FINNART CHURCH
1 The Church
Finnart Church (Fig. 1) instigated the creation of the 70th Renfrewshire Scout Group when its minister, the Rev. Reid (Fig. 2), decided that the church should have its own Scout Group. Consequently, the church hall became the weekly meeting place for the Boy Scout Troop and the Wolf Cub pack from 1932 to 1968, at which point the group moved to its current HQ at the corner of Madeira Street and Finnart Street.
Figure 2 Rev. Reid
Figure 1 Sketch of Finnart Church
Finnart Church (Fig. 1) instigated the creation of the 70th Renfrewshire Scout Group when its minister, the Rev. Reid (Fig. 2), decided that the church should have its own Scout Group. Consequently, the church hall became the weekly meeting place for the Boy Scout Troop and the Wolf Cub pack from 1932 to 1968, at which point the group moved to its current HQ at the corner of Madeira Street and Finnart Street. Many of the original 70th Scouts were members of the church, and many others have fond memories of being invested there as a Wolf Cub or Boy Scout.
Figure 3 The front of the Church with the raised patform
Figure 4 A Wolf Cub Investiture in the Church in the late 1940s.
The church’s layout was the result of substantial renovations designed to solve a long catalogue of problems that included dampness, water and gas leaks, excessive consumption of electricity, and roofing problems. To cap it all, dry rot was discovered in 1933 and it was this that prompted the renovations that led to the building being described as a church of 'exceptional ecclesiastical beauty.
As well as the platform at the front, a sloping floor was created for the pews, much as one might expect in a theatre or cinema. The organ was placed in the gallery, and the lath and plaster were removed from the walls to reveal the original stonework. This also exposed an old written inscription. A new communion table and pulpit were introduced and there was a large cross of gold on a background of flaming fabric behind the communion table. Outside the church, a stone wall was removed to allow open access from the street.
Pack and Troop meetings were held in the church hall next to Madeira Street which, in hindsight, was woefully inadequate for the number of boys present. There was just sufficient room for the sixes or patrols to form up for inspection. There are even indications that the size of the hall counted against the Troop in County Flag competitions during the thirties. Fortunately, the Scouts were allowed to use the corridors, kitchen, session room and the small hall downstairs, and these were essential when it came to running games and different bases for training and testing. When it came to patrol games (Fig. 5), only the patrols involved could fit into the hall, and the rest of the Scouts were relegated to the corridors and other rooms until it was their turn. An exception was made for about 4 Scouts if crab football was being played, since they could be used to weigh down the chairs used as goalposts! It was also possible for some Scouts to sit on the side window sills (Fig. 6). Great efforts were made to try and protect the windows from getting smashed by stray footballs, but, each year, the inevitable would happen and this was always a minor source of friction between the Scouts and the Kirk Session. Stray balls could also cause a spectacular fire and light display if they collided with the gas heaters attached to the walls (Fig. 6). On the credit side, the hall had a 'cosy' atmosphere and was the ideal size for campfire singing.
Figure 5 Inter-patrol crab football game with 'weighted' goal posts (1960s).
Figure 6 Patrol corners in the main hall. Window ledges and gas fire also visible.
In the 1950s, the side windows of the hall could be opened at the top using string which operated a ratchet system. This almost led to a nasty accident when one Scout wrapped the string round another Scout's neck without the latter realising it. The victim tried to jump down from the window sill and almost suffocated himself. This incident might have been one reason for the side windows being replaced with the windows shown in figure 6.
The kitchen was across the corridor from the hall and was a useful place for training and testing sessions or for patrol meetings. The kitched was also used during the fifties and sixties to store camping equipment and patrol boxes on dexian shelves that were three layers high. It was particularly tricky to get stuff off the top shelf. The Session Room was the most comfortable room available and was used as a Scouters room or for the Court of Honour. It was also used sometimes for training and testing.
At the north end of the church, there was an outside door leading into a boiler room and adjoining cellars. This was called the Dunny* and was used for storing heavy camping equipment from 1939 onwards. In the sixties, the Dunny was also used for patrol meetings, with each patrol having a small section of the cellar which it could 'adopt'.
*The dunny is a Scots word for a cellar. In Australia and New Zealand it means a toilet!
2. The Manse
When the Rev. Reid, became minister of Finnart Church in 1930, the manse was an upstairs flat in 47(?) Union Street. However, this was not very suitable for visiting parishioners. Moreover, the minister had three sons who ran around the flat all day creating a noise for the tenants below! When the Rev. Reid, became minister of Finnart Church in 1930, the manse was an upstairs flat in 47(?) Union Street. However, this was not very suitable for visiting parishioners. Moreover, the minister had three sons who ran around the flat all day creating a noise for the tenants below! As a result, the Manse was moved to 109 Finnart Street, which was changed to number 209 in the 1930s. The house was called Kilmory and had a little square turret. Ronald Reid, who was the minister's eldest son recalls that it had a beautiful view and a garden with a very steep grassy bank both to the front and the back.
3. Ministers (1932-1945)
The Rev. A. R. R. Reid (born 1895) (Fig. 2) studied at Edinburgh University and New College, then ministered in Bombay from 1924-1929, during which his two sons (Ronald and David) were born. He was the third minister of Finnart Church and took over from Rev Charles Allan in 1932. Despite worries over the structural state of the church, he promoted the starting of the Scout group and although he was not involved in running it, he retained a keen interest in his 'baby'. He visited several summer camps in the thirties and camped for 2-3 days with the Scouts during 1935 and 1936. His son Ronald recalls that he wore an ex-army khaki kilt on these visits. He was also the chaplain of HMS Carrick - the local base for the Royal Navy volunteer reserve (Greenock subdivision) from 1931-1936. In 1936, he moved to Belmont Church in Glasgow and generous tributes were made to him in the Greenock Telegraph with the congregation describing him as an 'inspiration'.
Figure 7
Reverend Donald Stewart
It took a full year for Finnart Church to find a suitable successor in the Rev. Donald H. Stewart (Fig. 7), who was chosen for his ‘attractive personality, obvious sincerity and sound judgment’. Donald Stewart was a minister's son from Inverary and had ministered in Kelso. At his robing ceremony, he said simply "I have no programme to announce or plans made for my ministry except to work hard and to give you all I have in faithfulness to duty." He was true to his word and remained a popular minister well into the 1960s. In later years, he acquired the nickname of 'Pop' within the Troop. One of his most important contributions to the Scout Troop was his support through the war years when so many experienced leaders were called up for the Armed Services.
4. Relationship between the Church and the Scout Group
It is not clear whether the 70th originally limited membership to Finnart Church members. Most opinion is that there were no restrictions to membership of the Group other than a requirement to take the Scout Laws and Promise. Perhaps old records of Finnart Church might allow one to identify whether the Scouts were also church goers. However, these records have not been tracked down and may no longer exist.
5. Finnart Church Today
In 1978, the congregations of Finnart and St Paul's Churches amalgamated to become Finnart St Paul's, and chose St. Paul's for future services. Finnart Church itself was renovated and used for some years as a community centre. However, this proved unsustainable and it was finally converted into flats. Most of the external stonework remains as it was, even to the small stone wall around its boundary. However, the great steeple has long since gone. The small hall used by the Group is now a flat, but it is still possible to appreciate the dimensions of the original hall and stand in wonder at how on earth it accommodated upwards of 30 teenagers each Friday night!
The main body of the church was theatrical in nature with a raised stage at the front that was the setting for numerous Wolf Cub investitures throughout the years (Figs. 3 & 4).
