On my way to a reunion in Cumbria with my old Scout Group, I visited the site of the 1929 World Scout Jamboree at Arrowe Park in Birkenhead where Hertfordshire attended with its largest ever contingent of 171.  Remarkably, by today’s standards, there were only 4 Leaders with the Troop. As 1929 was also the twenty-first anniversary of Scouting, the B-Ps were presented with a Rolls Royce motor car and the caravan “Eccles” as a birthday present.  The funds for this were raised by the 71 countries attending the Jamboree. Lord and Lady B-P were also given a portrait by David Jagger and a cheque for £2750.00 for Scouting purposes. It was during this event that the King conferred on B-P a peerage, becoming Lord Baden-Powell of Gillwell. B-P changed the name to Gilwell soon afterwards.  The “Jam Roll” as the car is known, has had 10 owners since 1929 and is now safe in the hands of a UK Scout Trust.  Eccles is housed at Gilwell Park.

Many of you will have seen recent national press releases featuring new, and the reintroduction of previously withdrawn, Scout Proficiency Badges.  The new Parascending badge reminds me that Hertfordshire Scouting has already led the way in this pursuit.  Potential achievers may like to know that as early as July 1974, Roy Lambert (16) from the North Watford Venture Scout Unit became National Parascending Champion.  Two teams from the Unit did very well in a competition dominated by the armed services and during the same year the Unit made over 1000 parascending launches. In 1985, Andrew Waklin and Andrew Asquith from the Unit took their revolutionary designed canopy “Sorcerer 33” to Arestia, New Mexico where they succeeded in breaking world records five times and Andrew ended up with three new world records for height gain, duration and distance.  These records together with one by Lee Clements in 1984 were all recorded in The Guinness Book of Records.

A reminder of two significant bravery awards from our unique history:

In 1947, Boy Scout Graham Carson of the First Broxbourne Scout Group was awarded the Cornwell Badge by Lord Rowallan the Chief Scout.  Graham had suffered from muscular dystrophy from the age of 5.  By the time he joined the Wolf Cubs at the age of 8 he was unable to walk and at 12 the disease had spread to the rest of his body.  His Scoutmaster commented “ His character has a very definite influence not only on the Scouts from his Troop but on others who meet him. Throughout his life he progressed steadily with his badgework.”  Graham received the Cornwall Award at the age of 13 and died on 22 November 1952 aged 18.

 “Gone Home”

1 December 1922 – 14 June 2010

 Jack was born in Holborn, London and became a Wolf Cub and Scout with the Eighth Holborn Scout Group.  The troop was founded by his uncle in 1909. 

In 1936 he appeared in one of the earlier gang shows and can been seen seated in the front row on page 72 of the 1938 edition of B-P’s Family in Picture and Story.

He joined the staff of Imperial Headquarters of the Boy Scout Association on 1 may 1939 as an office junior in the publicity dept.

HSH February 2010

One of our most charismatic and respected Scouters, George (Jim) Dymoke Green died aged 27 on 4 May 1930.  He was Scoutmaster of the Fourth St Albans Troop, Deputy Camp Chief of Hertfordshire and Editor of The Scouter the forerunner to Scouting Magazine.

An event that has been in the news recently is the tragedy that happened over the town of Lockerbie 21 years ago this month.  This had a significant Hertfordshire connection as Venture Scout Tim Burman of the Harpenden Venture Scout Unit who was flying to America, perished here.  The news came through during the county Venture Scout carol service in St Albans Cathedral.