Scouts Centenary Artwork
For nearly a century, the unassuming buildings on John Street have been a hive of activity and a training ground for character. This is the story of the Helensburgh Scout and Guide Halls—a story built not just of wood and aluminium, but of community spirit, generosity, and the enduring values of two great movements.
A Community's Dream : The 1925 Foundation
In 1925, the Helensburgh Scouts and Girl Guides launched a public appeal for £1,200. Their goal? To fund a new headquarters on recently acquired ground in John Street. The pages of the Helensburgh and Garelochhead Times became a roll-call of the town’s most community-minded citizens, listing subscribers and their donations.
The driving force was Walter J. Hickey, the American Managing Director of the Singer factory in Clydebank. In a brilliant piece of resourcefulness, he arranged for a wartime hut from the factory to be “sold” to the associations. This hut was carefully dismantled, transported, and re-erected as the very foundation of their new home.
The Grand Opening & A Lasting Legacy
On 6th November 1925, the halls were officially opened with great ceremony. Local schools even let children out early to attend! The honour of opening the new headquarters fell to none other than Lady Olave Baden-Powell, the World Chief Guide, cementing the hall’s importance from its very beginning.
The original trustees, including Treasurer James Gibson and Guide Chair Miss Graham, established a joint leadership that has stewarded the property for generations.
A Living, Breathing Hub
Today, the halls are as vital as ever. They are a weekly home to nearly 300 young people across Squirrels, Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, Rainbows, Brownies, Guides, and more. When not in use by the movements, the halls open their doors to the wider community, hosting everything from yoga and dance classes to the RSPB and the Canoe Club.
Outwardly, the halls may look similar, but they are a testament to continuous care. The wooden walls have been covered in harling, the roof felt replaced with aluminium, and facilities constantly upgraded to meet modern safety standards. As the document notes, the fact that these “temporary” wooden buildings have lasted a century is a real tribute to generations living by the Scout and Guide law to be “careful of possessions and property.”
Shaping Futures: The Lasting Impact
The impact of these movements, nurtured within these walls, is profound. The skills learned here have shaped lives and even saved them. For every 100 girls who join Guiding, 1 will save a life using skills learned, and another will save her own, 18 will discover a hobby they pursue into adulthood, and another 18 will follow a career related to a skill they learned.
A fair proportion of members return as adult leaders and helpers, ensuring the cycle of guidance and support continues for new generations.
Looking to the Future
The spirit of self-reliance that built the halls in 1925 continues today. While annual maintenance is managed, the trustees look to the future with the aspiration of ensuring a modern, well-equipped meeting place for decades to come.
They acknowledge that creating a development fund would provide greater security and confidence for the future, ensuring that this cherished community asset can continue its vital work.
A Call to Continuation
Just as the community came together in 1925, support from those who value this history and its future is always welcome. While we can’t promise to publish names in the newspaper like our predecessors, we can certainly promise the considerable gratitude of hundreds of young people and community groups.
Contacts
Sandy Kerr Centenary Secretary : sandykerr1@btinternet.com
Helensburgh Scout & Guide Headquarters Trust, Secretary : kirsten.howie@stir.ac.uk
Dunbartonshire District Scouts – https://dunbartonshirescouts.org
Helensburgh District Girlguiding – https://www.girlguidingdunbartonshire.org.uk
1st Helensburgh Scout Group – https://www.helensburghscouts.uk
Friends of Guiding – https://hfog.org
Clyde Trefoil Guild – https://www.girlguidingdunbartonshire.org.uk/trefoil