Scouting in the 70th 1932-1968
The Boy Scout Association was founded by Lord Baden Powell in 1907 and, despite gradual evolution, its nature stayed essentially the same until 1968, when a 'Scouting Revolution' affected all aspects of UK Scouting. Further changes have meant that the Scouting experience before 1968 was substantially different from that of today. This section provides background information on 70th Scouting between 1932 and 1968.
1. Sections and Age Ranges
Scouting is carried out in individual Scout Groups. Before 1968, each Scout Group included a Wolf Cub Pack and a Boy Scout Troop, while some Groups also had a Rover Crew. The Group Scoutmaster (G.S.M.) took responsibility for the overall administration of the Group. There were no hard and fast rules about what a G.S.M. should do beyond these administrative duties. Some G.S.M.s acted principally as administrators and occasional visited section meetings. Others played an active role in the running of one or more of the sections. It would be wrong to claim that one style was better than the other. Each G.S.M. worked to his strengths.
During this period, boys aged 8 joined the Wolf Cub Pack, then moved up to the Boy Scout Troop at the age of 10 or 11 (although there is evidence that some boys were as old as 13 during the war years). The Troop was the 'core section' of the Scout Group, and a Scout could remain in the Troop until he was 18 years old - a period of 7-8 years. After this, he could either join a Rover Crew and remain in that section until he was 25, or he could train to become an Assistant Scout Master (A.S.M.).
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In 1968, Rover Scout Crews were disbanded and a Venture Scout section was introduced aimed at 16-20 year olds. The Wolf Cubs were renamed Cub Scouts and the Boy Scouts were renamed Scouts. A Beaver section was introduced in 1982 for younger boys aged 6-8 years old, then in 2001, the Venture Scout section was replaced by Explorer Scouts aged 14-18 years old. This means that current-day Scouts spend four fewer years in the Troop than their counterparts before 1968.
Scouting in the 70th 1932-1968
2.5 The Wolf Cub Salute
The Wolf Cub salute was a two fingered, V-shaped salute, representing the wolf’s ears (Fig. 1.5). This salute was considered unsuitable in 1968! From then on, Cubs used the same salute as the Scouts.
2. The Wolf Cub Pack
Wolf Cubs were started in 1916 to meet a demand from boys that were too young to join the Scouts - typically the younger brothers of boys who were already in the Scouts. Baden-Powell was keen that the new section should have its own imaginative identity. As a result, much of the programme and ethos of the Wolf Cub Pack was based on the Jungle Book written by Rudyard Kipling - a personal friend of Baden Powell.
2.1 Organisation within the Pack
The boys in a Wolf Cub Pack were split into different sixes, with each boy wearing a coloured triangle on his left arm to identify his six.
For example, the Wolf Cub in figure 1.1 belongs to the white six. The colours of the sixes represented different wolves and were usually white, grey, black, brown, red and tawny. Each six typically had six boys. Usually, the oldest boy was the Sixer in charge of the six, and wore two yellow bands round his left arm (Fig. 1.1). The second in command (the Seconder) wore one yellow band. In the years following the Second World War, a Senior Sixer was chosen who wore three yellow stripes (Fig. 1.2). However, it is not clear whether this was an 'official' rank or not.
Figure 1 Christopher Wilson as Sixer of the White Six (1960s)
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Figure 2 Douglas Brown as Senior Sixer (1949)
The leaders in the Pack were named after characters in the Jungle Book. The overall leader was the Akela, while other leaders could choose their own names (e.g. Bagheera, Kaa, Baloo etc). However, the official term for the leader of the Wolf Cub Pack was Cub Master or Cub Mistress.
2.3 The Wolf Cub Laws and Promise
Each Wolf Cub had to know the Wolf Cub Laws and Promise off by heart, and to know their meaning. There were two Wolf Cub laws which were known as the Laws of the Pack;
‘The Cub gives in to the Old Wolf.’
‘The Cub does not give in to himself.’
The Wolf Cub promise was the following:
‘I promise to do my best.
To do my duty to God, and to the King/Queen
To keep the Law of the Wolf Cub Pack,
and to do a good turn to somebody every day.’
The Wolf Cub motto was 'Do Your Best'.
