100 Years of History

On 6 October 2019, 1^st Hathersage celebrated 100 years since the group began. A year before the event, the group’s Beaver Leader, Toria, contacted the Heritage Team at Gilwell Park’s Scouts HQ, to request information about the group’s history: ‘We’re celebrating our 100^th year,’ she said, ‘and we’re hoping to organise some great events to celebrate.’

After riffling through old documents and deeds alongside the Heritage Team, Toria, group leaders, and local village elders, found what they were looking for: great facts, stories, and the names of some former members.

And so, they decided to end their year on a high with a Celebration Day, including food, activities and historical displays. Toria contacted as many of the retired members as she could find, inviting them to the event. The day was advertised locally too, encouraging past members (and everyone else in the Hope Valley!) to pop along and join in the celebrations. Having officially formed in 1919, there were lots of people with past memories of the group.

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When the day arrived, Scouts, parents, community members, retired leaders and former members gathered together to toast their teacups to the 1^st Hathersage centenary.

In the Hathersage Memorial Hall guests enjoyed freshly made afternoon tea: sandwiches, cakes and treats. Everyone made their way around the venue, bumping into friends, making new ones and reacquainting themselves with old faces from years ago. Former members had travelled from all over the UK to come to the event. It was a chance to thank them for being a valuable part of the group and to show them how it’s evolved over time into the thriving community it is today.

Displays around the hall re-telling the history of the group: their first meeting in 1911, official formation in 1919, the gift of their first Scout Hut premises and land in 1939, and stories about Scouts today – with over 80 young people in the group today, and a satellite group in a nearby village.

At one point a former member stood by the uniform table telling a few Beavers what it was like to get his first uniform. Before long, they were eager to try the uniforms on for themselves. Unsurprisingly, they were far too big for the six and seven-year-old Beavers.

Beavers, Cubs and Scouts performed on stage, delighting their audience with a live ‘campfire’ singing activity. Finally, the winner of the badge competition was announced.

As the event drew to a close, Tom, the Group Scout Leader and Richard, The District Commissioner, announced the winners of the badge competition. The young people had designed some fantastic badges to celebrate the 100^th anniversary. They combined the adventure and fun of Scouts with Hathersage’s famous mill stoning history. Congratulations to the winning designers: Oscar and Ned!

Having celebrated 100 years of friendship, fun and skills for life with a jam-packed schedule of events, 1^st Hathersage Scout Group commemorated the milestone with their very own Promise Path brick.

1st Hathersage
Scouting for
over 100 years!