SCOUT NOTES
from the Soham Grammarian, Spring 1963
SENIOR SCOUTS
This school year has seen the change from Senior Scout meetings after school to meetings on Friday afternoons during school hours. As a result of this arrangement it has been possible for certain Cambridge scouts to join the troop, thus making the numbers sufficient for four patrols. It has also provided opportunity for two Senior Scouts to stay behind each week to help Mr Hart with the younger scouts.
One of the most successful ventures of the past term and a half was the night hike around the Ely district. Although the night was foggy and bitterly cold, this deterred no one and we found ourselves trudging through the streets of Little Downham at 2am looking for "gold bricks", and pushing a certain Scoutmaster's car out of a ditch!
Our other main hike was our most recent activity and occupied the whole of one day. About 15 miles were covered by each patrol. We have spent some of our time in fulfilling the requirements for proficiency badges. Revision of "la langue francaise" for the Interpreter Badge was provided by Lupson and instruction in map-making was given by Leonard. In conjunction with this we turned out in the freezing cold one Friday afternoon to survey the school field. After spending half an hour wrestling with plane-table and tripod, we were forced indoors by fog - another example of the full life of a Senior Scout! During the past month a group has been meeting each lunchtime to guess (?) the weather for the Meteorology Badge.
We extend our congratulations to Pennick and Stevens who have both been awarded their Queen's Scout Badge. These two are the first Queen's Scouts in the troop for several years and the present position indicates that soon they will not be the only two.
Adventurous plans are being made for our summer camp this year. We intend to canoe down the Wye, and except for a knowledgeable few, we are learning for the first time the technique of handling these craft. With promise of use of the gymnasium in future, all augurs well for an active summer term.
GCP, UVI Sc
SKYE'S THE LIMIT!
from the Soham Grammarian, Spring 1963
When the question of where to camp in 1962 was raised, the problem had a slight twist from other years, for the Scouts and Senior Scouts had finally agreed to go their separate ways and so a small camp for those of 'riper years' was arranged. Somehow it was decided that we should travel to Skye by Dormobile, with Messrs Rennison and Speed as co-drivers.
Mr Rennison was kept busy then, finding camp sites for us to use en route and insuring the Dormobile against every possible mischance he could.
On the first Saturday of the Summer holidays, a group of eight Senior Scouts gathered early in the morning on the celebrated apron of Mr Phelps' tractor shed. By ten o'clock the loading was finished and we marvelled at the way Pollard had managed to pack tent bags and poles, personal kit and latrine tents on to the frail-looking roof-rack. The inside of the van was packed with money, picnic lunches and Scouts. Robinson was collected from Sutton and we were soon on the A1.
Ten people in a small van need a small game to relieve their boredom, many were tried, including bingo, then cribbage with the preceding and succeeding vehicles' number plates, but all failed because of Lupson's inherent inability to count beyond 7. The poker dice were then produced and the arduous task of converting the heathen began. The reader is asked to imagine the scene - Mr Rennison is sweating profusely as he urges the speedometer's needle past the elusive 50 mph, all possible windows are open, Mr Speed - not the shortest of masters-climbing over the front seat to join the poker school. Again, in Grantham, Lupson throwing periodic fits as for three-quarters of an hour he watched mascotted eight-wheelers creep to within 2 inches of our rear bumper, while Wade dozed peacefully and Butcher lightly strummed his guitar.
As we entered Yorkshire, the peace was shattered by a heartfelt rendering of 'Ilkley Moor', which was followed by a lecture on the beauty of the West Riding Conurbation. At Newcastle, Mr Rennison's description of places of note fell on deaf ears as Pennick was trying to bluff himself out of a 'high straight'.
The Edinburgh campsite was reached after twelve hours travelling and we wearily pitched camp in the rain and gathering gloom. As if the strain had been too much for the van, the driver's door fell off.
Next day - Sunday, we toured Edinburgh while Mr Speed had the door mended. We left for the Highlands early next morning with the grocer's confident prediction that we should never reach Skye that day ringing in our ears. The fact that we did was hardly any of Langley's doing, who stared longingly at each distillery we passed. Skye WAS reached - in daylight - and camp was pitched with the usual Senior fervour, but Langley and Butcher were outstanding on the latrine tent.
