Soham Grammarians - Scouting School Year 1963-64

The new Autumn term saw a large increase in our numbers. The increase was about 100%, and work was started straight away in finishing off the badgework required to bring these new Scouts up to Senior Scout standard. This work has been continued right through the Autumn and Spring Terms.

However, the older Senior Scouts have not been idle. Many hikes were undertaken and completed during the Autumn Term, the most memorable being a night hike from Cambridge to Abington in November. All the footsore and weary (as opposed to the Scoutmaster with a car!) arrived at the destination between 2.0 and 3.0 am the following morning, and retired to bed immediately. Four hours later, when all self-respecting night hikers should have been in bed, several figures removed themselves from the camp under the "pretext" of playing football for the School!

Two badge courses have been run, these being Firefighter, conducted throughout by Langley, and Despatch Rider. These have been quite successful.

Senior Scouts Abbott and Faben attended a week-end course at Abington in Leadership Training. This was run by John Sweet, a well-known figure in Scouting circles. One of the assignments on a Friday was to send a message across the field, without shouting. There were several methods used. One was by raising and lowering flags. Another was by doing knee-bends. For example, for a "Z" a scout had to do 26 knee bends! Another patrol used a variety of curious poses - it looked like a ballet! Yet another took out piles of chairs! But the most successful patrol was the one which used staves, one for "DOT", one for "DASH". This was easily the best.

It is the custom of Soham Grammar School to give wood to the Soham old folk, and the Seniors, helped by the OAS, cut up apple trees which had been felled to make way for the new ACF hut.

2. Scouts

With the formation of two more patrols - the Merlins and the Ravens - the strength of the troop has risen to fifty-five. When the nights were still light, attempts were made at cooking, which turned even Moll green (not with envy).

A group of hardy cyclists turned out on a bleak Tuesday morning over half-term to brave the elements on wet, muddy roads. The result was that nine people gained the Cyclist Badge.

Other badges gained include the Guide, the Observer and the Tracker. The inhabitants of Soham were aroused one Friday evening when suspicious-looking Seniors were being trailed by mobs of scouts.

The now annual visit to the Gang Show in London was arranged, and carried out with great success. For the first time the Scouts decided to sell Christmas cards and over £100 worth was sold, which gave the troop £25 for new equipment.

After many arduous weeks of lecturing by Langley of the Seniors, a large group of scouts passed the Firefighter Badge. D Fleet also gained his Scout Cord, to make our number now six. Looking ahead to the Summer, we hope to go to camp at Broadstone Warren in Sussex; later some scouts will go to the jamboree at Sandringham.

3. TROOP DINNER

The first Troop Dinner of the 1st Soham Scout Troop was held on Thursday, December 19th, when 148 people sat down to a turkey dinner. The idea developed from a decision to hold some sort of reunion after the Summer camps and had we known what it would finally grow to we might have had second thoughts! However the plans were laid and we determined to make it a success.

A "kitchen staff" team was formed consisting of six boys representative of the troop as a whole. To represent the younger element we had C Hill and I Smith. D Bush; R Oliver and T Pennick were enrolled from the Patrol Leaders and V Moll from the Seniors. It must be said however, that much help was given by many other boys from all levels of the troop.

We must also acknowledge the great help given by Mrs Jarrett and her son and also by Mr D Leonard who showed how carving should be done. It proved a fascinating task to get together all the ingredients and the look on the face of the assistant at an Ely grocery stores will long be remembered as she tried to work out whether people did really have tomato soup baths.

The dinner gave an opportunity to make a belated presentation of a barometer to Mr TL Riley for his past services and present interest in the troop. As a result of the presentation, which was made by Mr JW Rennison, we hope he will find the weather "set fair".

Our afterthoughts? We shall remember "rush hour" at about ten to eight and we are unlikely to forget the washing up which just kept on coming, but above all we shall remember the sense of achievement, especially when it came to making preparations for the next one which we hope to hold either late next September or early next October.

4. WALESBY FOREST CAMP

If, on the 20th July, you were motoring on the A1, you would undoubtedly have noticed two coaches packed with a number of boys. Fifty-three members in all of the Soham Scouts were on the move towards the annual scout camp, this year at Walesby Forest.

The camp-site was most attractive, varying from expanses of fern and grassland to woodland. Our Scoutmaster, Mr Hart, proving his proficiency as a meteorologist, had picked the most beautiful fortnight of the year.

The camp routine soon got under way, and by Sunday afternoon the first of five pairs of First Class Hikers were off to the wilds of Robin Hood's country.

