History

Describing the first HQ , the Rev Cumming said “We met first of all in McGee’s old mill through which the old lade ran. It was a dark, draughty place, full of perilous rickety stairs and eery corners, especially on dark nights. But the young life made the rafters ring and the creaky steps seemed to whisper to each other as quick eager feet ran up and down them. What a change the open-eyed throng wrought in the old place!”
The “new hut” in Barterholm Road was also a lively place catering for two Cub Packs, the Scout Troop and the Rover Crew not to mention the Pipe Band and a very active Parents’ Committee in the immediate post-war period. The Committee ran whist drives to raise funds for the Pipe Band and also organised Saturday night dances which became very popular with the Rovers and older Guides and leaders and many from the local community.


The Lylesland Group was strong in numbers from the very beginning reaching nearly 80 Scouts in the post-war period with two Packs being formed to cater for the demand then from over 60 Cubs. A Rover Crew catering for the over 18’s was formed in the 1950’s. Around this time the Group also formed a Pipe Band which survived successfully for quite a few years, under the effective tuition of Mr Lang.
Swimming always featured strongly in the Group programme, with the Troop holding the District Swimming Shield for 10 consecutive years from 1927 to 1937, with the Cub Pack winning the Cub Swimming Shield on 6 occasions. This tradition was revived when the Beaver Colony won the District Trophy in 2005 with five firsts and a second in the six races stage for this section. Beaver Scouts (age 6-8) became an official section in the Scout Movement in 1982 with Lylesland Beavers being strong in numbers since the Colony was restarted in 1999.


The survival of a Scout Group over many years depends on the continuity of Leadership and Lylesland was lucky with its original Scout Leaders including the Minister Revd Andrew Cumming, John A Barr and John (Monty) Montgomery. All three were there in the beginning in 1921 and took part 50 years later in the Golden Jubilee Dinner at the Glynhill, when the principal guest was Lord Rowallan, Chief Scout 1945-1959.
The Cub Pack were also fortunate in having a succession of very committed leaders including John Herd, Cub Leader, 1946-1958, who became the District Commissioner for Cubs in Paisley in the early ‘50’s and helped to start up and support (along with John Armit from the Church) the handicapped Cubs and Scouts at Scotscraig (32nd Paisley) in the early 1960’s (before the Group eventually moved to Corseford where they still exist today). One of John Herd’s assistants, Jean Ferguson took over the reins as Cub master over the period 1958 to 1984 continuing to ensure that Lylesland Cubs were an effective force in Paisley.
Sadly, like many other Scout Groups, recruitment of leaders became increasingly difficult in the 80’s and 90’s with the temporary closure of the Beaver Colony and the Cub Pack in 1994 and the Scout Troop in 1996 following a fire in the Rowan Street Scout Hall. With plans for the redevelopment of the site for housing, and the demolition of the Scout Hall, when the Cubs were restarted in 1997, the Church offered accommodation for Pack meetings in the Rowan Street Church halls. The Beaver Colony was restarted in 1999 and eventually the Scout Troop followed so that in 2005 the Group once again, had all three sections under the Group Scout Leader, John Hunter who was a former Queen’s Scout from Gleniffer.