2.4 The Training Scheme for Wolf Cubs
To be admitted into the Wolf Cub Pack, a boy had to learn the Wolf Cub Laws and Promise, the salute and the Grand Howl (see later). Once accepted, he could wear the uniform and was called a Tenderpad.
Wolf Cubs worked towards two metal badges called the First Star and the Second Star. Tests for the First Star included a knowledge of the Union Flag, patron saints and the National Anthem, an ability to tie knots, balance a book on one's head, do a somersault, leapfrog over another Cub, and catch a ball (see also Appendix 1). Tests for the Second Star included swimming or skipping, lighting a fire, making a cup of tea, using a compass, knotting, simple first aid and carrying a message (see also appendix 1). The two stars represented the wolf’s eyes and were pinned onto the Cub cap (Fig. 1.1). Therefore, a fully trained Wolf Cub was said to have both eyes open and be capable of looking after himself.
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Figure 3 Examples of Wolf Cub Proficency Badges
(Collector, Swimmer, Cyclist, House Orderly, Gardener and Athlete
Wolf Cubs could also earn triangular proficiency badges (Fig. 1.3) which were worn on the right arm. In 1949, there were 12 proficiency badges with different coloured backgrounds depending on the following classifications;
Character (Blue): Collector, Observer, Gardener.
Handcraft (Yellow): Artist, Homecraft, Toymaker.
Service for Others (Red): First Aider, Guide, House Orderly.
Physical Health (Green): Athlete, Swimmer, Team Player.
These colours were particularly vibrant and are remembered by many ex-Wolf Cubs to this day. Curiously, all the proficiency badges bore the heading 'Boy Scouts' rather then 'Wolf Cubs'. This was because all members of a Scout Group belonged to the 'Boy Scout Association'.
A Wolf Cub who was about to go up to the Boy Scouts worked towards his Leaping Wolf badge (Fig. 1.4) representing the 'leap' from the Pack into the Scout Troop. In 1949, this required gaining the Second Star plus two proficiency badges. The Leaping Wolf was the only badge earned in the Pack that could be worn on Boy Scout uniform. The was replaced by the unimaginatively named Link badge in 1968.
Figure 4 The Leaping Wolf Badge.
2.5 The Wolf Cub Salute
The Wolf Cub salute was a two fingered, V-shaped salute, representing the wolf’s ears (Fig. 5). This salute was considered unsuitable in 1968! From then on, Cubs used the same salute as the Scouts.
Figure 5
The Wolf Cub Salute
2.6 The Wolf Cub Grand Howl
The Grand Howl in the period up to 1968 was different from the one used today. Wolf Cubs stood round Akela in a circle. Akela then held out his/her arms horizontally then lowered them to signal the Cubs into the squat position (Fig. 6), where they places two fingers of each hand on the floor as in the Cub salute (Fig. 7). The howl would then start with the Pack crying loudly, and drawing out each syllable of the first line:
'Akela we'll do our best’
‘Dyb, Dyb, Dyb’ (by Akela or Sixer only)
‘We'll Dob Dob Dob’
‘Wolf!'
Some ex-members remember the Cubs leaping into the air after shouting 'Akela, we'll do our best', then standing to attention and saluting with both hands as they completed the yell. Others remember the Cubs waiting until the final 'Wolf'' cry before leaping into the air. It is possible that there were variations in how the Grand Howl was carried out from Pack to Pack and from year to year.
Figure 6 The Grand Howl being performed outside the front door of Finnart Church in the late 1940s.
Figure 7 The squat position during the Grand Howl (the two fingers of each hand were more splayed than shown here).
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2.7 Cub Instructions
Akelas used various instructions when running Pack meetings, which may well have varied from Pack to Pack and from year to year. In the sixties, Akela called out 'Pack! Pack! Pack!' to which all the Cubs yelled 'Pack!' in response, then rushed to stand ‘quietly’ in their sixes.
In the 70th, the sixes stood across the middle of the hall, one six behind the other, facing the leaders and the flag at the end of the hall. The Cubs in each six stood shoulder to shoulder with the Sixer at one end of the line and the Seconder at the other. It is not certain whether there was any significance to the order in which each six stood.
