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The County Register of Boy Scout Troops shows that the first official meeting of the Troop that would be given the name "1st Stirlingshire", took place in Stirling on 21st December 1908. A letter to the "Scouter" magazine in 1948 claimed that our first meeting took place in August 1908. It is quite possible that this was an informal gathering which resulted in the later formal meeting and registration in December. Unfortunately, we have no way of confirming this. 21st December is therefore our official birthday and the date on which the infant Scout Movement first went on parade in Stirling.
There are now less than 60 troops in Britain who can claim, along with us, to have been continuously in existence since 1908. No more than six of these are in Scotland.
In 1909 we held our first fund raising function - a Cake and Candy sale in the grounds of Park Villa in Park Place. Only two years after our formation, Scouting in Stirling had expanded to 10 Troops. 8 representatives from these attended the 1910 King's Rally at Windsor.
Three years after our formation, the Troop was mainly recruiting boys from the King Street area of the town, many of whom went to the High School of Stirling in Spittal Street. For a long time thereafter, the Troop was known locally, rightly or wrongly, as the High School Troop.
The Daily Mail Air Race of 1911 gave our Scouts the opportunity to assist the police in marshalling the crowds within the park where the competitors landed to rest and refuel. The first plane in an Air Race landing at Stirling had its point of landing in the King's Park marked by Scouts L. Farman and J. Drummond at the request of Provost Bain.
During this same year, the Boy Scout Bronze Cross for Gallantry was presented to John Jamieson for saving a boy from drowning in the River Forth. John was a founder member of the Troop.
An event took place at the end of 1911 which continued uninterrupted for many years and forged a link with our Group which was only broken when the Rover Crew was disbanded in 1967. A concert was held for the children in Miss Croall's home and these entertainments became an annual treat to be looked forward to by all concerned. Latterly, the Rovers went along every Christmas Day and accompanied Santa to the renamed Whinwell Home (now demolished and replaced with flats) to help him distribute presents to all the children. There were never any shortage of volunteers on Christmas morning for this task, despite a late evening at the Annual Dance a few hours before. Sadly, the connection was broken when Rovers ceased to exist as a result of the Advance Party Report in 1967.
Very little remains in the way of records to record the activities of our members during the Great War. We do know, however, that within a few hours of the outbreak of war, a patrol of local Scouts left to take up coast watching duties at Nairn. Other activities during the war included the provision of messengers, clerks and officers' orderlies for troops stationed locally. Scouts awaiting duties were kept occupied knitting scarves for the troops under the watchful eyes of Miss Lorraine, a Lady Scoutmaster.
At various times a Junior Troop was formed to ease the strain on leaders who had at times to handle a Troop of over a hundred boys. The Rovers were in existence by 1921 but ceased for a time until they were reformed in March 1926 with Mr Finlayson as leader.
Forty five Scouts and Rovers from the Group attended the Jamboree held at Arrowe Park, Birkenhead to celebrate the 21st birthday of Scouting. Each country who participated was given a plaque of the world, with an arrow superimposed on it, to take home. The one presented to the Scottish contingent leader, Major Crum, hangs in our Scout Hall.
The first trip abroad was to camp at Rouen in France, with a visit to Paris. There is no record of the cost of this 1930 adventure when twenty one Scouts went on the expedition at a time when a cruise "doon the water" was thought by many to be far enough for a holiday.
Scout camping was encouraged by the Authorities during the World War 2 but there were some prohibited areas. Tents had to be camouflaged and the black-out observed. During May and June 1940 there were camps every weekend. The instructions issued for one read : "each boy to bring 1/9d plus 4 teaspoons of sugar". As the war progressed, the Scouts had to supply more and more of their own rationed goods.
The Queen Street Scout Hall, which had been opened as a District Scout Hall in 1939, was used for billeting troops early in the war, but this only lasted for a few weeks and was fortunately not repeated.
One of our old scouts "liberated" a German copy of the Stirling Ordnance Survey map which had obviously been readied for a possible invasion. It now hangs in our hall.