We bedded down as the stirring sounds of the kilted colonel's bagpipes drifted up in the still air.
Tuesday was spent sight-seeing, but on Wednesday we set out on the gruelling threeday hike over Scotland's wildest country, in heat that was sufficient to melt the road tar. The group divided into three, each going its separate way, but spending the two nights together. The ridge walk was exhilarating and the view across the azure blue sea, rippleless to the Scottish Highlands, could not have failed to impress the most moronic of Senior Scouts, the most blase of blase continental wanderers.
The highest peak of the 2,000 foot ridge is The Stor, but this has subsequently been renamed and any member of the two teams who climbed it - Butcher, Langley, Lupson, Wade and Robinson - will gladly communicate it to anybody who is interested, (in a suitably secluded spot). On our first night we found a small camp-site near the deserted road, deserted, that is, until a certain grey Dormobile drew up and disgorged two men and two young ladies (!) who continued on their way, seemingly no worse for their experience.
The second day was a short one far Robinson, Wade and Lupson, the other groups of Pollard, Sandham and Pennick, with Langley and Butcher tagging behind, walked right through the day from 9.0 am till 6.30 pm with heavy packs - over the ridge, too!
The third and last day was easy for all and we were soon picked up by the Dormobile in which we returned to Camp.
Of course Skye's capital, Portree, was explored. Our walks almost inevitably led us to the waterfront, indeed we nearly reversed into it once - a spectacle which almost reduced Sandham to hysterics. For a town of just over 2,000 inhabitants it has a lot to offer and compares favourably with some of our local night-spots.
On the Sunday we decided to have a shot at the Cuillins in the south of Skye, but were forced to turn back by gale-force winds and rain. To compensate, we motored right across country to see the MacLeod's ancestral home, but unfortunately it was closed.
Whilst in Skye, a quoits court was marked out, but the elaborate doubles and singles tournaments failed to establish a leading player. For the brawnier, however, caber tossing - a nine foot pine trunk - was a popular pastime. Only Mr Rennison was good enough to challenge Mr Speed and Langley. In the throw-off Langley beat Mr Speed by a short notch.
On the Monday, we regretfully left for the mainland and home. The first and second nights were spent at Fort William under the shadow of Ben Nevis, which we climbed at the double - under the guidance of Mr Speed - in the near-record time of three and a half hours, (a climb usually reckoned to take six hours).
Wednesday night was spent on the shores of Lochearnhead, where we camped among hay bales, while not 400 yards away, lightly clad young ladies sped over water-ski jumps. Thursday, we drove down the West Coast, observing with interest the old forge at Gretna Green. The evening was spent exploring, in the dark, Malham Tarn and Gorge; afterwards Mr Rennison took us to see a YHA Hostel he had once used but to his amazement it had been metamorphosed into a pub in the intervening years. On the way back Mr Speed impressed us by executing a superb seventeen point turn in a narrow lane.
We arrived in Soham on Friday at five o'clock in the afternoon, the Dormobile was unloaded and we all went our separate ways. The camp had been a resounding success and it is with some regret that we realise that never again will the unique combination of Mr Rennison's dry humour and Mr Speed's ebullience be knit in the form of a Senior Scout Camp. We all extend our heartfelt thanks to them both.
RS, UVI A
SCOUTS
from the Soham Grammarian, Spring 1963
At the beginning of this school year there were twenty-six scouts: now there are fifty-one. Because of this sharp increase, the Friday night meetings which used to be held in 1T are now held in the dining hall.
Since September there have been two outings to London. The first was to the Gang Show, staged entirely by London scouts. Also visited on this trip were Baden-Powell House, where a lunch fit for a king was served; and the Natural History and Science Museums. On the return journey most of us slept.
The second expedition was a safari into unknown territory, ie the fantastic, exotic, full-of-Eastern-charm (here we go, another ad) array of tents and other bewildering equipment which constituted in truth the Camping Exhibition. A few, a very few, who dared to try dehydrated milk and dehydrated crisps decided that they were delicious and immediately volunteered for a moon project where dehydrated food is the word. The party, which was joined by several London scouts, spent an enjoyable one and a half hours in Commonwealth Institute House where "Stupendous, marvellous, enthralling, realistic models of mines, cities, buildings and locomotives" were carefully inspected.