2.8 Cub Totems
Cub totems were popular in the thirties and forties (Fig. 8). When a Cub gained a proficiency badge, a coloured flash was pinned or attached to the totem making it a kind of honours board that marked the Pack’s achievement. It may have been possible to purchase totems, but they could also be home-made. The Cub totem visible in figure 8 is thought to be the first totem used in the 70th. Unfortunately, it went astray during the Second World War - believed to have ended up in the attic of an ex-leader who went into the services. After the war, the totem was home-made from a broom handle and coat handles! It is not known how long Cub totems persisted in the 70th Wolf Cub pack, but they had certainly vanished from the scene by the 1960s. Unfortunately, no 70th totems survive, as far as is known.
Figure 8
The 70th Wolf Cub Totem Pole in the late 1940s
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3. The Boy Scout Troop
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3.1 Organisation within the Troop
The Boy Scout Troop consisted of various Patrols named after birds or animals - a deliberate policy since Scouts were expected to be knowledgable about common fauna and flora. Indeed, Scouts in a particular patrol used to make the call of the animal or bird as a rallying call. Coloured patrol flashes made from cloth with frayed ends indicated which patrol each Scout belonged to. For example, a member of the Fox patrol sported green and yellow shoulder flashes (Fig. 9).
Figure 9
Patrol flashes for the Fox Patrol
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Figure 10
Patrol Leader stripes
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Figure 11
Patrol Leader's Hat Badge
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The Patrol Leader (P.L.) in charge of a patrol wore two vertical white stripes on his shirt pocket, (Fig. 10) and a silver metal P.L.s badge on the traditional Scout broad-rimmed hat (Fig. 11). These insignia were bigger than the comparable badges meted out to P.L.s after 1968, and made it clear who the 'top dogs' were in a particular Troop! Patrol Leaders were typically aged 15-17 and so there could be a massive age gap between the P.L. and his youngest Scout. It is not surprising that younger Scouts were often in awe of their P.L.s and could even hero worship them. Scouts were expected to follow their P.L.’s instructions without question, while the P.L.s were expected to show due care and concern for their Scouts. Generally this was the case, and the patrol system gave boys aged 15-17 the opportunity to gain maturity and responsibility in leading their patrols, particularly during hikes and camps. The patrol’s second in command was called the Second Patrol Leader (S.P.L.) or the 'Second' (Sec), and wore a single white vertical stripe on his shirt pocket.
The Troop Leader (T.L.) sported 3 white stripes (Fig. 12) and was usually one of the most experienced Patrol Leaders in the Troop. A Troop Leader could remain in charge of a patrol, but most T.L.s in the thirties and forties did not, since a T.L.'s role was much like a 'Sergeant Major' in the army. The T.L. often gave instructions to the patrols and brought the troop to alert prior to inspections. There was also a recognised communication system whereby leaders relayed messages or instructions to the T.L., who then informed the P.L.s, who then informed their Scouts. Presumably, information could flow the other way to keep the leaders in touch with what the Scouts were thinking! The T.L. may also have chaired the Court of Honour (see later).
Figure 12 Robin Crawford - Troop Leader during the 1960s.
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The roles that the T.L. carried out may well have varied at different periods, and it is possible that the T.L. played a more important role in running of the Troop during the thirties than in later years. For example, Kenneth Conway was Troop Leader from 1959-60 and considered it more of an honorary role at that time.
In 1946, there were national discussions about having a Senior Scout section. Although this proposal was rejected, older Scouts were recognised more formally as Senior Scouts and were able to earn distinctive proficiency badges reserved for their age range. Occasionally, a Senior Scout Patrol was formed composed purely of Senior Scouts, but more usually Senior Scouts remained within conventional patrols.
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The Scout Master (S.M.) ran the Troop and was assisted by Assistant Scout Masters (A.S.M.s). There were age limits for both roles. A.S.M.s had to be at least 18, whereas the age limit for Scout Master appeared to change with time. For example, some people recall the mimimum age being set at 25 after the Second World War, whereas it appeared to be 21 during the period 1933-1945.
In the 1950s and 1960s, any 18-year old Scout joining the 70th’s leader team was referred to as a Junior Assistant Scoutmaster (J.A.S.M.), although it's not clear whether this was an official term or not. In some of the 70th Troop logs, the scribe identifies individuals by the ‘rank’ of V.J.A.S.M. (Very Junior Assistant Scoutmaster). Scouts aged 16 or 17 sometimes resigned as Patrol Leaders to become V.J.A.S.Ms, but could still participate as Scouts in District competitions.
