WILLIAM STUART MEMORIAL for youth boys
CHRISS STUART MEMORIAL for youth girls
Scottish Cycling is delighted to announce the inception of two new annual shields for Youth riders. The families and club associates of William and Chriss Stewart have provided Scottish Cycling with two shields that will be competed for annually in their memory.
The family have been and still are dedicated follows of cycling in the North & North East. William, more often known as Bill, Stuart was the Chair/President of Forres Cycling Club since 1951 right up until he died in 1985. His wife, Chriss, was also a keen cyclist and volunteer in the sport for many years; being one of the founding members of Forres Cycling Club in 1938.
The Shields, which will be awarded to the Youth A riders who collect the most points from their finishing positions at the Scottish National Youth Scratch Track Championship, the Scottish National Youth Road Race Championship and the Scottish National Youth Time Trial Championship, will be named in their memory – the William Stuart Memorial for the boys and the Chriss Stuart Memorial for the girls.
Bill, who never actually raced, was a timekeeper at events all over the North of Scotland, and on top of being Chair/President at his club, he was also part of the group who raised money to build the Forres Cycling Club clubhouse in the 1970s - which still stands today.
He was awarded the first ever Badge of Honour from Scottish Cycling in 1981, after being nominated by his club mates for his dedication to the sport.
However, after refusing to go to the Scottish Cycling headquarters, in those days at Meadowbank in Edinburgh, for the award ceremony, he wasn’t actually presented with the badge until the president of Scottish Cycling, Arthur Campbell, travelled up to present the badge to him in his hometown in January 1983. Bill said he wanted the presentation to be where he had volunteered, and with those who had nominated him!
Chriss, who passed away in 2002, had been a volunteer at the club she helped put together right up until she died – having done everything from making the tea to organising sign on for events. Chriss was also not a racer, but had started cycling for exercise.
Flora Mason, daughter of Bill and Chriss Stuart said:
“When I was young I remember going to town councils with my Dad as he was always trying to get funds to get people into cycling – he was interested in youth cycling particularly which is why the memorial is so fitting.
I always told people that my Dad was the Chair/President of Forres Cycling Club for as long as I could remember – but it wasn’t until I actually looked up the date of his first meeting as Chair that I realised it really was as long as I could remember! His first meeting was in the January, and I was born in the June!”
The events which now incorporate the William Stuart Memorial and Chriss Stuart Memorial Shields are as follows:
Scottish National Youth Scratch Championships 23rd – 25th June, Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome (Enter here)
Scottish National Youth Time Trial Championships 19th August, Forfar (Enter here)
Scottish National Youth Road Race Championships 30th September, Ingliston Showground
