The
first record of a troop being formed in Harpur is in
February 1911 by Mr F Mallin. It became known as
Buxton Fourth Troop and was presented with its own
Scout Flag (or colours) at a service on the Market
Place on 22nd June 1911 held to celebrate the
Coronation of King George Vth. Mr Mallin retired as Scoutmaster during 1912.
For
some time the troop were without adult help until in
October 1912 Mr Brightmore from Tideswell took over
he was later assisted by Mr Fred Mycock a former
Buxton Scout. The troop made good progress and had
an individual competition for attendance and
smartness. The troop produced several well received
concerts and were successful on at least one
occasion when playing football against the local
Church Lads Brigade.
In
1914 both Mr Brightmore and Mr Mycock had retired
and Scoutmasters Bosley & Blood had taken over.
In
1915 the Harpur Hill troop took part in the parade
that was inspected by Baden-Powell. The parade which
took place on the Market Place comprised some 200
Scouts, Wolf Cubs & Scout Masters. The troop
did not last until the end of the war in 1918
closing during 1917 having run for 6 years.
in
1926 the Harpur Hill Scout Group was re-formed as
6th Buxton and comprised both a Scout Troop and a
Wolf Cub Pack. The Scoutmaster was Mr Bill Blood. In
1928 the group comprised 2 leaders and 20 Scouts.
The Group closed in 1930 having run for 4 years.
1939
brought the outbreak of war and in 1940 a
troop of Scouts was again reformed in Harpur by
Reverend L.E.P. de Cass. This troop was numbered
14th Buxton (St James, Harpur Hill). They took part
in ARP Warden duties and worked towards a mobile
canteen during the early part of the war. In 1942 a
Cup Pack was started but the Group closed later that
year. A number of members of the Scout Group during
this time where also in the St James Church Choir
where Mr Bailey was Choir Master.
During
the war the Harpur Hill Band was formed which mopped
up some of the displaced youngsters from the
village. It became adopted as the Derbyshire Home
Guard Band throughout the remainder of the war and
was still going strong after the war.
September
1973 saw the creation of the 3rd Buxton (Harpur
Hill) Scout Group in its current form. It was
started by Mr Ken Arrand who started the Cub Pack in
September but a month later Mrs Hazel Sellors had
taken over and had 22 Cubs invested by the District
Commissioner, Mr Billinge. Mrs Sellors encouraged
her husband to start a Scout Group and Mr Ken Arrand
moved to become the Group Scout Master.
1974
saw a presentation pictured in the Buxton
Advertiser. On the right of the picture is Bernard
Billinge (District Commissioner)
(picture located by William Thomson)
The
group had started in 1973 in the Harpur Hill Primary
School but recognised that the building was
inadequate for the troop and in 1982 committed to
raising the funds to buy its own headquarters. To
this end numerous fundraising events were held
including an annual Horse Show and Gymkhana which
attracted considerable support.
In
1988 Mrs Hazel Sellor's sadly died and was laid to
rest at the Methodist Church in Harpur Hill in her
Leaders Uniform with the Pack Union Flag covering
her coffin. It was a sad loss and one which deeply
affected the group.
The
pack was continued by Sue O'Connell (now Sue West
GSL 14th Buxton) who ran it up until 1990.
In
1990 the Cub Pack closed briefly but was revitalised
and held together by the District Commissioner Keith
Bagshaw who helped the group greatly through these
troubled leaderless times. Chris Haslett fresh into
the District from the South joined and helped out. Roger Harrison was courted to take on the group but took another
appointment at 1st Buxton with his daughter
Lou.
In
1991 the pack had to hurriedly find a new home as
the Harpur Hill Primary School became fund holding
and raised the rent to such an extent the group had
to move. A new home was found at the Methodist
Church and the group developed soon there were
enough lads of sufficient age to start a Scout
Troop. The investiture of the lads and the formation
of the Troop took place in Pooles Cavern. Much of
the thanks for establishing the Scout Group goes to
Mr Keith Bagshaw the District Commissioner who has
been a great friend to the group.
The
group later added a Beaver Colony established and
run by Mrs Helen McDonald and assisted by Miss
Jennifer Haslett.
In
1991 Lesley Twigge (now Lesley Musgrove) took on the
role of Cub Scout Leader and developed the group.
The Group thrived with limits being set on the
number of lads owing to the lack of space in the
Church Hall the Pack kept a healthy waiting list.
During the 1990's the Pack won a number of events
and titles. Each success led to a greater demand for
places and a revised upper number but by 2006 the
pack was running with the maximum permissible 36
cubs and was struggling for space within the hall
with many games and activities being curtailed due
to lack of space. During 2006 the Church reduced the
toilets from 2 to 1 leaving an unacceptable
situation. To that end the question of obtaining
permanent headquarters was again flagged to the
Group Executive for urgent action.
It
was found by consulting past minutes that the Group
Executive had committed its self to building its own
HQ as long ago as 1973. Whilst two wooden building
had become available neither had materialized into a
permanent site. The subject of a permanent location
was reviewed by the Group Exec and again the hunt
was on. Fundraising was established and locations
identified. Following a number of false starts a
site at the Rugby Club became a possibility. A
suitable portable building was identified on the old
abandoned Harpur campus of the University of Derby.
A major project ensued (due for completion by May
2010) to move and equip the building making a permanent
Scout HQ in Harpur. For more about this project look
at the Group's News area.