In 1968, the term 'Scout Master' was replaced with 'Scout Leader'. The term ‘Patrol Leader’ was retained, but changes in section age ranges meant that P.L.s were typically 15 or 16 years old. The system still worked, but further age range changes mean that today's patrol leaders are typically 13 years old. Consequently, the status of the Patrol Leader has diminished significantly compared with the period before 1968.
3.2 The Boy Scout Uniform
​The original Boy Scout uniform (Fig. 13) consisted of a peaked broad-rimmed hat, neckerchief and woggle, a long- or short-sleeved shirt with two pockets and two epaulettes, Scout belt, shorts, long socks, garter tabs and shoes. The uniform was identical for Boy Scouts, Rover Scouts and Scoutmasters. Scottish Scouts were rather unique in World Scouting since Baden Powell permitted them to wear the kilt instead of shorts. However, he drew the line at the wearing of Glengarries instead of the 'lemon squeezer' hat. In the 1950s, Scottish Scouts were eventually allowed to wear a 'tourie bunnet' rather than the traditional Scout hat (Fig. 14).
Figure 13 The original Boy Scout Uniform.
The Scout uniform prior to 1968 was robust and virtually identical for all Scouts world-wide. During this period, 70th Scouts wore full uniform on all Scout activities including hikes, cycle trips, backpacking expeditions, camps, parades, waste paper collections, and games (Figs. 14 & 15). 'Changing out of uniform' at Scout meetings merely meant removing the hat and the neckerchief when engaging in particularly violent games like British Bulldog. There was some relaxation of the uniform rules during the 1950s and 1960s when Scouts generally changed into camp clothes for weekend and summer camps, but the principle of wearing uniform for all Scout activities continued until 1968.
Figure 14 Albert Runcie and Ronald Russell on their 1st Class Hike.
The practical advantages of the uniform for outdoor activities were heavily emphasised to Scouts. For example, the neckerchief kept the neck warm when it was cold, and protected the neck against the sun when it was hot. It could be dipped in a stream and worn wet to keep cool during hikes, and it was readily available as a bandage or sling if first aid was required. The broad-rimmed hat could be used as a water carrier at camp, and the broad rim was designed to protect the wearer from both sun and rain. It was certainly very effective at both, although it could be sweaty when warm, and difficult to 'control' in strong winds. The Scout belt was useful for opening bottles, and for attaching all sorts of useful implements such as sheath knifes, which were permitted in those days.
Figure 15 Pioneering during a 'Right of Way Hike during the early 1940s
By 1966, the traditional scout uniform was considered antiquated and it was gardually replaced with a dress uniform which proved useless for anything other than parades and formal occasions. As a result, Scouts seemed to 'disappear from public view' after 1968. It is interesting to compare Scouting in the USA, Australia and South Africa. In those countries, the uniform was modernised, but the fundamental idea of having a practical uniform which could be used on all Scout activities remained.
3.3 The Scout Laws and Promise
Prior to 1968, the Scout Laws and Promise were taken extremely seriously by both Scouts and Leaders. Apart from understanding the Laws, Scouts were expected to memorise them before they could be invested. Instead of today's seven laws, there were ten and many of these were quite wordy! Several Scouts from the pre-1968 era can still reel off all ten Laws and the Promise.
Prior to 1968, the Scout Laws and Promise were taken extremely seriously by both Scouts and Leaders. Apart from understanding the Laws, Scouts were expected to memorise them before they could be invested. Instead of today's seven laws, there were ten and many of these were quite wordy! Several Scouts from the pre-1968 era can still reel off all ten Laws and the Promise.
The promise in 1935 was as follows;
"On my honour, I promise that I will do my best –
To do my duty to God and the King/Queen,
To help other people at all times,
To obey the Scout Law."
The Scout Laws in 1935 were;
1. A Scout's honour is to be trusted
2. A Scout is loyal to the King, his country, his officers, his parents, his employers and those under him
3. A Scout's duty is to be useful and to help others
4. A Scout is a friend to all, and a brother to every other scout, no matter to what social class the other belongs
5. A Scout is courteous
6. A Scout is a friend to animals
7. A Scout obeys orders of his parents, patrol leader, or scoutmaster without question
8. A Scout smiles and whistles under all difficulties
9. A Scout is thrifty
10. A Scout is clean in thought, word and deed.
Memorising Laws 2 and 4 was particularly challenging!
