At the beginning of 1983, Stephen Padin approached the Group with the idea of restarting the Scout Troop. This idea was taken up with enthusiasm and on the 9th of March 1983, the first Scouts were invested into the Group for nearly 20 years.
With the starting of the Troop brought the creation of the Group Executive to help with fundraising for the whole Group. The reformation of the Troop brought a lot of people who would be linked with the Group for many years to come –
Leaders – Stephen Padin & Ken Johnson
Group Executive – Mike Gritton, Irene O’Donnell & Maureen Lowndes
Scouts – Jonathan Gritton, David & Stephen Johnson & Gareth O’Donnell
The following photos show some of the first investitures on 9th March 1983.
Jason Peach being invested
David Johnson being invested
The new Troop –
Back row – David Wood (Group Scout Leader), Stephen Padin (Scout Leader) & Ken Johnson (Assistant Scout Leader)
Front Row – Jonathan Gritton, Alan Lewis, David Johnson, Stephen Johnson, Jason Peach, Gareth O’Donnell & Michael Harrison
In the Staffordshire Weekly Sentinel dated Friday April 15 1983, Bill Webber (Divisional Secretary) published an article about the Scout Troop restarting and the hunt for the troop’s flag. The article also mentions the Group’s start in 1908. Click here to see the article.
The Troop’s first camp at Kibblestone – 7th May 1983
On this photo we can see, from left to right –
Jonathan Gritton, Gareth O’Donnell, Martin Tinsley, Martin?, Jason Peach, Ken Johnson, Matthew Richards, Alan Lewis, Jason?, David Johnson, Nick Wood, Stephen Johnson & Michael Harrison.
As he is not on these photos, it is assumed that they were taken by Stephen Padin.
In the first hike photo, our Group Chairman Mike Gritton can be seen in the yellow jacket. Was this the time he locked his car keys in his car at the end of the hike? If anyone knows the answer to that question and the names of the people who we are not sure of, please get in touch by clicking here.