchased towards the end of the year and had been installed by the end of January 1922.
Use of the hut by the Scouts and Cubs was first discussed at a PCC meeting in November 1925, but no decision was reached. A full year later, in November 1926, the Scouts and Cubs again asked if they could have part of the hut for their headquarters and after some discussion this was agreed to.
The Men’s Club was wound up and closed in 1927, but a new club started for younger men, with 34 names on its list. By this time, there were also Guides and Brownies in the parish.
In due course, two of Fred’s sons-in-law, Albert Nicholl and Arthur Simpson, became his Assistant Scoutmasters. In September 1934, Albert took over as Scoutmaster, but Fred continued as Group Scoutmaster.
Old Photos and Past Camps
There are pages of some really old photos you can have a look at: Old Photos; these were taken around the start of the Group!
Also of interest might be our Camp List. This goes back more than 33 years!
References
- Dover: Lock and Key of the Kingdom © 2000 - 2010 www.dover-kent.co.uk