One Sunday afternoon around Easter 1999, two of the Group’s Leaders had finished some paperwork and decided that what the Group needed was a website. This was in the the days of slow dial up internet connections (via the phone line – you couldn’t be online and use the phone at the same time!) and websites created in FrontPage Express.

After an hour or two, they published the Group’s first website. Very basic and reasonably quick to load, it was hoped to keep people informed about the Scout Troop. Parts of the original site were saved and you can see an approximation of it here from late 1999.

The site was given a brand new look around a year later. Since then, it’s regularly been updated and upgraded since then and provides a record of what the Group has done over the last 21 years.

Our online presence has increased since then and we are now have –

• Group history website
• Website in memory or our Scouts killed in wars
• Facebook page
• Twitter
• YouTube
• Instagram
• Photo gallery

Take a look and see all the activities we have done in our 112 years!

Thanks to Gareth for the original idea of a website!

Our Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, Young Leaders and Leaders show their appreciation to key workers.

17/03/2020

Dear parents,

Yesterday the government announced that due to the coronavirus epidemic, everyone in the UK should now avoid non-essential travel and contact with others.

Following this, the Scout Association have suspended all face-to-face activities, Scout meetings, activities and events with immediate effect, until further notice.

We as a Group are, of course, following this advice, so there will be no drums on Thursday, Beavers and Cubs on Friday or Scouts on Tuesday for the foreseeable future.

We will follow the advice from the government and the Scout Association, and our meetings and activities will resume as soon as it is safe to do so.

In the meantime, we are investigating badges and activities that can be done at home.

We will keep you all updated as to when we can return and everyone in the Group hopes that you all stay healthy and we can continue our Scouting activities as soon as possible.

Thank you

Nick

Group Scout Leader

Dear Parent / Carer

Scout Association Membership Fees 2020

The Scout Association’s annual membership fees are now due. The fee for this year is £43 per member. Porthill Scout Group do not keep this money, it has to be paid directly to the Scout Association to run the organisation.

This cost runs into thousands of pounds for our Group and the swift collection of this membership fee is vital to the future of the Group. The Executive Committee has therefore stated that all fees MUST be paid by 30th April 2020.
If your child’s fees are not paid by that date, then, unfortunately, your child will be turned away and will not be able to attend meetings or events until payment is made.

If you have difficulty making the payment on time, please speak to one of the Leaders who will be able to discuss some options with you.

Most parents are now choosing to make payments via our website by credit or debit card. To pay using this method please click here.

The payments are processed by PayPal, in the same way you can pay online for items from retailers such as Domino’s Pizza or Interflora. You do not need to have a PayPal account to pay (you can use your credit or debit card) and all the payments are taken via PayPal’s website, so you can be sure that your details are secure, and we do not keep any of your card details. Once the payment has been made, you will receive a receipt via email.

If you wish to pay by cash or cheque, please send this to your son’s / daughter’s next Scout / Cub / Beaver meeting. Receipts will be provided for any cash or cheque payments. Please make cheques payable to “1st St Andrews Porthill Scout Group”.
If your child is a new member, please can you also ask to complete a Gift Aid declaration form (available from section Leaders).

If you have any queries regarding this payment, please speak to your section Leader.

Yours in Scouting
Nick Wood
Group Scout Leader

We hope that everyone had a great Christmas and new year. We’re all ready to start Scouting in 2020 (the new Roaring Twenties?) and we have some exciting things planned for the year – watch this space!

All our sections are back this week at their normal meeting times – Scouts Tuesday, Drums Thursday, Beavers and Cubs Friday.

See you all soon.

That’s it now for 2019!
All the Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, Leaders and adult helpers from 1st Porthill Scout Group would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

The Scouts return on Tuesday 7th January and the Beavers and Cubs on Friday 10th January 2020.

See you then.

On Friday our Beavers, Cubs and Scouts went to watch Potteries North District’s Gang show, Burdi Boys. In the cast were Beaver Leader Rachael (she was also Producer), Scout Leader Paul, Explorer Jasmine and Cub Erin.

A slight historical aside here, Burdi Boys was started in 1958 by Burslem District, of which our Group was a member. The show continued during the time of Potteries Central (again we were members until the Districts changed in 2005) up to the present day when it is run by Potteries North District, so by our members joining in the show, they are carrying on what Porthill Scouts have been doing for over 60 years.

The show opened with the cast singing Queen songs! Following this, the Beavers, always the stars of the first half of the show, sung, and signed, the Rainbow song and True Colours.

Both the Beavers and the (also excellent) Cubs featured heavily in the first half of the show as they are not permitted to be onstage past a certain time. They, along with the rest of the cast, did really well in the song and dance numbers.

Paul performed a monologue about the perils of shopping (despite our encouragement!), Jasmine featured in the Jamboree section and Erin had a solo in the Greatest Showman routine.

Rachael sang Over the Rainbow as a duet with her co-producer Sarah.

The show ended with the Burdi Boys theme tune, the traditional gang show song ‘Crest of a Wave’ (you cannot have a Gang Show without singing this!) and more songs from the Greatest Showman.

This was another excellent Burdi Boys, which all our Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and Leaders enjoyed. Thanks to the cast and crew for putting on such a great show!

“When you go Home, tell them of us and say,
For your Tomorrow, we gave our Today”

John Maxwell Edmunds
1916

Our Scouts who were killed in The Great War and Second World War

We Remember all killed in war and especially those Porthill Scouts killed serving their country.

Click here to see our online Memorial to our Scouts

They won’t care if your Necker’s not ironed
They won’t care if your shoes are grubby They won’t care if you’re 2 mins late
And they won’t care if you stand near your mate.

All they want is for you to remember
And to wear your poppy and say you know All they want is a future of peace
And a chance for the children to grow

So wear your poppy, your uniform, your Necker.
Say your thanks as a Scout and be proud. For the lives that were changed, were lost or altered,
were destroyed so that you can be there and be allowed.

They shall not grow old as we that are left grow old.
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn
At the going down of the sun
And in the morning
We will remember them.