For many years the highlight of the Christmas celebrations around Stirling was the Christmas Eve Dance organised for all age groups by our Rover Crew in the Museum Hall, Bridge of Allan. A fleet of buses was always laid on to take the revellers home in an age when cars were not so plentiful. Santa always remembered to call soon after midnight.
For many years, possibly since our formation and certainly until 1967, the Troop wore navy blue short sleeve shirts which was not a common colour amongst Scout Troops. The neckerchief was always sky blue as it is today, although the Rovers used to wear a Black Watch tartan neckerchief until they adopted the sky blue in 1948.
Our Golden Anniversary year of 1958 was a highly successful time for the Group. The Rover Crew team of Colin Walker and William McCabe won most convincingly, the County Commissioner's Thumbstick for a memorable trip with a canoe in a snowstorm, when they journeyed from Aberfoyle to Callander. For the first time in twenty-nine years the County Flag was brought back to the Hall by P.L. Craig Reedie and the Eagle Patrol. We then went on to win the County Diving Cup.
The Rover Crew was disbanded following the Advance Party Report of 1067 but before this they won the County Commissioner's Thumbstick in 1966 and 1967. In 1966 they also came second in a gruelling Scottish Rover Challenge Hike when they covered 55 miles in 24 hours in the hills around Blair Atholl.
During the sixties, we took over complete responsibility for the Queen Street Hall from District. In 1998 we obtained a grant from the National Lottery which enabled us to modernise the building and create a base suitable for the 21st century.
In 1969 we travelled to Denmark for an international camp and then, 2 years later, to Sweden. It would not be until 2003 that we would again camp on the continent at Haarlem. We now return to the Netherlands every four years.
1981 saw girls joining the Group as members of our Venture Scout Unit. Although Venture Scouts have now been superseded by Explorer Scouts on a District basis, girls are now members of all our sections.
The Group started a Beaver Colony when the age group was introduced into Scouting. We now have a second Beaver Colony based in Gargunnock.
Modern activities include climbing, hiking, canoeing, hill walking and biking. We have our own minibus which helps us to undertake activities at a fair distance from our Scout Hall. This contrasts with taking equipment to camp by trek cart in our early years.
There are now less than 60 troops in Britain who can claim, along with us, to have been continuously in existence since 1908. No more than six of these are in Scotland.
In 1909 we held our first fund raising function - a Cake and Candy sale in the grounds of Park Villa in Park Place. Only two years after our formation, Scouting in Stirling had expanded to 10 Troops. 8 representatives from these attended the 1910 King's Rally at Windsor.
Three years after our formation, the Troop was mainly recruiting boys from the King Street area of the town, many of whom went to the High School of Stirling in Spittal Street. For a long time thereafter, the Troop was known locally, rightly or wrongly, as the High School Troop.
The Daily Mail Air Race of 1911 gave our Scouts the opportunity to assist the police in marshalling the crowds within the park where the competitors landed to rest and refuel. The first plane in an Air Race landing at Stirling had its point of landing in the King's Park marked by Scouts L. Farman and J. Drummond at the request of Provost Bain.
During this same year, the Boy Scout Bronze Cross for Gallantry was presented to John Jamieson for saving a boy from drowning in the River Forth. John was a founder member of the Troop.
An event took place at the end of 1911 which continued uninterrupted for many years and forged a link with our Group which was only broken when the Rover Crew was disbanded in 1967. A concert was held for the children in Miss Croall's home and these entertainments became an annual treat to be looked forward to by all concerned. Latterly, the Rovers went along every Christmas Day and accompanied Santa to the renamed Whinwell Home (now demolished and replaced with flats) to help him distribute presents to all the children. There were never any shortage of volunteers on Christmas morning for this task, despite a late evening at the Annual Dance a few hours before. Sadly, the connection was broken when Rovers ceased to exist as a result of the Advance Party Report in 1967.
