1st BODICOTE SCOUT GROUP.
NEWS LETTER No. 77. October 1964.
As anticipated September has been a busy and if I might say so, a not too unsuccessful month for the Bodicote Group.
Almost immediately after returning from Summer Camp we held a Group Council. The main item on the agenda was the Group Staffing. For some time now I have expressed a wish to give up the running of the Junior Troop, and I am pleased to say that as Frank Wroe has returned to the District he has decided to take over this work. I shall remain G.S.M. but leave the control of the Juniors to Frank. He has asked to resume his duties as Rover Mate also providing I can assist on Fridays. Also to assist him there will be Alan Davies who already holds a warrant and Mike Barwick who will apply for an A.S.M’s warrant again.
The Cubs will be in the charge of Tom Heazlewood as Cub Master with Miss Margaret Powell as his assistant. We are very pleased to welcome Margaret back as an A.C.M. a position she has already held in the Group before. The Cub Instructors will be drawn from the Senior Patrol.
Derek Wyeth agreed to apply for a warrant as Assistant Scoutmaster (Seniors). I look forward to a happy and successful future with this team.
It has been decided to try and run a social evening each Monday to which all members of the Group of Scout age and upwards are invited. Each member can invite one friend of either sex. There will always be a Scouter in charge and we are grateful to Derek for undertaking to start this venture off as from Monday September 21ST. The Headquarters will be opened at 7.30 p.m. but Juniors i.e. under 15 years of age will be allowed to stay only until 9 p.m. Seniors can remain until 10.30 p.m. It is hoped to provide light music, table tennis, billiards, cards, etc.. A charge of 3d per head for school members and 6d per head for those earning money will be made to cover overhead expenses. Light refreshments will be provided if called for. It is stressed that this is an experiment to run a social evening for members of the Group and is in no way a back-handed means of running a Boys Club. I hope as many members of the Group as possible will support it.
The date of the next Birthday Party was fixed as November 28th. As this is our tenth birthday since reforming we hope to make it a special occasion, so please, Parents and boys book this date NOW. More details will be given later.
Summer Camp for next year has been provisionally fixed for July 24th – 31st at the same site as this year, near Towyn, West Wales.
District Flag Competition. After a lapse of several years, we have again won the District Flag Competition. Congratulations to Tony Sealey and his Patrol, Mark Dodwell, Philip Ambler, Colin Pearson, Paul Brooker and Clive Kerrison. Out of a possible score of 300 points they gained 211 and led the second team by 16. Well done all of you.
Our good fortune continued for the Fete on September 12th when we were rewarded with another beautiful day. Mr.Kerrison and his committee are to be heartily congratulated and thanked for the hard work they put in resulting in a net profit of nearly £100. The Group is most thankful to all who helped in any way to make this event the social and financial success it proved to be.
Following up the winning of the District Flag by the Juniors the Cubs stepped into their own by winning the District Cub Sports. I am told that their score of points was more than the rest of the Packs put together and they took the trophy by a margin of 18 points. Paul Kerrison was the star of the day, collecting no less than 10 points himself and thus gaining the cup for the best individual performance. Well done Paul and the Pack.
During September Akela has invested Paul Voakes as a Cub. We wish him "Good Hunting" and a long association with Scouting.
The Group Council was pleased to accede to the request of the 2nd Banbury Group to use our Headquarters for the weekend October 17/18th for the 7th "Jamboree on the Air". This movement was started at the 1957 Jamboree and is intended for amateur enthusiasts in the movement to get together. The S.M. of the 2nd’ , Trevor Parry, that he has one or two Scouts interested but that they are unable to use their own H.Q. He has extended a welcome to any of our boys who could be interested to join in the weekend.
The Chief Scout’s Advance Party. In 1963 the Chief set up a Committee to study all aspects of Scouting for the future. He has now asked ALL who are interested in the movement to discuss the future and to submit ideas and recommendations. Meetings have already been held at District level and our own Group Council is meeting to talk things over on Tuesday September 29th. It is hoped that Bodicote will shew its interest by submitting any ideas which may arise from these meetings.
Recently a Bodicote paper made reference to Bodicote Scouts camping at Heythrop Park 50 years ago. Although the present Group has only been running since it was revived 10 years ago I have reason to believe that the Group was originally formed in 1910. Headquarters in London only have records of Group formations since 1919. Can any of the readers of this letter help me to trace the full history of the Group back to its formation. I have a long list of elderly residents of Bodicote on whom I intend to call for information but I should appreciate any authentic records being held by members of the community either in Bodicote or anywhere else.
Dates for the Diary.
October 17/18th "HAM" weekend. Bodicote H.Q.
November 28th. 10th Birthday party. Chief Guest: The County Commissioner
for Oxfordshire.
E.A.Davidson
Group Scoutmaster
51 Oxford Road,
Bodicote.
Banbury 3098.