ST. MARY'S COLLEGE
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FIRST TRINIDAD SEA SCOUTS
ST. MARY'S COLLEGE
St. Mary's College was famous for its rowing teams, in the early 1920's. Two past pupils, John and James Sneddon were the expert and dedicated coaches. Seeing the success of the team over the years, there were many proposals and discussions about the possible formation of a Boating Club and as to its form and working. Scouting was in the air. Baden Powell had founded the Scout movement in 1908. A number of St. Mary's boys were members of the 9th Port of Spain Troop (attached to St. Patrick's parish) and Fr. English, a priest at the College, who had contact with this group realised the possibilities waiting to be tapped at the College. With his strong encouragement, it was finally decided that the new College Club would follow the rules and regulations of a Sea Scout Troop.
The Troop planned to take its place quietly in the Port of Spain local Association, as the First Port of Spain Sea Scouts, but were obliged by the Scout Authorities to register under the more challenging title of First Trinidad Sea Scouts.
In January 1923, the scout uniforms, which had been ordered from Scout Headquarters, cream woolen jerseys and navy blue trousers, and the flat sea-scout hats, arrived from England making an investiture possible. This solemn taking of the Scout Promise took place on the 25th February at the College.
At its beginning the Scoutmaster was Mr. John Sneddon. In later years the burden and the privilege of running the scouts fell on Father Tom Kennedy from 1931- 1972, and Father Senan Murray from 1973-1995. From 1995 Mrs. Grace Murray has taken charge of the Troop.
The First Camp was held at Kronstadt in 1922. In 1923 the Troop camped at Clarke's Bay in Gasparee. Nelson Island, one of the Five Islands, was the site of the camp for 1925. A four-day Patrol Leaders' camp was held at Blue Basin during the Easter Holidays in 1926. Camps were held regularly once a year, up to the departure of Father Buyse as Chaplain; in 1927 at Staubles Bay, 1928 was devoted to fixing up the new Club Room, 1929 at Palourde, 1930 there was no camp, 1931 six days at Paxvale, the Trinidad Scouts' organisation, new camping ground at Santa Cruz. In 1932 the Annual camp was replaced by an eight-day cruise on the auxiliary yacht "Psyche". The general camp for the Troop was held at Palourde Bay Monos. With the advent of Fr Kennedy a new era of overseas camping began. Camps were held in Barbados, Tobago, St. Lucia, Grenada, St. Vincent and Venezuela.
For very many years the First Trinidad Sea Scouts featured a drum and bugle band which played on many important occasions in the College. For the past 20 years Life Saving has been the Hall Mark of the First Trinidad Sea Scouts. The Troop continues regularly to assist the orphanages on their beach outings by providing Lifeguard services for the children.
To run a scout troop successfully and to have a club House and boats kept in good order is a very expensive undertaking. The scouts themselves who in addition to their scouting activities have to keep an eye on their studies are manifestly unable to handle fund raising on their own. For the whole of the 75 years of the Troop's existence there has existed a committee which has generously and unselfishly looked after the raising of funds. The two mainstays for regular funding became Bingo and later Barbecue.
In 1944 a lease was obtained of a small piece of land on the sea front at Mucurapo. Immediately fund raising was started so that a "Club House" could be put up. Soon Father Kennedy's attention shifted from the building to the reclamation of the frontage as the sea continued to silt up in front of the slipway. This land reclamation was a Herculean task continued over many, many years. It could be discouraging work as the sea continually washed away the fill, but nevertheless the land crept ever further seaward. When Father Murray took over the Troop, officially in 1973, he was faced with a deteriorating building and also undertook the task of extending further seaward and consolidating the gains already made.
Escondida Cove is a small very sheltered bay on the western side of Point Gourde. On the hill overlooking the bay was an old wooden holiday house which was abandoned when the Americans acquired their 99 years lease on Chaguaramas in 1943. Access from the mainland is had through the property of the Alcan Bauxite Transshipment station. In 1947, Father Kennedy acquired unofficially caretaker's rights to the house. The first major camp was held there in 1947. Eventually the building had crumbled away completely and in the early 1960's it was abandoned. The scouts then used the level area at the foot of the hill as a campsite. Escondida holds many precious memories for the past scouts - "of fellows drinking stop rot for coffee and eating hard backs for raisins in the bakes; lingering memories of Joey's bakes, John Martinez' entree and Hugh Spicer's commentaries on food properties in general'". When Fr Murray became Scout Master in the early 1970's great changes were wrought on the camp site making it eventually one of the finest camping sites in the West Indies. The amount of hard work put into this patch of land is unbelievable, especially when it is realised that it was basically the work of schoolboys. In 1979 a new jetty was built, involving some blasting. In 1980 the campsite was covered with thirty feet of waste bauxite in order to prevent the growth of 'pricker bush'. This was successful. Then 57 loads of topsoil gave a smooth surface that was planted with Bermuda grass. In 1981 the acquisition of a minibus for the Troop allowed the transporting of more scouts to work. The following year the floor of the tents was raised up with soil from the hill and shrubs and trees planted (which had to be watered for the first three dry seasons if they were to survive). By 1984 an eight-foot high wall of solid stone was built over campsite bay and the campsite was further graded with 40 loads of soil and a boundary fence planted. The following years, changing rooms were built and roofed and proper toilets constructed with water tanks to feed them. With the campsite now properly prepared it was fully utilised. The boats rowed down and tents and food could be brought in by the mini-bus through the Alcan area.
