The Scout: Reports from the Provinces

Cambridge District Scout Archive

The weekly magazine The Scout was for the boys.  It reported on Troop activities around the country under the headings ‘London and Suburbs’ and ‘The Provinces’. In c.1979 it was recalled of c 1922 that in the 13th Cambridge District (Milton) all the Scouts took ‘The Scout’.

These divisions are little used today so for clarity Cambridgeshire is very clearly part of the provinces.  It is only occasionally included in the undefined term ‘Home Counties’, an indeterminate grouping of counties bordering on London.

The following are references to Cambridgeshire, largely Cambridge, referencing groups and events.  The entries below are largely complete for the very earliest entries and the year prior to the first war.  The references omitted are for events out of Cambridge District.  Some are not available.

Gilwell Archive card index of the references 1909 – 1949 for the County is found below

1909 – 1911

Jan 11 1910                 Kings Funeral  5^th along with Boys Brigade and Cadet Corps; elsewhere 6^th and 8^th at All Saints, elsewhere Queens Coll. Chapel (9th) [C T Wood] , 7^th[L Spiller], 1^st[R W Wright], Newton [J Boss], 4^th at R C Church, 2^nd[Crump]

Oct 1910                     5^th camp Houghton      1^st rate bathing, cooking exciting at first but finally became 1^st rate especially porridge and hunters stew.

Nov 19^th 1910              Red Force (7^th and 10^th) defended the magazine at Baits Bite Lock. Blue Force (1^st, 8^th, 9^th and Newnham Patrol of the 1^st District) Marched back and dismissed at Guildhall.  

Dec 1910                     Scouts of the 1^st Cambridge District held an enjoyable concert at St Marks.

Jan 1911                      Six Mile Bottom Concert at Egerton House

Jan 1911                      Madingley Hall           Col Harding inspected

Feb 1911                     Guard of Honour for the Mayor         1^st, 3^rd, 5^th, 7^th, 10^th, 13^th, 1^st, 3^rd, 5^thCamb District

April 1911                   Entertainment Christ Church Institute Fitzroy St

April 1911                   1^st Newmarket search for 2 lost children

May 1911                    District in anticipation of the 29^th when BP will be coming.  Also Lord Abermarle CC Norfolk and DCC Ulrich

1913 – 1914

The following are reports from The Scout for the period May 1913 to August 1914.  The activities  are routinely ‘splendid’ or ‘successful’ and do not echo the slow shift to more martial tales and later direct calls to service, if not the Services, during this year.

The reports were placed on or near the back page.  Cambridgeshire did not occur as often in the reports as some and more often than a many, Cheshire having frequent mentions, the Channel Isles but one. Most reports will have been forwarded by local agents or the GSM/SM involved.

These are all the reports for Cambridgeshire and all bar one of the entries is for Cambridge and District.

June 1913        The 7^th gave a successful concert

July 1913         16^th (St Clements) held a garden party and exhibition in the gardens of Sidney Sussex College…  by permission of the Master Charles Smith.

1913    14^th (St Columba’s) started off by motor lorry for Houghton where they had a splendid weeks camp.  The Troop had an exciting game after dark with the 5^th Cambridge who were camping nearby.

Aug 1913         The 9^th Cambridge and 3^rd Cambridge District Troops had a most delightful and successful week at camp at West Runton, Norfolk from July 24^th to the 31^st.

Jan 1914          Koorr Kree is the magazine of the 17^th Cambridge (Catholic) Troop. It is a very “scouty” production and is bound in an attractive stencilled coloured cover.

Jan 1914          Scouts from the 9^th Cambridge, Longstanton and Willingham Troops recently performed an excellent Scout play entitled ‘Black Eagle’ by the Rev. W A B Clementson.

Jan 1914          The 8^th Cambridge (All Saints) Troop gave a successful concert on Jan 20^th when lantern slides of the summer camp and other Scout scenes were shown.

Feb 1914         On Feb 4^th the 3^rd Cambridge District Willingham and Longstanton and 9^th Cambridge…   (as reported above but Troops reversed)

Mar 1914        The 17^th Cambridge (Catholic) Troop gave a display and concert on March 12^th.  The scouts provided most of the items which included songs, recitals and a piano solo.  The circulars, tickets and programmes were printed by the Troop.

June 1914        The 5^th Cambridge (Perse School) Troop gave a display on May 21^st.  When the audience arrived two patrols, acting as an advance party, were busy cooking… (see right)

June 1913        Wisbech troops held a rally to celebrate Empire Day.

July 1914         We have been having a busy time recently writes a member of the 14^th Cambridge (St Columba’s) Troop.  Following a splendid Whitsun weekend camp we were lent a field by a river in which we decided to build a hut in which to store our equipment for weekend camps.  Here also in May we held a campcraft exhibition.

The Scout magazine was for the boys.  The Scouter was the Headquarters periodical.

• Headquarters Gazette           1909 – 1923              Monthly for Adult Scouters
• The Scouter                             1923 – 1971               Monthly for Adult Scouters
• Scouting                                  1971 – date                Monthly for Adult Scouters
• The Scout                               1908 –  1966               Weekly for Boys

JWR Archivist Apr 2019