There was an unintended ambiguity in the wording of Law 4, as 'every other Scout' could be interpreted as meaning every second Scout you met! It was also a bit of a challenge to 'smile and whistle' at the same time! At some point between 1935 and 1947, the wording of the second law was altered to replace 'officers' with 'Scouters', but other than that, the wording remained the same until 1968.
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3.4 Boy Scout Salutes
The Scout Salute was the same as it is now – the three fingers representing the three parts of the promise (Fig. 16). The full salute was made regardless of whether a hat was worn or not. If a Scout was holding a staff (which was pretty common in the early years of Scouting), he would hold the staff in the right hand and salute horizontally using the left hand (Fig. 17). The Scout Sign was used for investitures and taking the promise (Fig. 18). The Cub version of the Scout sign is shown in Figure 2.03.
Figure 16 The Full Salute.
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Figure 17 Salutes when holding a Scout Staff
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Figure 18 The Scout Sign
3.5 The Boy Scout Progressive Training Scheme
The progressive training scheme in Scouting was fundamental to programme planning and Scout activities. From 1911-1968, it involved progression through the Tenderfoot, Second Class, First Class and King's/Queen’s Scout badges. The training provided Scouts with skills in campcraft, bushcraft, leadership, first aid and community service to name but a few. Patrol Leaders were often involved in the training process, but the assessments were carried out by the Scout Master, A.S.Ms or external examiners. There were particular rules about this. For example, the First Class hike was assessed by an external examiner, and there are suggestions that all First Class tests were assessed by external examiners during the 1930s.
No boy could be invested as a Boy Scout until he had passed the Tenderfoot badge. This involved learning the law and promise off by heart and knowing what they meant. In the 1960s, it also meant tying six knots (clove hitch, bowline, reef knot, round turn and two half hitches, sheet bend and sheep shank), demonstrating the various Scout salutes, folding the flag for flagbreak, cleaning a wound, recognising basic woodcraft signs (Fig. 19), and doing a simple whipping (Fig. 20). This could take up to 6 months to complete, but was more commonly completed in half that time.
Figure 19 Woodcraft Signs
Figure 20 Whipping
Following the Tenderfoot Badge came the Second Class badge (Figs. 9 & 21). In the 1960s, the tests were;
Minor accidents, Rules of health, Observation, Recognise 6 common trees, Knots, Lashings
Hand axe and knife, Fire lighting, Cooking, Highway Code, Care of a cycle, 8 mile journey - a simple day hike on country roads, 3 months service - attendance at Scout meetings. Re-assessment of Tenderfoot tests.
Figure 20 Second Class Badge
A Scout was meant to gain the Second Class Badge in about a year (Fig. 9), then start on the First Class badge (Fig. 21). Baden Powell stated that boys could only consider themselves proper Scouts once they had gained the First Class badge. In truth, most Scouts gained their Second Class badge, but relatively few achieved the First Class badge. For example, in 1933, there were only 8 First Class Scouts in Greenock representing only 1.8% of total Scouts. This certainly improved over the next decade, but it was always the case that First Class Scouts were in the minority. In 1911, there were ten tests, which increased to the following 12 tests in the 1960s;
Ten camping nights, Emergencies, First Aid, Swim 50 yards, Read a track, Recognise 12 common trees, Recognise 6 common birds, Estimation, Knots and splicing, Use of a felling axe, Map and compass, Re-assessment of Second Class tests, Two-day backpacking expedition of about 15 miles.
Figure 21 First Class Badge
The tests involved in these badges were well defined and, although some new tests were introduced in 1944, they remained pretty consistent until 1968. All the skills involved were viewed as important in Scoutcraft or survival. One downside was the lack of choice, which resulted in some criticism during the 1960s. For example, Scouts who were poor swimmers found it difficult to pass their swimming test, and it was claimed that this put some boys off Scouting (Fig. 22). However, most Scout Masters with any savvy found a way round this problem. The two-day expedition was a major part of the award. Typically, a Scout completed this hike with one other Scout, cooking meals over a wood fire. An external examiner set the route which would usually be on roads and tracks. The Scouts had to complete a detailed log book of the expedition including any projects that the examiner had set. The standards were demanding!
