What is Scouting? Scouting is a global, educational youth Movement. In the UK Scouting is organised through The Scout Association and has a clear purpose:
To help young people achieve their full physical, intellectual, social and spiritual potential as individuals, as responsible citizens and as members of their local, national and international communities. The method of helping young people achieve these aims is based upon learning by doing in partnership with adults and is called the Programme; - The Programme is a continuous progression of training, activities and awards that covers everything that young people do in Scouting from the age of 6-25.
The Programme is delivered in age groups – called Sections.
Cub Scouts ( 8-10½Years)
How Scouting began
During the camp Robert Baden-Powell and a small party of boys put into practice his ideas for training young people in responsible citizenship. This lead to the publication of ‘Scouting for Boys,’ the training manual for boys over 11years which created scouts.
In 1916 a junior section known as ‘Wolf Cubs’ was formed – today’s Cub Scouts, with Beaver Scouts following in 1982.
Today, there are well over 28 million Members in over 216 countries and territories and the Movement is still growing.
109TH LOYOLA
109th Loyola - one of the worlds oldest Scout Groups?
Believed to have been known as ‘The Order of Loyola’, one of the experimental groups trialing Baden-Powells ideas before ‘Scouting for Boys’ was published in January 1908, 109th Loyola became a Scout Group on the formation of the Scout Movement.
The Group was originally connected to Sacred Heart Church on Blackburn Road Accrington, being reformed at the end of the first world war in 1918.
In 1932 a ‘Wolf Cub’ section was started. In the 1950’s the group had to leave it’s base at Sacred Heart, meeting for a time in St Oswald’s School and then Holy Family (now Mount Carmel) before moving to St. Mary’s Oswaldtwistle in 1963.
Fund raising commenced for a new permanent Headquarters which was built by parents and scouts of the day, opening at Hippings Vale in 1972 where the Group has remained ever since.
In 1990 a Beaver Scout Colony was added to the Group.
Why Loyola?
The Group takes its name from Saint Ignatius of Loyola, St. Ignatius was a soldier and was hit by a cannon ball at the Battle of Pamplona (1521) he was not expected to live and was taken back to his home, the Castle of Loyola by his enemies, he miraculously recovered and devoted the rest of his life to God and helping others.
He was the founder of the Jesuit Religious Order whose members were based at Sacred Heart Church when the Scout Group was formed. Loyola was the saint’s home town in Spain; he died on the 31st July 1556.
Why 109?
No-one really knows! Except to say that the number pre-dates any known registration number system. Was it the 109th Group in the country, or as has been suggested, 109 boys turned up to join on the very first meeting night?
Group Neckerchief
Like football teams each scout group has its own colours. Loyola’s neckerchief is yellow and white halves (white on the right). The colours of the Papal Flag. (Yellow and white represent gold and silver the colour of St Peter’s keys to the kingdom of heaven)
