Brownsea To Kirkhill
by W. T Lyall
Brownsea Isle is many miles feh Kirk Hill Boy Scouts Hall
AI bottom end o' England, why mention ade at all
But Brownsea Isle is famous now as every boy scout knows
Baden Powell held ai first scout camp, 75 years ago
"So what" fowk said " 'ats
a' very weel, anither new organisation"
Thurs no need till tell ai fowk in Week, 'at useless information
But 2 years efter Brownsea Isle, scouting wis goin' a treat
Ai Reverand Coutts o' ai Bridge St Kirk, formed ai first boy scouts in
Week.
They met in halls all roond ai toon, for
play and scouting work
Ai Zion Hall wis wan o' ai first, an' ai hall 0' ai Bridge St Kirk
Ai Tennis Pavilion in Francis St, ai Breadalbane an' Barrogill Hall
They sometimes met in ai Mutual Club, 'an sometimes no pleice at all.
Early scout mesters 'and leaders did
weel, thur neimes will go doon in history
Dan Dunnett, John Gunn an' Harry Bridger, an' father o' Scouts Willie
Christie
Scouting in Week now grew in strength, ade seemed 'at nothing could marr
But trouble wis flarin' in Europe, Scout leaders were called off till
war.
Now war takes ades toll on all walks o'
life, an scouting wis badly effected
A few young scouts tried till keep ade alive, but for years ade wis
sadly neglected
Willie Christie came hom feh duties abroad, an' soon wis appointed Scout
Master
Under Willie's command ai improvement wis great, ade couldna be better
or faster.
But soon ade came clear till Scout
Master Christie, a hall ol their ain wis required
Willie gave thought till raisin' funds, an industrial exhibition
transpired
By 1930 they'd raised enough, a building at last wis found
They bocht ai Marvis Fish Factory, for ai sum o' £300.
But ai pleice wis left in an awful meice,
ai job required organisation
Ai Rover Scouts hed thur work cut oot, on ai big clean up operation
They buried tinned fish at ai back ol ai hall, for weeks ai scouts smelt
rotten
At last they moved till thur own Scout Hall, ai hard work wis soon
forgotten.
Scouting in Week now grew in strength,
quality wis their own demand
They'd Sea Scouts, a Football Team, their own Fire Brigade, an' Dadda
formed ai scouts Pipe Band
By 1934 their ambition wis great, they launched ai "Wick Scout
Show"
Live demonstrations all kinds o' displays, an ade lasted 8 days in a
row.
1939 an' war wance again, at mannie
called Hitler wis a fool
He might hev been great for ai Germans, but ai Scouts hed Johnnie Yuill
Johnnie wis a scouter o' action, scouts danced when Johnnie called ai
tune
But work must come before pleasure, an Johnnie departed feh ai toon.
Ai scouts carried on in Harrow Hill, but
trouble wis afoot alas
Financial problems wil ai building, and they sold ade till Caithness
Glass
Wan half ol ai hall wis smashed till ai ground, ai ither made in till a
store
Ai end o' an era at Harrow Hill, wid Christie hev closed at door.
They all moved in wi second week troop,
till ai famous Kirkhill Hall
Run so long by Arthur Doull, longest servin' scout o' all
They built an extension till improve ai hall, an' now a new era's begun
75 years o' scouting, they continue a job well done.
Now Robert an' Ian an' Garry an' many
more leaders worth mention
Continue in ai wake o' famous neimes, Scouting for boys their intention
They still heve thur camps an' Gang Shows, they accept any challenge if
dared
Ai message still rings feh Brownsea Isle, BE HELPFUL, BE LOYAL, BE
PREPARED.
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