5th Cambridge

Cambridge District Scout Archive

Re reading the information below it needs some explanation.

The 5th ran continuously from 1908 to 2008. It is clear that they started in 1908 but even within the school confusion existed. The school held an 80th celebration in 1991 and a school commemorative table states 1910. This was the date of the first District registration, the District not existing as a body until 1910. At this date some troops had also fallen into abeyance and this lead to a belief that the numbers were issued randomly, not sequentially, the first lists omitting the registered and failed troops.

Undated hand stitched 5th (Cambridge)

Although the designation as (only) the ‘5th’ Cambridge Troop has been challenged there is no clear evidence to suggest that the early lists were wrong. The 1st and 2nd both have very early dates as identified by archives, the 3rd and 4th are harder to give starting dates.

It was registered Nationally in 1919, along with other troops, at Imperial Headquarters (IHQ) with the number 903. The troop was first identified in District records with this designation in 1921. Records from this time are few. The pack was registered in 1922. At this point although effectively a Group they were registered separately. With the amalgamation of troop and pack and the official recognition of Groups in 1928 they were collectively re registered as 7555.

The original registration of 903 reflects the place of the 1st and the 2nd Cambridge which both were deemed to predate the Perse and were in existence at that time. IHQ numbers started at 900 for the first set of Cambridge registrations. The 3rd and 4th had several incarnations and were not active at this first registration.

It is clear that the 5th was a 1908 troop and the longest running troop in Cambridge Scouting history. The Perse Exploration Society (PES) has taken on the Scouting role within the Perse and is a very successful group.

Rover Crew formed in October 1923 of ‘certain old P/Ls’

The 5th and 7th Ventures united to become the Tithe VSU. The 5th VSU reformed in 1991 following disagreement about the focus on the big summer trips such as those to Iceland and Kenya.


See also People/ Individuals/ Cambridge Scouters or as attached to 5th Cambridge

  • G M MacFalane Grieve
  • Malcolm MacFarlane
  • David Loades
  • Tony Billinghurst
  • Richard Crabtree

The Cub Scout Pack moved to an ‘after school activity’ in 1978/79 when the school no longer opened on a Saturday morning.

JWR Archivist Mar 2019