Dancing

Cambridge District Scout Archive

Despite BP’s  enthusiasm for dancing as a form of exercise and balance Scouts and Dancing are not an obvious pairing.  The 1943 reference (below) remains true. Dancing is an option and at times an expectation. 

General references

1907                Scout War Dance        Scouting for boys Yarn No 4 (Appendix 1)

1916                Jungle Dances             BP devised a number of dances based on the characters from the Jungle Book.  Presented in Bite 2 to 5 in the Wolf Cub Handbook they are the Dances of Tabaqui, Baloo, Bagheera, Kaa, and Shere Khans death. (Appendix 2)

1930                The Scouter     A letter appeared in the Scouter concerning the lack of a sword dance in the Folk Dancing badge.   

1934                The Rover        An article on Folk Dancing, Rovers and Rangers, but sword dancing was ‘for men only’.

1943                The Scouter     ‘Young boys dislike dancing as a rule.  Hence it is often better to call the Jungle Dance ‘Jungle plays’.

Cambridge Archives

1917    The Chief Scout’s Visit for our Rally of June 13, 1917.   Many had told us that it was hopeless to expect the Troops to give a decent show in war-time; but they did, – especially … the 11th with their Zulu war-dances and camp oven,

1920                Stourbridge Fair          5^th Cambridge   Morris Dancing

1922                Wolf Cub Totem Competition             Kaa dance (whole pack to participate)

1925                ‘our troop (13^th) did the Kirby Sword Dance accompanied by Cyril Wallis and my brother on violins                          Ken North  55 years in Scouting

1927                district ‘Planned a Ball in the Guildhall’        

1929                Folk Dancing badge.   Available from 1929 the partial records have not yet shown one awarded in Cambridge District

1930                Morris Dancing 13^th St Philips

1933    GSG     Rangers and some Rovers are having Country Dancing lessons… and would like Rovers and Scouters…

1936                Wolf Cub Totem Competition              Dance Tabaqui and Dance Mowgli

1937                Cambridge Gang Shows ran in 1937 and 1938 and again from 1971 – 2012.  Dancing was clearly part of many if not all of these events.

1938                5^th Cambridge (Perse)             ‘ the Kirby Malzeard Sword Dance, which was performed with urban polish and rustic vigour…’

1946                Jungle dances for Chief scout visit (combined Cubs)

1950                Guide/ Rover  – three evenings of Scottish Dancing

1951                One activity of Cambridge Senior scouts and Rovers that has become increasingly popular over the past year is Scottish Dancing      ‘The Link 12^th Newsletter’.

1952                Senior Scouts/ Rangers/ Rovers   Old time and Scottish dancing

1953                Wolf Cub Totem Competition             Jungle dance of Kaa

                        Senior Scouts/ Rangers/ Rovers         1 outdoor and 8 indoor dances

1954                Six dances

1970                4^th Cambridge fund raising held a dance

1972                A new event, a dinner dance for Scouters was held.

JWR Archivist Jan 2019