During the course of the fortnight, a lot of work was done towards gaining various badges. One of the tests for the Backwoodsman Badge was to make a bivouac; countless bivouacs of all sizes sprang up, but Fernie, perhaps because he is the tallest, beat everyone by constructing an edifice into which thirty boys managed to crawl! I think most fun was had whilst competing for the Stalker Badge, which involved night and day stalking and the use of camouflage. It was quite commonplace for bushes to remove themselves or suddenly appear from nowhere, and strangers to appear from one's tent without prior warning. One felt that a good nerve tonic would have been a prudent addition to the daily menu.

After the first week, it was considered that all of us had by now plenty of cooking experience, so a Patrol Cooking Competition took place. As we gained valuable points for team efficiency, meal presentation and imaginative menu, the competition was fierce. Seven patrols decided to keep to well-tried recipes of the everyday variety, whilst the Eagles, ever high-flying, decided that the Oriental menu was better than English stodge. However, despite their brave attempt, the typically English Scouters had not trained their judges' palates for the flavoursome curry. The outcome of the competition. was that Kestrels and Falcons pushed Peewits into third position by half a point.

With all our training for this and that, one aspect had been overlooked; British Railways (ever helpful) decided to repair the omission - a railway engine set fire to the embankment. A fine blaze was soon going, which had to be dealt with, so, with fine enthusiasm, we cantered back and forth with buckets and billies of water, till the blaze went out; then we returned to camp, tired and dirty heroes. All clean once more and taking a well-deserved rest, when an encore was demanded: the embankment was ablaze again!

Life at camp was not all work, however; we had several trips into the surrounding countryside, including a day tour to Chatsworth House and the Peak District, where we went down the Blue John Mines.

Came the last day of our holiday; the rain started as we decamped. Evidently the elements felt as we did, sorry that a marvellous annual camp was over for this year. Our grateful thanks to Mr Hart, John Leonard and David Speed, who made it all just great.

5. A CANOE CRUISE DOWN THE RIVER WYE

When discussing the Summer Camp, early in 1963, someone suggested canoeing down the Wye Valley. The idea immediately caught on, and before we knew where we were, the Summer Term was over, and we were assembled, on the first Monday of the holidays, outside the School Gates.

A bus was to pick up Skip, six Seniors - Butcher, Allen, Abbott, Wade, Pennick and Robinson - and an assortment of personal kit and equipment, and continue to Newmarket where Langley, Boyden and a canoe were loaded on, and then to Cambridge. Here, thanks to excellent navigation by Motley, we wound round the backstreets, picking up Stevens and Wheeler, plus four canoes. Then we set off for the Wye Valley.

Arriving at Hay on Wye halfway through the afternoon, we off loaded the canoes and transported them and all the equipment three-quarters of a mile along a very narrow, extremely rough path, with a sheer drop on one side, until we got to the site, a grassfield on the riverbank. Camp was set up, and in the evening we had our first go on the water -Wheeler, getting out of his canoe in water deeper than he expected, slipped and disappeared from view, with hardly a splash.

Tuesday was also spent practising on the water, as only four of our number had ever done much canoeing before.

Wednesday morning saw the packing, stowing and re-stowing of the entire camp into six small canoes, leaving very little room for the occupants, crammed in between tents and dixies, loaves of bread and primus stoves. At last we were off, and although the weather wasn't particularly kind, with many rainy squalls and very little sun, we made good time over numerous small rapids. No-one tipped a canoe over, although in one or two cases, canoes were seen entering rapids sideways or even backwards. With sixteen miles to go, we were canoeing until early evening, where, just before the campsite, we passed under massive, red sandstone cliffs, lit by the orange rays of the setting sun. A truly magnificent sight. At long last we found the site and pitched camp in a field, which contained more thistles per square yard than it did blades of grass - very difficult to find a patch big enough to pitch a small hike tent.

The next day, our first delay (apart from getting Butcher and Langley out of bed) was when we inspected Monnington Falls, supposed to be the worst on the Wye. The only passable channel was one under the left bank, dodging under overhanging trees and past submerged rocks, in a very fast flowing stream. All canoes got over safely with only a little water shipped here and there. From here on, it was a smooth run to Hereford and our campsite for two nights, enabling us to have Friday for looking round this beautiful city.

Saturday was too hot for much energetic work, but the sweltering heat had affected a herd of bullocks where we stopped for lunch, and we had to dissuade a number of the thirstier ones from charging into the river, over our canoes. We left as quickly as possible, and made all speed to our campsite to get some shade. Sunday took us to a place called "Hole in the Wall" (a pillar box?) and the next day we paddled on to Ross on Wye where we stopped for provisions and a meal. Goodrich was supposed to be our next stopping point, but campsites in this area were hard to come by. We spent two hours looking for one, and the best we could do was a strip of grass 6 ft wide and 40 ft long, by the side of a road. Quite a squash with all our tents and canoes.

