compiled by David Schildkamp
The first mention of St. Andrews was in 1913 the area D.C. Major W.H. Vicars, finally settled on the revised make up of the local association which after omitting troops from surrounding towns and villages, who were forming their own L.A.’s, now only included the parishes of Brighton, Falmer, Hangleton, Hove, Ovingdean, Patcham, Portslade-by-Sea, Preston, Preston Rural, Stanmer, and West Blatchington.
This resulted in general renumbering from 1st December, 1913. There were now 18 local troops, St. Andrews, Portslade first appearing as the 16th Brighton with the Reverend L.N. Phillips as Scout Master. It therefore seems safe to say that the first St. Andrews’s troop was established by early 1914.
Scouting in the First World War was difficult with many leaders going off to war. In 1916 records show there were 26 troops registered in the district, however seven of these troops had suspended meetings including the 1th St. Andrews. (This means that they were in effect disbanded, although some Scouts of certain troops had joined other local troops)
The war ended and the 1920s began with no further news of a St. Andrews troop. Meanwhile Brighton and Hove split on 13.3.1920 this was on an East/West basis along the towns’ boundaries but one D.C.
Hove registered as a separate L.A. 19.12.22, census figures for September 1923 recording 5 groups. In 1926 the Kingston-by-Sea L.A. amalgamated with Hove and in December 1928 St. Andrews, Portslade, reappeared as the 13th Hove, Registration number 9131. The troop numbered 14 Scouts and there were 9 Wolf Cubs in a group total of 26.
By 1931, with 24 Cubs and 23 Scouts, total numbers at St. Andrews had risen to 50 and Hove and District pre-war census figures peaked at 1086 in 1933. This was after Hove, with 34 sections, became a district in 1932.
In 1935 the 13th were reduced to a pack of 12 Wolf Cubs and the following year, due to Shoreham becoming a separate L.A. and other groups disbanding or moving away, Hove renumbered the remaining groups with the result that the 13th became the 5th St. Andrews, Scouts had reappeared in a group total of 36.
There was no record of troop scouting at St. Andrews in 1937 but they were shown in 1938 as part of a group total of 5. This was the last year of Hove census figures until 1943 but a note in 1941 indicated that the 5th St. Andrews was not functioning along with four other Hove groups.
The 5th did not register in 1943 but a note in the 1944 census told us that officers were on active service, Scouts have joined other troops. Again absent from the 1945 figures but the 5th showed up in 1946 with 16 Wolf Cubs and 20 Scouts still under registration no. 9131.
For the first time two Senior Scouts (15-18 year) were included in the 1947 census figures, which totalled 46 at the 5th. Of special note the pack boasted a couple of two star Cubs among their 25 and there were two first Class Scouts in the troops 18 members.
The 1949 census entry, signed by D.C. Cecil Goddard, created a mystery as the 5th Hove, Portslade, St. Andrews, in 1948 suddenly became the 14th Hove with a new registration no. 27071, dated 23.2.1949
There was no explanation in the census figures, I can only assume that as the group had left its Church of England sponsoring authority and became an ‘Open’ group, and the D.C. had reregistered it. It reverted to CE in 1957 when St. Andrews was again mentioned as the sponsor.
Since 1949 to date the existence of the 14th Hove (St Andrews Portslade) remains unbroken.
Three items of note – in 1955 J.R. Grace, Patrol Leader, 14th Hove was a recipient of the Gilt Cross “In recognition of his gallantry in rescuing a boy from drowning in Aldrington Basin, Hove, 29th August, 1955.”, in 1967 the group was represented by Colin Southcote at the Idaho Jamboree and more recently in 1991 the new Vale Park H.Q. was officially opened by Councillor, Mrs Audrey Buttimer, Mayor of Hove. GSL at the time was Ernie Woolgar.
1913-1916 16th Brighton (St. Andrews Portslade)
1925-1928 7th Hove (St. Andrews Portslade)
1928-1936 13th Hove (St. Andrews Portslade)
1936-1948 (intermittent) 5th Hove (St Andrews Portslade)
1949-2013 14th Hove (St Andrews Portslade)