The University has played a part in all aspects of Cambridge scouting. The difficulties arising from attempting to credit the work of this peripatetic bunch is one the archivists have freely accepted – but it is full of holes.
As with much of Scouting the work done is recognised in passing then gone. As with
- 1947 International Jamboree in France -Admin Assiatnt Mt Patrick Duff elsewhere Professor and County Secreatary. The British HQ Mess was run by the Cambridge and Oxford Rover Crew.
- 1973 CUS&GC running VS Endurance Test of 25 miles ‘VSET’ was running in 1985
It is clear that individual College Crew are rarely listed as Clubs or Societies by the College or the University being subsumed into the Cambridge Rover Crew, which was recognised.
Crew in Cambridge Colleges not formally part of the University are recorded as with a 1940’s listing of a Rover in Ridley Hall Rovers and clear references to a strong Rover Crew in Chesthunt College involving Alfred Sadd.
Some of the Rovers from other Cambridge Colleges did work with Cambridge Town Troops; a Frank Pearce of Cheshunt College was a leader with the 11th Cambridge in 1928.
We will attempt to report on some of the larger roles played by the Scouters, Rover Crew and individual University based members.
CUS&GC also ran and particpated in University Scouting centred events such as CAMRALLY a SSAGO event in 1985.
A significant number of University Rovers did not interact with the local District. The attitudes of the collective University Crew are rarely identifiable in the archives and will be highlighted should they appear as a clear part of the whole, whether they distort the overall view or not. The potential for this has been observed in a 1959 Dissertation for an Advanced Education Certificate. Sheffield based, it used a questionnaire to Rover Crew but the author, Peter D Inman, felt that the Oxford Crew answers potentially distorted the overall picture and omitted the responses. These numbers from Oxford members dominated the replies and they provided less complete responses.
JWR Archivist Mar 2020
Cambridge District Scout Archive 