Wednesday dinner time found us at Symond's Yat, after coming through some of the most magnificent scenery in the whole Wye Valley. Round the Yat, the huge, treecovered cliffs towered above us, and in the warm of the morning, we just let the canoes drift, and admired the view which we saw after dinner from above, after climbing the Yat. That night, we stopped at Biblins, an official campsite on the river bank - mostly filled with Boys' Brigade.

Monmouth was the next town we passed through. In fact, we stopped there, because, soon after leaving the campsite, Skip found a leak in his boat, and he had to keep baling frantically, while Pennick did most of the paddling. The hole was quickly repaired and we made good time to our next site.

Here, just as we were about to set off, Stevens and Motley lowered their boat into the water, struck a rock, pierced the canvas and held us up till one o'clock repairing it. At last we got started, and found to our delight that we had one of our most exciting days ahead of us, as far as going down rapids were concerned. At one time, coming round a right angle bend in the river, we found that the water just disappeared. It dropped about two feet over a weir. This and a few more like it were tackled successfully, and by four o'clock we arrived at Tintern, having covered nearly ninety miles since Hay.

High spirits on the last night (a midnight attack on a certain person's tent - which failed miserably) did not prevent us from being ready for the bus to take us home.

Our thanks must go, for a very enjoyable camp, to Mr Rennison, who in his usual capable way, made every part of it a huge success.

SCOUT NOTES

Since the last issue of the magazine, much has happened. The Spring Term Patrol Championship was won on the last night by the Kestrel Patrol. This term's contest seems to be between the Martins and the Ravens.

A camp was held at Tolmers in Hertfordshire at Easter, when the weather turned favourable on the day the camp started. Ravens held a camp at Harston, also in the Easter Holidays.

The Little Camp was held in the school grounds at Whitsun, and five patrols attended the County Camp at Exning - Ravens coming third in the Camping Competition.

Our Open Evening was marred by rain, which limited outdoor activities, but nevertheless an entertaining programme was carried through.

The next major item on the agenda is Summer Camp at Broadstone Warren in Sussex, followed by the Norfolk International jamboree at Sandringham.

SENIOR SCOUTS

The beginning of this term was devoted to the Public Health badge, conducted by Skip. Mrs. Speed marked the papers and about 60% passed.

The Athlete badge was also attempted by the Seniors. A surprising number passed the badge, which is one of the qualifications for the Duke of Edinburgh's Award. Even John Wade managed to finish it after more than two years of trying!

Tony Pennick attended the Queen's Scout Parade at Windsor this year, the first person from this troop to go for several years. We hope someone will go next year, as we now have five Queen's Scouts in the troop, excluding the three from the Cambridge troop. The last to receive this award were "Squeak" Robinson and "Humph" Abbott on Friday, 19th June, at the Scouts' Open Meeting. The badges were presented by the Assistant County Commissioner, Mr G. Carter.

"Humph" Abbott has also won the Senior Scout prize, after a close struggle with Arthur Langley. Arthur Langley has persuaded Newmarket Fire Service to bring several hundred pounds worth of appliances on School Open Day, which the Seniors will look after (we hope!). At the end of the Exams the Seniors are going on a visit to Newmarket Fire Station.

Robert Robinson of Sutton and Humphrey Abbott of Soham seen being presented with their Queen's Scout badges - Cambridgeshire Times

The Senior camp this year will be held near Llangollen in Wales, after which several Seniors will go to the jamboree at Sandringham. Some will help the Scouts; some will give a hand with the admin., which always results in a camp this large.

Apart from some sloppiness from a few of the Seniors, the term has been a good one. We bid the Senior Scouts who are leaving-Good luck and "look wide!"

My thanks are due to the three Seniors who helped with the county camp at Exning : Langley, Abbott and Allen. My congratulations also to Nicholas on the production of the troop magazine, "The Soham Scout"; he is doing a fine job as editor.

There are now eleven boys in the school who hold the Queen's Scout badge, a figure that is easily a record. They are :
1st Soham AM Pennick, AJ Langley, JP Lupson, AH Abbott, RP Robinson.
12th Cambridge: MF Stevens, RL Wheeler, MJ Motley.
29th Cambridge: MF Wilkins.
1st Littleport : RG Mellors, SC Porter.

If you can add to this page with recollections or photos, please contact the editor
last updated 20 Nov 2007

Just arrived Tents up	Keith King and Tim Leonard, cooking
Keith King and Ellis off on a hike	Wally being scrubbed clean!

Soham Grammarians - Scouting School Year 1963-64

SCOUT NOTES

1. SENIOR SCOUTS

2. Scouts

3. TROOP DINNER

4. WALESBY FOREST CAMP

5. A CANOE CRUISE DOWN THE RIVER WYE

SCOUT NOTES

SENIOR SCOUTS