Figure 22 Stuart Tosh and John Ellis doing their First Class Swimming test at Everton 1942.
After a Scout gained his First Class badge, he could work towards his King's/Queen’s Scout Badge (Fig. 23). This Badge was introduced in 1911 and required a Scout to pass the First Class badge, the Pathfinder proficiency badge, then three other proficiency badges from the following; Ambulance, Marksman, Bugler, Seaman, Cyclist or Signaller. In 1947, the requirements were changed such that the Scout had to gain the Bushman's thong, the Ambulance proficiency badge, and three other proficiency badges that focussed on public service. By the 1960s, both the Ambulance and Swimmers proficiency badges had become compulsory and a further four proficiency badges were required from an approved list since gaining the First Class Badge. Finally, the Scout had to complete a longer, more demanding two-day backpacking hike than the one he had completed for the First Class Badge.
Figure 23 The King's/Queen's Scout Badge.
The Bushmans Thong (Fig. 24) was the highest Scouting award for backwoodsmanship and survival skills. In 1947, Scouts had to gain the First Class Badge, the Venturer proficiency badge, then gain two further proficiency badges from the following list of Camp Warden, Forester, Naturalist, Meteorologist, Pioneer, Tracker or Astronomer. All of the badges in the list were relevant to bushcraft and survival skills, but it was not permitted to use both the Meteorologist and Astronomer badges towards the award. The Bushman's Thong was also made an obligatory requirement for the King's Scout Badge in 1948. It is not clear when the award came into being. It is referred to in 1938 and might have been in existence before that (http://www.inquiry.net/scouting_dictionary/star_life_eagle.htm).
Figure 24 The Bushman's Thong
The requirements may also have changed slightly between 1947 and 1968 and between different countries. For example, Canadian Scouts in the 1960s had to gain the First Class Badge, the Campers proficiency badge, then choose one proficiency badge from a group of three (Naturalist, Stalker and Tracker), and the other badge from a group of four (Forester, Pioneer, Starman and Weatherman) (Fig. 25).
Figure 25 Proficiency Badges that were relevant to the Bushman's Thong in Canadian Scouting during the 1960s
Figure 26 The positioning of badges on uniform, and where to wear the Bushman's Thong and Scout Cords.
The sort of skills required to gain the Bushmans Thong involved activities such as making a bivvy and sleeping in it, lighting fires, backwoods cooking, skinning and cooking a rabbit, or gutting and preparing a fish. Moreover, a Scout had to make his own Bushmans Thong from two brown leather thongs or strips. As well as being an award, it was meant to be a practical object with a variety of uses, including the stringing of a fire-bow. It was worn round the right shoulder (Fig. 26). There is no reference to the Bushman’s thong in any of the 70th's records covering the thirties and forties, but by the 50s and 60s it was viewed a kind of 'rite of passage' between the First Class Badge and the Queen's Scout Badge. The award was discontinued in 1968.
Figure 27 Scout Cords
Scout Cords were worn over the right shoulder and are remembered by several 70th 'Old Boys' from the fifties and sixties. It is possible that Scout Cords were the successors to All Round Cords, which existed in the thirties and forties. The All Round Cords were prestigious, with only three 70th Scouts achieving them during the thirties.
It has been difficult to find information about Scout Cords or All Round Cords, but the Canadian Boy
Scout booklet of the period identified three grades;
*Green and Yellow double Cords awarded to Second Class Scouts with six proficiency badges.
*Red and White double Cords awarded to First Class Scouts with twelve proficiency badges
*A Gold single Cord awarded to King's Scouts or Queen's Scouts with eighteen proficiency badges.
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Only the highest grade cords were worn and they may have been sewn onto the shirt above the right hand pocket (Fig. 27). Assuming that All Round Cords were the same as Scout Cords, they were removed from UK Scouting in 1968. Other countries chose to continue the concept of Scout Cords but with different requirements; for example Australian Scouts gain red, blue or green cords corresponsing to a training scheme involving Pioneer, Explorer and Adventurer badges.
