Cambridge District Scout Archive
Silver Wolf
DC and CC
1980
In the local newspaper obituary Oswald is noted for forging links between Rangers and Venture Scouts ‘ and his pioneer work in setting up units at a local level was adopted as national policy.’
Oswald Bell was ‘an Expert Educationalist’ being the first Director of the Cambridge Institute of Education, a post he held for 20 years. He is quoted as questioning the relevance of Scouting in 1960 by Sian Edwards in ‘Youth Movements, Citizenship and the English Countryside: Creating Good Citizens’. It is not evident that she appreciated his involvement in the movement.
He was chair of the European Commission of Cooperation and Co-Education of the World Bureau of Scouts and Guides. Practically Oswald also ran a camp at Abington for Scouts and Guides from throughout western Europe to come and learn English.
He wrote in The Scouter in 1960 ‘What makes them tick’ concerning teenagers generally. See http://www.thedump.scoutscan.com/dumpextras/othermags.
As noted in his obituary above he was HQ Commissioner for Universities and Colleges for 20 years and chair of the HQ Education Advisory Board.
Education Advisory Panel 1965 (HQ)
Before his stints as DC and CC he was ACC Ventures for Cambridge. Professionally he worked with DC and CC Mainwaring and were said to get on well and work well as Scouts together.
Oswald was awarded the Silver Wolf in 1972 shortly before he retired.
JWR Archivist Nov 2019
Cambridge District Scout Archive 