Dedicating Colours

Cambridge District Scout Archive

POR 1938        Dedication        If flags are dedicated they must be treated with the greatest reverence at all times – for instance, it would not be correct to fly a dedicated Union Jack on a flagstaff in camp, or to move it uncased without an escort. Groups are advised to consider this carefully before undertaking the charge of dedicated flags.

POR 2018        No mention of dedication

The Scout History Association gives the following definitions

  • Consecration   Setting aside for Divine Service alone – very rare and irrevocable.
  • Dedication       Where an object is blessed, or dedicated to a particular purpose.
  • Blessing           An informal reminder to Christians, that God is invited into our lives

Cambridge Archive

1911 April The colours of the 1st, 7th (Barnwell Abbey) and 8th (All Saints) Cambridge were dedicated at All Saints on Thursday 27th. The following report is from the All Saints Parish Magazine of May 1911. Later that year the Trop is recorded as travelling to Bury St Edmunds to take part in the Dedication of a the colours of a local troop.

1913 12th Cambridge had a named ‘Colour Bearer’ (Len Freeman is the only known named holder) pre WW1

1913 Fen Ditton Boy Scouts flag Consecrated From Mike Petty’s Cambridgeshire Scrapbook p 768

1913 The invitation below is in a scrapbook of 12th Cambridge material held in the Cambridgeshire Collection. The 12th Cambridge were presented with their new colours on June 13th 1913 and they were consecrated on the same day.

Date  1913 CC Box 2

1914 17th Cambridge (Catholic) Troop ‘Bishop of Northampton blessed and presented the Troop Colours.’ From The Scout

1923 23rd 2/5/23 Our Scout Column report dedication of the New Colours of the 23rd Cambridge

1937 13th 21/11/1937 Colours Dedicated. The 13th Cambridge also presented the 9th Girl Guides with colours at this time. Both were associated with St Phillips Church.

1941    54th      26/3/1941       Colours Dedicated

1949    44th      27/2/1949       Colours Dedicated      shortly after the first birthday of the group, incorporated into Morning Prayers. The DC inspected the pack after the dedication. The 44th also had their colours ‘Blessed’ in December 1970. It is not clear that new colours had been obtained but after the 1967 changes this is a reasonable assumption. The 44th HQ was also ‘Dedicated’ after opening in 1957.

1951    District                        Colours received.  Dedicated 22/4/1951 St Georges Day at the Guildhall in front of 250 Cubs, 220 Scouts and 30 Senior Scouts.

1951/52 28th Cambridge

These were the Troop colours, the Pack had existed before this date. 2/12/1951

1957    District        St Georges Cross with dedication plaque (see below)

Held by Cambridge District Scout Archive Collection

Dedication

This flag is / dedicated to / the Glory of God / and in Honoured / memory of all those / Scouts who gave / their lives for / their Country in / the 1939 1945 war        / 24 – 2 – 57

1957 57th The Scout Troop, Pack and Cambridge Scouters attended Evensong. The original colours of the Troop were laid up in the Church and the new colours dedicated. The original Troop had stopped and a new Troop of the same number started in 1956.

1964    54th                              Flag stored in the Church

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