Pennick TT (not to be confused with pasteurised) was awarded his scout cord this term. To obtain this he had had to obtain his First Class Badge and six proficiency badges before he was fifteen.
J Leonard has proved an invaluable support to Mr Hart and Mr Rennison.
This year's camp will probably be held in Cymru (those who cannot speak Welsh fluently please contact 'Cedric' of 4L). P/L RNRD, DJN, GRF
THE THOUSAND MILE CAMP
(Theme Song: Marching through Cornwall)
from the Soham Grammarian, Spring 1963A troop of Scouts at Ely at 6 o'clock, a journey through the night, a troop of Scouts at Par station in Cornwall on a sunny July morning; so began our Summer Camp for 1962, a camp during which the 26 strong party were to cover over a thousand miles on foot.
It was a camp above all of activity, a dozen 1st Class hikes were made, four people worked on the Hiker's badge (P Allen and A Abbott included a fifty mile hike without tent in their programme - during the wettest period of weather we had). Half a dozen bivouacs were made from natural material - and slept in too! The river was put to good use as well for swimming, canoeing and fishing (total catch - Murfitt's one eel!).
It was also a camp of incident. First and foremost there was I suppose the Incident of the 24 Bullocks, when we staged our own version of Rawhide while helping the farmer find his lost ... bullocks. Then there was the 'county' cricket match against Cornwall - well and truly won by Cambridgeshire.
There was the time Richard Smith sat down in the undergrowth and said 'Thistle (NOT) do"! Another day saw A Bailey's return from his hike with a damaged ankle.
John Leonard was a host of incidents all in himself whether he was being 'operated' on or being the 'mad professor' with the flour bombs. It was also he, with David Speed, who organised our three Camp Fires.
One evening saw the departure across the river (at low tide) of a party for a signalling operation - but the less said about that the better.
In addition to these events we also found time for visits to Penzance and Fowey, to Lostwithiel to see the Queen and Prince Philip, to have our own full day cooking competition, to welcome not one but two District Commissioners, for A Barber to pass his felling axe (an epic performance, this), and for Carter to 'adopt' the manager of the local Co-op (or was it the other way round?).
So we came to the end, packing up once again in the wet, with the Owls as champion patrol, and the long journey back to Fenland. We brought back with us memories of the kindness of our farmer Mr Santo, of Mrs Campbell who helped bring A Bailey home on the day of his ankle trouble, of the tradespeople who supplied us, indeed of all the Cornish people we met. Truly we felt, we must come back again.
METEOROLOGIST BADGE REPORTS - JANUARY 18TH-FEBRUARY 8TH
from the Soham Grammarian, Spring 1963
A year ago it may be remembered that a Meteorologist Badge Course was started by Mr Speed, with several members of the Senior Scouts. The theoretical part was finished towards the end of last Spring term and are only had the practical part to complete.
To do this, we required a Stevenson's Screen - a slatted box containing Fahrenheit and Centigrade thermometers, as well as a Wet and Dry Bulb thermometer, used to measure the humidity (amount of water vapour) of the atmosphere. For this, we waited all through the Summer and well into the Autumn Term. Finally, at the end of the term, with the screen still not ready, it was decided to go ahead without it.
After the Christmas holidays, each member of the team was given enough forms to make one weather report per day for the next four weeks. We decided among ourselves that Pollard should read the air pressures each day, Pennick the air temperatures and the others, Sandham, Langley, Butcher, Robinson and Lupson, should assist each other in deciding and/or guessing the wind direction, wind force, cloud type and cloud amount. We were to meet each day, after dinner, in the English Stock-room, or adjacent form rooms, where each member should collect the complete set of information for that day. The report also entailed copying a weather map from the daily papers, making a General and an East Anglian forecast and then, at the end of each day, a summary of that day's actual weather.
