As yet, I haven't had time to consult with the members of the company, to know what (if anything) they want to be put on it, so I shall risk my neck and give a brief run-down of the company.
The company started in November 1937, At the Clarence Park Baptist Church, Weston-s-M. It was the first company to start in this rapidly growing seaside resort.
I shall now jump a few years, to the 1980's, when I first came to be involved in the company! I transfered to 1WSM in September 1989, as my home company had lost it's Company Section. At that stage, it was a thriving company, with many boys, and a strong team of officers. The company entered a large number of the somerset battalion events, winning some, but never managing to win outright. The company had a belief, that winning wasn't everything, and so even when defeated, we came away happy, from the fellowship of meeting the other companies in the Battalion.
In the late 1980's, the company had grown to a size, where transportation to some events was becoming increasingly difficult, and expensive, so the idea of buying a company coach was looked into. By mid-1990, this idea had become reality, and the company was the proud owner of Katy! Several weekends were spent cleaning her up, and then painting the company name on the side. The coach lasted us until 1995, when parts were becoming harder to get hold of, and a lot of work was needed doing. However, the final straw was when Vandals attacked the coach, cvausing several 100's of pounds of damage. We therefore unfortunately had to sell her (ahhh!). The company is now the largest in the battalion, with over 75 boys, and over 20 officers / helpers.
The company goes on camp every year, with our 'twinned-company' 3rd Bridgwater, we also meet up with them, and share several events / outings throughout the year. The annual camp was Katy's main outing, meaning she has been to Sailsbury, Swanage, Swansea and Dartmoor in her time with us. She frequently struggled up hills, at about 3-5 mph, but never let us down. This last year, we had to hire a coach, because we couldn't miss camp - it's the highlight of the year for most of the boys and officers.
In July 1995, the company finally managed to win the treasured Challenge Shield, for the Company who accumulates the most points over the preceeding years events, in the Somerset Battalion. This was a great way for our much-loved former Captain to leave, and by some miracle, we managed to repeat the achievement this summer.
I am a helper now that I've come to Uni, travelling back sometimes during termtime, as well as helping every week in the holidays. I received my Presidents Badge in May 1996, after being in the BB for 12.5years. For those of you 'in the know', this may seem a little late, but the company has gone through a lot of 'turmoil' recently, with one thing and another, and only just got back on it's feet (until I left!!). However, I did have the honour of being the first member of the company to recieve this award (as far as the current officers can remember).