Past Leaders & Assistants

However strong the membership, most organisations will falter if leadership is weak. Our strength is a credit to those in charge over the past 70 years. Pa Wright, AIf Young and Brian Fall, Len Barber, Ernie Crawford and now Mick Heath have covered 75 years between them as GSL.

The family involvement has always been strong, sometimes with two or three generations giving service to us. Some have found their partners from within the Group; our influence goes far beyond scouting. Many have served in various sections, other Groups or gone on to take District or County posts. It is of course a team task but most of us associate our time with a particular era or section leader.

For Cubs this may be Miss Burrows in the thirties, followed by Mr. Luffram, Mr.Goodman, Miss Gibbs, Mrs. Collier and Miss Footitt to the mid fifties. Pam Pollard, Betty Oakins and Phil Gibbard then carried the flag as Akela. After Phil’s death, Betty Porter (Oakins) returned taking us into the eighties. Karen Busby and Brian Mitten bring us to date.

The Scout Troop started under Mr. Sherwood in 1931 with Mr. Hill and Roy Collier following as Scout Masters to the fifties. Steve Tibble, tragically murdered in 1975, succeeded AIf Young, Alan Perry and Bryn Porter. Neil Hammond, Mike Fatyga and Colin Porter, and today Chris Klesel and Andy Oakley are in joint control.

Messrs. Luffram, Williams, Collier, Brock, Porter and Perry mainly covered the period of Senior Scouting. 

The Rovers who started our Group in 1930 were under the control of District Leader Firman. Pa Wright, Ron Lone, Len Barber and Tom Black followed at intervals and Cohn Baker took us to the end of Rover Scouting in 1968.

The Venture Unit was formed initially as a Group / District Unit with Peter Meadley, Alan Perry, Mick Helsdon and John Ward. It then became Mercury Third Osterley with Bryn Porter as Venture Scout Leader. Following Bryn’s sudden death in 1988, Mick Heath took the helm, handing over to Martin Raby who heads the Unit today.

Jackie Fairweather and Betty Porter formed our youngest section the Beavers. Since then the Leaders have been Jenny Evans, Linda Beal and Madeline Newing.

The Sea Rangers sadly closed in 1997. Skippers Norman, Adams, Young, bear, Wilkinson, Helsdon, Swift and Bywater took the tiller for “Reclaim’s” time at the base.

These Warranted Leaders could not have operated without a dedicated team of Assistants, to numerous to mention but without whose support and friendship the Leaders task would not be possible. It is evident from the social contact that extends outside of official duties, that lasting friendships are forged while supporting the objectives of the movement in general, and The Third in particular. We thank you all.

To support the uniformed sections of The Third, we have a strong Executive Committee, a Service Crew and a Scout Fellowship. No one in The Group is paid, we all give our time voluntarily because, Scouting is fun and we all enjoy it.

If the boys and girls now in our care get the same fun and friendship, they will stay, and ensure the future for this fine Group. This has been the story of 75 years with the Family of the Third Osterley Sea Scout Group. Long may it continue.