Scout Group Still Going Strong After 102 Years

Published on: 28 Feb, 2012
Updated on: 28 Feb, 2012

Taking part will be current beavers, cubs and scouts, rainbows and brownies, with a special open invitation to all those who have been associated with 9th Guildford in the past.

The parade service will be a celebration of the group, past and present.

On display will be the group’s historic stained-glass windows, originally from Centenary Hall in Chapel Street. These treasured windows have not been seen in public for some 30 years.

The 9th Guildford (Congregational) Scout group was formed in 1909. It was connected to Guildford’s Congregational Church that once stood on the corner of North Street and Leapale Road.

The scouts’ home was Centenary Hall, which acted as a little chapel to the local community around Chapel Street. A Loch Fyne restaurant currently occupies this building.

An early log-book for the scout group exists. In neat handwriting, by a William H. Bateman, he notes the proceedings of the first meeting that was held to set up the group.

It begins: “Guildford ‘Congregational’ Scouts. The first meeting of the above was held in the lower lecture hall on Wednesday, September 8th, at 7.30pm, with the Rev Alec Cowe, presiding.

“Present: Mr C. V. Boughton, – the scoutmaster, Miss A Lacy, Mr W. H. Bateman, Mr G, J. Bateman, Mr J. C. Lacy, the assistant scoutmasters, – Messes J. Whaler, Mr F. Salsbury, and the secretary, Mrs W. Bateman.”

He also noted that that local outfitters, Messers Hardy of Guildford, would be able to supply “the major part of the uniform” for the boys, and that it was suggested a notice should be sent “to the school teachers on the boys’ side asking their kind co-operation in obtaining members, and that the scoutmaster should make a personal appeal at the school on the following Sunday”.

The school may well have been Holy Trinity, but why on a Sunday is not clear!

William Bateman is listed in the 1913 edition of Kelly’s Directory of Surrey, living at a house called ‘St Mervyn’, South Hill, Guildford.

In the same directory there is a listing for a H. W.Bateman, as being the honorary secretary of the Young Men’s Christian Association (Congregational), North Street. I am sure this is the same person. He may also have been connected with the Bateman firm of opticians – a name that continues to this day.

The Lower Lecture Hall is noted as being where the first meeting was held to set up the group. This might have been in the town’s Borough Halls that were in North Street, or perhaps at the Congregational Church itself.

The 9th Guildford must have built up a sizable number of members. Some old photos, found dumped at the Guildford tip in Slyfield some years ago, show them on camping expeditions and doing other activities. Some of those, plus others from the archives of the St Nicolas 9th Guildford Group, are featured here.

Another prominent leader of the group in those early days was Harold Jeffrey.

It was his family who ran the sports and gun shop, S. R. Jeffery, at 134 High Street. The long garden at the back of the shop was also used by the scouts, as seen in some of these old photos.

They staged drama productions there and even helped to built an outdoor swimming pool!

Harold Jeffery was assistant scoutmaster at the outset of the group. When Mr Broughton stepped down as scoutmaster in 1912, Mr Jeffery took over. In fact, he held that position until three weeks before his death in 1970.

John Pettett then took over. Today, he is the group’s historian and has supplied much information for this article.

There is a tablet in Holy Trinity Church dedicated to 11 former members and leaders of 9th Guildford Scouts who fell in the First World War.

The first to lose his life was Pte G. Prewett, of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers, who died in France on October 5, 1917. The last was Pte W. Prior of the Queen’s Royal West Surrey Regiment, who died in France in October 1918.

In total, 83 former 9th Guildford scouts served in the forces in the Great War along with nine officers and scout leaders.

The tablet was first unveiled on October 26, 1919, at the Centenary Hall as part of the group’s 10th anniversary church parade. On October 12, 1991, it was unveiled again at a rededication service at Holy Trinity Church.

At one time, Centenary Hall featured three stained-glass windows directly related to the scout movement. Dyster & Smith of the Guildford Glass Works made these. Mr Dyster was a member of the Congregational Church. The original window was designed by Lillian Jeffery (wife of scout leader Harold). It was dedicated in 1930. All three have survived and are currently kept safe. Leaders of today’s St Nicolas 9th Guildford Group would love to see them re-installed at a suitable location.

The scout group moved from Centenary Hall to Portsmouth Road in 1971.

The gates that once stood at the entrance to Centenary Hall are now at the entrance to the District Scout Shop in Nightingale Road.

In more recent times, the group merged with St Nicolas Scout Troop to became the St Nicolas 9th Guildford Group.

At one point, this combined group nearly closed, but today is happily flourishing once again. Beavers and cubs are full to capacity with long waiting lists and the scout group is growing apace again.

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