However, despite all these elaborate preparations, there was very little change in the weather - mostly from 'very cold' to 'cold' and back again. From the 14th to the 25th of January, there was permanent air frost, day and night. Then there was a slight thaw till the end of the month, before the really cold weather returned. This continued, with little change, till the reports ended on February 8th.
Snow fall in this area was not as heavy as expected. Even so, from January 8th till January 20th, light snow fell, mostly around dawn and dusk, and again from January 30th till February 4th, when the snow was heavier and more continuous, giving drifts in exposed places.
As for the actual recording of the elements, the lowest mid-day temperature was -2°C (28°F) on January 24th, but, the previous night, it fell to -16°C (3°F). Highest mid-day temperature was 4°C (40°F), on the 29th January. Not a very great change.
Pressure, on the other hand, changed considerably. For most of the time, there was a High Pressure System (anti-cyclone) of over 1030 millibars, centred somewhere off Britain. This brought clear skies and Easterly winds, giving the very cold, snowy
weather, but also bringing some sunny periods. However, for the last few days, the pressure fell as a Low Pressure System of about 994 mbs. pushed the anti-cyclone back over the continent. With this, came cloudy skies and warmer winds, bringing the thaw to the western part of the country. Winds remained mostly Easterly or South-Easterly, but their strength varied from Force 1 (2 mph) to Force 6 (30 mph).Cloud type and amount changed quite often. With the high pressure, much cumulus (heap cloud) was formed, but when the low pressure came, this gave place to low stratus (layer cloud). When the winds were light, some fog formed, which, with the cold night temperatures, deposited rime on any stationary object, especially trees and bushes, and gave the countryside a white coating.
When all these readings had been recorded, all the forecasts made, all the weather maps copied from the papers, the completed results were handed into Mr Speed to be officially checked. We await the results.
PL(s) AMP, LVI Sc
SCOUT NOTES
from the Soham Grammarian, Summer 1963
Now that summer is officially upon us, troop meetings have been switched from the dining hall to the School field. Bob-a-job was very successful, £62 of the allotted target being earned, and with this money new camping equipment has been bought.
Scout cords have been awarded to A Bailey, R Dunham, Edmunds and T Leonard during the last two terms. Several First and Second Class Badges have also been won. Proficiency Badges have been coming steadily into the Troop, the most popular badge being the Guide.
From Friday, 14th June to Sunday, 16th June, the County Patrol Camp Competition for the Hele Trophy was held at Chatteris. Three patrols, the Kestrels, the Snipes and the Woodpeckers (the last two being composite), entered the competition. Satisfactory Camping Standard Certificates were received by all patrols, the Kestrels receiving a Good Camping Standard Certificate.
The Platt Memorial Scout Prize was won this year by R Dunham of the Kestrels. This year's prize was awarded to the winner of a Scout Competition, with sections on First Aid, Decoding, Pioneering and Cooking. The "patient" in the first section had a broken leg and ribs, but these were soon repaired. Nobody managed to decode the message, which was "A Scout is Thrifty".
Half a dozen Tenderfoot knots had to be tied in the Pioneering section, and a candle had to be lit, using a match lashed to a pole. As the match had to be struck on a matchbox held between two bricks, this was not as easy as it sounds. The unfortunate examiner in the Cooking section had to sample sausages cooked over a fire, and eggs roasted in potatoes
This year's Summer Camp is to be held at Walesby Forest, Nottinghamshire, from 20th July to 3rd August. Which sounds almost in Wales,
RNRD and DJN, 4L
SENIOR SCOUT NOTES
from the Soham Grammarian, Summer 1963
With the onset of warmer weather, the Seniors have moved their regular meeting place onto the playing field, where at last a flag could he erected and meetings could be opened with the proper flag-break and inspection.
The beginning of the term found many of the Seniors finishing the Map-Maker's Badge, working an two teams under the control of John Leonard. The practical part of the badge involved mapping an area of about four acres to a scale of 4 ins : 1 ml. The two groups mapped the same area - the School and fields surrounding it - in two different ways. One group using a plane table where the map is actually made going along, the other using compass bearings and plotting the map afterwards.
