DOVERCOURT CENTRAL PILOTS

Dovercourt Pilot Company at Dovercourt Central Church

The Dovercourt Pilot Company has always been open to all and whilst the requirement for Pilots to attend Church, it has never been stipulated that Pilots attend Dovercourt Central Church and during the last 18 years we have had young people from most of the local churches.

The Dovercourt Pilot Company meets on Friday evenings between 6 & 7.30pm. during school term times. We take part in two major services at the Church – the Pilot Sunday, usually in April and the Toy Service in December. We are linked to all the other Pilot Companies through the United Reformed and Congregational Churches with a bi-annual event being held, the last of these we spent a great day at Legoland.

Pilots enjoy acting out a Bible Story. Click on pictures to enlarge.

Pilots must learn their promise: I will learn, pray and serve all I can in the world-wide church of Jesus Christ to be enrolled and during a year work towards crests for Praying, Interest, Learning, Overseas, Talent and Service, according to their abilities and within their age group. Our badge is made up of the world – being round; with a boat and a cross as the mast; a wavy sea and a fish in the sea.

National pilots is an organisation, originally of the Congregational Church, established in 1936 as a response to the need to fund Missionary Ships. Pilots were formed to enable children and young people to associate with the ships and to save their “ship halfpenny” for the fund. Because of its association with the Missionary Ships, Pilots is based on a nautical theme with a ‘Captain’ as Leader and ‘Officers’ to assist. Pilots are arranged by ages into Deckhands (5 – 7yrs), Adventurers (7 – 11yrs), Voyagers (11 – 15yrs) and Navigators (15 +), with the introduction of Junior Officers in 1999. Pilots can achieve a ‘Master Mariner’ Award when they have completed 5 continuous years with the Company.

Dovercourt Pilot Company was formed in September 1987, the inaugural service was held on the 4^th. October 1987, when a Captain, 2 Officers and 13 Pilots were accepted. Six days later the hurricane damaged Dovercourt United Reformed Church, Cliff Road and the Pilot Company moved with the Church to St. Augustine’s Church of England, Hill Road and within a year this Church became redundant and we moved again to our current home at Dovercourt Central Church, Main Road.

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DOVERCOURT CENTRAL CHURCH PILOT COMPANY NEWS

PILOT NEWS

We began our 20th year in September and are working through the ‘Peace Builders Project’. We celebrated our birthday on the 12th October 2007 with a party and presentation of varying crests and badges from the end of last year. Amongst the presentations was a very special award to Devon who has been with Pilots for the last 10 years. Well-done Devon for your service and commitment.

As we lead up to Christmas we shall be preparing for our annual toy service and in the New Year our Pilot Sunday. I have notification of another national Pilot Event for 2008 in May—a day at Longleat Safari Park . The Officers are currently considering the logistics and cost of taking a party of Pilots to the event. The last one we attended in 2004 was to Legoland and all had a great time, however, cost may be prohibitive for us to join this year’s event (as it was in 2006). Watch this space for more details.

Margaret Smith - Pilot Captain

PILOTS NEWS (summer)

We finished our year on the 30th June 2007 with a Barbecue and Karaoke evening; the weather was such that we cooked hot dogs in the kitchen.

Parents and Church friends joined us to celebrate the end of another year and to recognize the Master Mariner’s. Four of our Pilots received their Master Mariner Awards, given for 5 years service to the Company, they were Craig, Alex, Charlotte and Caroline.

On the 6th July Barry and Margaret took six of the older Pilots to the Rave in the Nave at Ely Cathedral, an event organised by the Ely Diocese, an evening of music, fun and games; this year based on the recognition of the Slave Trade.

Pilots restart on Friday 7th September 2007 at 6.00pm .

Stephen Bish, one of our first Pilots, who remained in the Company until he was 16 years old is to celebrate his wedding to Claire on the 7th September 2007 .

Friday 7^th. September: Another year of Pilots begins.