It is unfortunate that this beautifully developed campsite which has meant so much to the First Trinidad Sea Scouts seems to be destined for the construction of a moneymaking marina. The First Trinidad Sea Scout Troop has meant a lot to students of St. Mary's College over the years. A number of prominent citizens are past members of the Troop including former President Ellis Clarke, former Chief Justice Michael De La Bastide, former Commander of the Coast Guard Jack Williams along with a number of others. The Troop continues the tradition up to this day and there are many past and present members of the Troop whose academic achievements and scouting skills rank among the best.
75th
Anniversary address
by Nigel Scott January 12, 1997
Philosophers tell us that at the end of our days all we have left of real possessions are our memories and relationships. And what blessings have been bestowed on those who have been fortunate enough to have passed through these hallowed halls.
What pearls of wisdom and life enriching experiences have been cast before us by likes of Leo Graff, Pedro Valdez, Arthur Lai Fook, Tom Kennedy - just to name a few.
As I prepared for this morning's gathering the memories came flooding back - of a young boy's tentative tenderfoot steps through the main gate into the big yard - the same passage a father (Stephen Scott) had made thirty years before - of being told, after settling in for a few days that joining the Scout troop would be a rewarding experience, of standing before Fr. Tom and looking up in awe at this giant of a man with his gruff voice and gleaming eye bellowing to "fall in line, stand erect, shape up or ship out."
Then began a rite of passage that has stayed in the mind to be called up on occasion to bring relief and a chuckle at the reverie.
The camps at Escondida. The long oars pulling the water at dawn - racing to the finish - who reach first get the best spot to sleep! The sail made out of a blanket flapping in gusty wind going over to Gasparee to see the Saturday movie at Chofee's place and maybe catch a glimpse of his beautiful girl child. The long hard journey back pulling against the tide - getting stuck in the mangrove mud and heaving the boats out of the water to wash them down and head a wary way home.
The great Jamboree of 1961 - the friendships made - some fleeting, some lifelong. The parades, the pilgrimages, climbing Laventille Hill in wool sweaters and socks, looking good but feeling itchy and uncomfortable.
The drum and bugle band marching at the Independence Parade at the Oval - the endless, mind numbing hours of practice to arrive at a point when people no longer covered their ears as the band approached.
The Annual Bingo and Jumble sales where you came into contact with the hard working, unselfish, caring and giving mothers who threw their lot into the Troop to keep it going and growing - we remember the likes of Mrs. Arneaud and Beddoe, De Souza and D'Arcy - their sweet hand cooking and not so gentle reproaches.
The endless hours of derusting and caulking and painting, painting the old 'Santa Maria' in the boat yard - until the story could be told that she was really only 'this big' if you scraped all the paint off her hull.
The overseas tours - to Tobago, Barbados (where boys became men - on the nocturnal forays into Bridgetown - this part censored!)
The train ride to the big parade in San Fernando (the last train?) ducking the stones pelted at the train leaving South - whew no one get a buss head - this time!
The names and places, many just a glimmer in the mind, Palm Beach, Coral Bay, Pearl Harbour, Crab Hole. The axe head that could find no place else to land but my head - the hurried stitches and back to camp. The trip to hospital partly on foot - Butcher on my back to get his lacerated foot-sole stitched up while he propositioned the cute nurse - "you doing embroidering girl?"
Fr. De Verteuil has commenced a labour of love to record the history of the Troop. This job could not be in safer hands. Perhaps we could contribute to the tapestry by sending in our own short stories.
One passage stands out from the script.
"The scouts shared a love of the sea with all its exhilaration, its challenges, its
hardship, its weariness, its accomplishments, its bonding and its joys."
And here one scout remembers:
College days will soon be over
I must leave and take my place
In the turmoil of the world
Among men in life's rat race!
But the memory of my scouting
And the lads I used to know
Will bring cheer and courage to me
When my steps are sad and slow
I have shouldered my full rucksack
Thru' the sun and thru' the rain
Climbing hard with face uplifted
On the testing camping trail
Laughing gaily with my comrades
Who like me are pushing on
To make shelter in the deep glades
Before sinks the setting sun
As we sit around the campfire
Joe prepares the welcome stew
And we plan about tomorrow
And the things we're going to do.
Now the wind is in the palm trees
And the bamboo leaves reply
Welcome scout to new horizons
To God's open sea and sky
I will dream of days at Boathouse
When we launched into the deep
And our trusty, stalwart oarsmen
Flashed white oars with powerful sweep
With our bows directed westward
To our campsite at Point Gourde
We were Vikings of the Ocean
Would those days could have endured!
Say goodbye to faithful Seagull
And to Curlews tried and true,
Beaver waits for other oarsmen
Side by side with Otter too.
We pass on; new scouts succeed us,
But our hearts hold no regret:
We lived days of happy scouting
We found friends we'll ne'er forget!
In the passage of these 75 years.... Boys became men - men became fathers and grandfathers
And their lives are richer because of the FIRST TRINIDAD SEA SCOUTS - 75 years old.
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