In between the map-making, several of the Seniors tried their hand at the Senior Athlete's Badge, but after two or three afternoons' working hard at it only five members of the troop succeeded in doing well enough to qualify for the badge. Now that the gymnasium is in constant use, several meetings have been spent partly in there, working, among other things, at certain parts of the Athlete's and Venturer'sBadge, resulting in the awarding of the Venturer's Badge to Butcher, Langley and Lupson. (Langley and Lupson are now very near Queen's Scout and will almost certainly have the badge before the end of the term).
We also extend our congratulations to Wheeler, one of the Cambridge boys, who was awarded his Queen's Scout Badge at the beginning of the term, and to Pennick who received his Queen's Scout Certificate at Gilwell Park early in May.
Plans for this year's Summer Camp, to be spent canoeing on the Wye, are rapidly taking shape. With twelve members of the troop taking part, under the leadership of Mr Rennison, it has been decided to hire a bus to take us there and back, rather than go by rail - which anyway would be more expensive. Starting on July 22nd, we hope to have about two days getting used to the canoes and then embark on a fifty mile journey down river, as part of the Senior Explorer Badge. What we do after this is still undecided.
All told, it looks as though, come what may, Soham Senior Scouts will have another camp that can be said to be "one of the best they've ever had".
PL(S) AMP, LVISc
GILWELL WEEKEND, MAY 1963
from the Soham Grammarian, Summer 1963
When a Scout gains his Queen's Scout Badge, he has the opportunity to attend a reception, held about three times a year, to receive his Queen's Scout Certificate. Applying last December, I was told that a place was reserved for me at Gilwell Park, on the edge of Epping Forest, at a reception on the 11th and 12th May.
After receiving further instructions about the camp, two weeks beforehand, I set out at the unearthly hour of 7.45am on the Saturday, complete with rucksack and camping equipment, looking like a heavily laden yak - for Littleport Station. A two hour journey found me at Liverpool Street, where I left my carriage, full of members of the Boy's Brigade, to a barrage of caustic comments and remarks. An hour later, I was in Chingford and started to follow the long khaki crocodile of Scouts all going towards Gilwell. After walking the best part of two miles, I arrived at the site about noon.
At 2.30pm, we formed up for the actual presentation. The procedure was that the Chief Scout, Sir Charles Maclean, was to present the certificates to nine "presenting commissioners", who would in turn present them to us. Then followed the Chief's short but interesting speech about the duties of a Queen's Scout, and the usual photographs. In the latter each group is photographed with the Chief Scout - a particularly tiring business for him, because he has to smile and look happy while being snapped at least eighteen times.
After this, came a quick tea in the grounds of the Hall and a conducted tour of Gilwell - done wholly on foot and mostly at the double (comment from participant - "We're not in the army you know"). Our next engagement was later in the evening when we assembled for a short fashion show and a camp fire. The former was put on by IHQ (International Headquarters) to decide what was a suitable outer garment for Scouts to wear. Eight young models (boys) braved the cat-calls and wolf-whistles to walk round the camp fire displaying various types of anoracs and jackets. Then followed a most enjoyable camp fire in true Scout style, and by 11 o'clock most people had turned in, although a group of Welsh Scouts would insist on singing the Welsh national anthem until half way through the night.
Events in the morning moved relatively quickly. After a rather cold night on not particularly soft ground, most people were up early. Breakfast was followed by a "Scouts Own" where a good 600 boys were cranmned into a storm hut meant to hold 400. Still we survived. The Church service that followed was remarkable for the fact that everything was carried out sitting down as it was feared that someone would get trampled if everyone continually got up and down. When at last the hut was cleared, the inter troop sports started. My troop excelled at nothing (in spite of the fact that it mostly consisted of hefty youths from places like Huddersfield and Sheffield).
Back in Littleport, walking up from the station, I reflected on my week-end stay at "the Park", and resolved that some day I would spend another enjoyable stay at that place where the B-P spirit and true spirit of Scouting is readily obtainable. In the words of the Chief Scout: "At Gihvell, you walk along the path of Scouting with B-P and share something that was very close to his heart."
PL(S) AMP, LVISc
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last updated 20 Nov 2007