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. 

 I remind you of this so that we can remember Tim and his family who should be in our thoughts at the present time.  The Tim Burman Cup was presented to the County Competition Herts Euro Navigation (HEN) in his memory and is held in the County Scout Museum.

On behalf of Barrie Smith who was in hospital, his wife received recognition of 60 years of service as a Leader in the Hatfield area.  This was presented by Chris Searle DCC and acting DC.  Many people attended the function from afar and some paid glowing tributes to Barrie for his past leadership. This was followed by an audio-visual presentation about the birth and growth of Scouting in Hertfordshire from 1906 – 1933.  If any Fellowships would like to book this talk for 2010, please let me know.

The Herts Architectural and Archaeological Society has been inviting discussion about improved cultural facilities.  On your behalf I have written to ensure that the rich history of Hertfordshire Scouting and its personalities, many of whom started their Scouting lives in St Albans will get a place in the new Museum.  This has already been acknowledged by my appeal being printed in the Herts Advertiser and other county newspapers.  Hertfordshire Life, the glossy County Magazine, devoted two pages in their October edition to one of my articles about the birth and growth of Hertfordshire Scouting to the present day.

I was privileged to be invited to the Remembrance Service and book launch by St Albans School.  The service in a packed Cathedral was followed by assembly at the School war memorial where over 1000 young people and veterans from WWII gathered in the bright autumn sunlight for wreath laying and a faultless “Last Post”.  We were escorted for coffee to the launch of the book St Albans School at War and a tour of the 500 year-old School by prefects.  My Scout uniform prompted much discussion about Scouting when the “OA”s were involved in “Home Front” work as St Albans Scouts during WWII.

I attended an event hosted by the First Abbots Langley Group to mark a centenary of Scouting in this area.  The dinner & dance was held at the prestigious Hunton Park Hotel and was attended by over 120 paying guests.  The Chairman Bryan Sharpe and GSL Clive Winder both long serving and driving forces behind the continuing success of the Group spoke for a few minutes about the Group history.

Recent visitors to the Museum: Geoffrey Preshner MBE.  As ACC (Sea Scouts) of London Central in the 1960s and Member of the National Sea Activities Board, he was chosen by Chief Scout Sir Charles Maclean to be one of the 24 members of the Advance Party that sat for 2 years discussing how to modernise the Movement.  The result was The Advance Party Report (1966) that revolutionised every aspect of Scouting.  He was also SM of the Thirty-Fifth Westminster Troop that met on training Ship Discovery when it was moored on the Thames and is now at its home port of Dundee.  Now 80, and living in Hertford, for the last 40 years Geoffrey has been a Commander of the Sea Cadets and an active member of U3A.  My other visitor was Roy Masini who has been researching and writing the definitive book on the History of World Sea Scouting for the past 30 years.  This will be published during the centenary of Sea Scouting.  Roy recalled that as a 16 year-old Sea Scout in 1966 being asked to appear before the Advance Party and the Committee of the Council.  His views were asked on a number of issues including “should Scouts continue to wear shorts?” Roy gave a long and convincing reply as to why they should continue to wear them and received rapturous applause.  The next week, long trousers became part of the uniform!  We are seen here admiring a first edition of one of the rarest and now most expensive books in Scouting written by B-P.  Aids to Scouting (1899) was designed to slip into a soldiers pocket.  It is this book that B-P adapted into Scouting for Boys and published in 1908.  Freddy O`Hare one of my Support Team was in attendance.

I regret to report the “Going Home” of John Pickering who has died aged 87 in Sidmouth.  John was a very respected SL and GSL of 2 Hatfield (1 Brookmans Park) Scout Group. Bill Turner a former Chairman of the Group gave the tribute and several of his former Scouts attended as did Marilyn Hudson CVP, a neighbour from West Hill who knew John when she was ACC (VS).
Also Bill Allen who joined the First Waltham Cross Pack in 1932.  When he was 15 in 1937 he went to the World Jamboree in Holland with 60 other Scouts from Hertfordshire.  When I met Bill in 2007, I gave him a copy of the pocket money list showing he had taken £2 pocket money and had one penny farthing left over. 
Also Fred Mount who was a member of the Eighteenth Watford South Scout Group for 60 years.

FRANK BRITTAIN
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