Our History
The
1st Scout Group of Pyrgos was
founded on 1931. From that time since 1939, the first efforts are to increase
its members and stabilize its activities. So there were not very big activities
but just small jaunts or camps and the established nice acts. The participation
of Scouts at the Greek Red - Cross fund raiser was also a standard activity.
At 1939, Metaxas dictatorship forced Scouts to consolidate Metaxa's 'National
Youth'. This decision was not accepted by Greek Scouts. It is with great
thrill that the older ones remember the day, that the dictatorship's men,
inhibited our Scout Group, by taking every member's neckerchief, at the
central square of Pyrgos.
During the second World War the
Group's operation had been suspended. Right after the war ended, at 1945,
there had been great activity. A characterizing event of that time was,
that the uniforms were sewed from sacks that were left by the U.N.R.A.,
a humanistic organization. It is at that time that the Scouts planted the
trees at the sides of the road connecting Pyrgos and Katakolon and also
at the mountain of Skafidia and the grove of Spiantza. They also organized
collections of clothes, foods and money to repair the damage that was done
during the war and the occupation. Every summer the camp took place at
the mountainous location of Lala, or near the sea at Mantzakoura.
At
last common activities were church-going and cleaning the pine trees at
the Eparcheion. Another important event was blood donation taking place
to times of need. This kind of activities continue over the years of the
50s and the 60s, when most of the summer camps were held at Kaiafas, along
with all region's Scouts.
19645
is an important year for our group, because it was renamed as 1st group
of Forest-Scouts - meaning that most of the groups activities concern the
forests and the mountains. This name stands until today.
At 1971 at the stadium of Pyrgos
took place a big demonstration of Scouting Technique with over 500 Scouts
from Ilia as participants. One year later, at 1972, 6 Scouts participated
at the Jamboret that was held at Chortiatis mountain, near Salonica.
The Turkish invasion at Cuprous
found our Scouts at their camp at Kaiafas. The rankers departed immediately
to join the army, while the campers after returning to Pyrgos, were divided
in groups to help the fire department, the air force and the army.
After this year Scouting at Pyrgos
declined until the early 80's. The Scouts participated at the camp of the
neighbouring town's Scouts of Amaliada while in 1982 they restarted the
summer camps for Pyrgos' Scouts at Skafidia.
Scouts from our group participated into groups offering help to the various
earthquakes that hit Peloponnese those last years at Kalamata (1986), Vartholomio
(1988), our city Pyrgos (1993) and Aegion (1995). 5 Scouts from our Group
participated at the international activity "Philia '94", held at Parnassos
mountain while, in the summer of 1996, Explorers from our group hosted
40 Ukrainian Scouts at Skafidia for 10 days.
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