Very little remains in the way of records to record the activities of our members during the Great War. We do know, however, that within a few hours of the outbreak of war, a patrol of local Scouts left to take up coast watching duties at Nairn. Other activities during the war included the provision of messengers, clerks and officers' orderlies for troops stationed locally. Scouts awaiting duties were kept occupied knitting scarves for the troops under the watchful eyes of Miss Lorraine, a Lady Scoutmaster.
At various times a Junior Troop was formed to ease the strain on leaders who had at times to handle a Troop of over a hundred boys. The Rovers were in existence by 1921 but ceased for a time until they were reformed in March 1926 with Mr Finlayson as leader.
Forty five Scouts and Rovers from the Group attended the Jamboree held at Arrowe Park, Birkenhead to celebrate the 21st birthday of Scouting. Each country who participated was given a plaque of the world, with an arrow superimposed on it, to take home. The one presented to the Scottish contingent leader, Major Crum, hangs in our Scout Hall.
The first trip abroad was to camp at Rouen in France, with a visit to Paris. There is no record of the cost of this 1930 adventure when twenty one Scouts went on the expedition at a time when a cruise "doon the water" was thought by many to be far enough for a holiday.
Scout camping was encouraged by the Authorities during the World War 2 but there were some prohibited areas. Tents had to be camouflaged and the black-out observed. During May and June 1940 there were camps every weekend. The instructions issued for one read : "each boy to bring 1/9d plus 4 teaspoons of sugar". As the war progressed, the Scouts had to supply more and more of their own rationed goods.
The Queen Street Scout Hall, which had been opened as a District Scout Hall in 1939, was used for billeting troops early in the war, but this only lasted for a few weeks and was fortunately not repeated.
One of our old scouts "liberated" a German copy of the Stirling Ordnance Survey map which had obviously been readied for a possible invasion. It now hangs in our hall.
For many years the highlight of the Christmas celebrations around Stirling was the Christmas Eve Dance organised for all age groups by our Rover Crew in the Museum Hall, Bridge of Allan. A fleet of buses was always laid on to take the revellers home in an age when cars were not so plentiful. Santa always remembered to call soon after midnight.
For many years, possibly since our formation and certainly until 1967, the Troop wore navy blue short sleeve shirts which was not a common colour amongst Scout Troops. The neckerchief was always sky blue as it is today, although the Rovers used to wear a Black Watch tartan neckerchief until they adopted the sky blue in 1948.
Our Golden Anniversary year of 1958 was a highly successful time for the Group. The Rover Crew team of Colin Walker and William McCabe won most convincingly, the County Commissioner's Thumbstick for a memorable trip with a canoe in a snowstorm, when they journeyed from Aberfoyle to Callander. For the first time in twenty-nine years the County Flag was brought back to the Hall by P.L. Craig Reedie and the Eagle Patrol. We then went on to win the County Diving Cup.
The Rover Crew was disbanded following the Advance Party Report of 1067 but before this they won the County Commissioner's Thumbstick in 1966 and 1967. In 1966 they also came second in a gruelling Scottish Rover Challenge Hike when they covered 55 miles in 24 hours in the hills around Blair Atholl.
During the sixties, we took over complete responsibility for the Queen Street Hall from District. In 1998 we obtained a grant from the National Lottery which enabled us to modernise the building and create a base suitable for the 21st century.
In 1969 we travelled to Denmark for an international camp and then, 2 years later, to Sweden. It would not be until 2003 that we would again camp on the continent at Haarlem. We now return to the Netherlands every four years.
1981 saw girls joining the Group as members of our Venture Scout Unit. Although Venture Scouts have now been superseded by Explorer Scouts on a District basis, girls are now members of all our sections.
The Group started a Beaver Colony when the age group was introduced into Scouting. We now have a second Beaver Colony based in Gargunnock.
Modern activities include climbing, hiking, canoeing, hill walking and biking. We have our own minibus which helps us to undertake activities at a fair distance from our Scout Hall. This contrasts with taking equipment to camp by trek cart in our early years.