Saltcoats scouts

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GordMac
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Saltcoats scouts

Post by GordMac »

When I come back to Saltcoats and drive over Jacks Road bridge I feel a bit disappointed when I see the space where the scout hut used to be.myself and my two brothers had a lot of happy memories locked up in there,and became friends with a lot of excellent boy's,Stan Chapman,Gary Fullerton,Ian McLeod,John McCammont and his two brothers,to name a few.Plus the yearly camps in the summer especially the two to Portpatrick,even to Lochearnhead where it rained everyday and Keswick when we had to come home early where we were washed out(that's why there are so many lakes there).It would never have been possible without the likes of the scoutmasters we had,Dennis Dawson,Sandy Smart,Arthur Taylor and the man who kept it all running,Don Parsons.When I saw how easy David Cameron dished out awards during the summer it makes me wonder what these deserved,along with all the other folk who ran the B.Bs and Guides in ther own time.All we can do now is look back and thank them for all they done to guide us through our impressionable years that will remember forever.
Robert Cook
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Re: Saltcoats scouts

Post by Robert Cook »

When I was in the scouts they were called the 1st Ardrossan/Saltcoats scouts and met in the huts in Kilmenny Terrace. This was in the 50's . I don't believe Saltcoats had their own troop then. Do they now?

Robert
GordMac
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Re: Saltcoats scouts

Post by GordMac »

Saltcoats had two Scout troops,1st Saltcoats scout hut was at the bottom ofJacks Road and 2nd Saltcoats met in St Mary's hall at the bottom of Springvale St as they were mainly a catholic scout group.As I joined as a cub about 1956 our troop was established then.If memory serves me well your troop were mainly from Ardrossan and ran by Ronnie Fynes.We did very occasonally visit the Ardrossan group it not very often.In about 1964 Stevenston scouts were having difficulty finding new Scoutmasters and our troop was asked to lend a hand till they overcame this,and I met my future brother in law to be here.They were also a fine group of lads.
Robert Cook
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Re: Saltcoats scouts

Post by Robert Cook »

Thanks for the info. You are correct we were run by Ronnie Fynes. We had a Rover hut on the same property as well an adventurers group was started in 1955 which met in a loft at the rear of one of the big houses on South Beach Crescent.
Auldwilliam51
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Re: Saltcoats scouts

Post by Auldwilliam51 »

It’s good to read about the Scouts at Jacks Road,I think it was the 52nd Ayrshire Scout Group.I recently had a clear out and found a bunch of old postcards sent to my father held together by a rubber band.The camps were in the period 1962 to 1968.The first camp was to Keswick in the Lake District in 1962 the weather was very wet and our tent was ripped open during the night and we had to move in with other boys not the best start to camping. Recall that Don Parsons was the group leader.1964 went to a scout camp in Northern Ireland near Bangor,1965 to Maryculter near Aberdeen, 1966 to Gatehouse of Fleet. 1967 to Great tower camp site near Lake Windermere, Had great times with the scouts, Seems a long time ago. William Wallace Auld
:D
meekan
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Re: Saltcoats scouts

Post by meekan »

Don Parsons was a very good friend of mine. I was never involved with the scouts, best I could do was a few years in the Lifeboys. I became very friendly with Don through his wife Peggy and Don introduced me to wood turning. Once a week we would work together either at his place or mine, enjoying trying new projects and of course a wee cup of tea. I don’t know how many of the world’s problems we solved during our cuppa breaks. During our chats Don would tell me about his adventures with the the scout group of which he became the commissioner for Ayrshire.
Sadly Don died a few years ago and his wife Peggy does not keep well nowadays.
Don was another of of this world’s good people who never sought personal gain only seeking to help and support others.
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