The 1968 changes to the progressive training scheme were intended to make Scouting more relevant to the swinging sixties. The Tenderfoot, Second Class, and First Class badges were replaced with the Scout Badge, Scout Standard, Advanced Scout Standard and Chief Scouts Award, while the Queen's Scout badge was renamed the Queen's Scout Award and moved into the new Venture Scout section. Several awards such as the Bushman's thong and Scout cords were stopped altogether.
One justification for the name changes was that the term ‘Second Class’ might make Scouts feel like second-class citizens until they gained their ‘First Class’ badge. The requirements for each badge were also revamped with a greater emphasis on service and expedition skills such as lightweight camping, stove lighting and hiking. However, many of the Scoutcraft skills that had been integral to Troop programmes and activities were dropped. For example, tracking, estimation, observation, signalling, splicing, stalking, and bird identification were dropped completely, while other Scouting skills such as axemanship became optional. After 1968, further changes in the progressive training scheme were introduced, but, by 2001, the idea of a progressive training scheme appeared to have been abandoned completely.
3.6 Proficiency badges.
Proficiency badges (Fig. 28) were circular in shape and were earned for specific skills, hobbies or activities. They were also a requirement for the Bushmans Thong, Scout Cords and the King's Scout Award. After the Second World War, square-shaped proficiency badges were introduced specifically for Senior Scouts (Fig. 29). All proficiency badges were asssessed by external examiners and each district had a designated list of approved badge examiners. Scouts were also meant to be re-assessed to ensure that they maintained the skills represented by a proficiency badge. In theory, a Scout could lose a proficiency badge if he failed a reassessment, but there are no recorded instances of this in the 70th records.
Figure 28 Examples of Scout Proficiency Badges (Observer?, Swimmer, Athlete, Collector, Librarian?, Guide?, Jobman?
Figure 29 Examples of Proficiency Badges for Senior Scouts .
3.7 The Court of Honour
According to 'Scouting for Boys', a Court of Honour was made up of the Scout Master and the Patrol Leaders, although in small troops Seconds might also participate. The Court of Honour was intended to provide Scouts with a say in how the troop was run, with the P.L.s representing the Scouts in their patrols. The Court met on regular occasions - about once a month. Records from the thirties and forties show that the P.L.s of the time took this role extremely seriously and there are several occasions where the Scouters failed to get their own way. It was also common practice in the 70th for the patrol Seconds to attend.
The Court of Honour was disbanded during the great 'shake up' of 1968, and was replaced with the less grand sounding 'Patrol Leaders Council' (P.L.C). With the simultaneous changes in section age ranges, the patrol leaders were younger and it is questionable whether the PLC was as powerful as the Court of Honour.
4 The Rover Crew
At the age of 18, a Scout could join the Rover Crew if he wished to continue in Scouting, but did not desire a leadership role. At their best, the Rover Crew provided support for other sections in the group, as well as pursuing activities such as hiking, climbing and camping. Indeed, there is evidence that this happened in the 70th Group during the 30s and 40s. On the other hand, a former Greenock District Commissioner stated that many Rover Crews were no more than Old Boys Clubs, where young men aged 18-25 met socially to chat and to smoke pipes and cigarettes. Rover Scouts wore the same uniform as the Scouts and Scouters, but had green coloured epaulettes on their shoulders (Fig. 30).
The Section was disbanded in 1968, although it continues to this day in countries such as Australia. In the UK, Venture Scouting was introduced to cater for 16-20 year olds and this continued until 2001. Currently, the 'senior' section are the Explorer Scouts catering for 14-18 years olds, with a rather loose organisation called the 'Network' which is aimed at 18-25 year olds.
Figure 30 Rover Scout Epaulette
5 The Scouting Ethos
For many people who grew up during the 1932-1968 period, Scouting inspired a spirit and ethos that instilled long-term loyalty and devotion to the movement. Moreover, several ‘Old Boys’ have stated that Scouting was the most important experience of their teenage years. Many factors were involved in creating the Scouting spirit and it is difficult to do full justice to how Scouting influenced many individuals, especially those that were in the movement when Baden Powell was alive. The following factors all played a part.
Firstly, teenagers and teenage culture were mainly inventions of the 1950s and 1960s. Before that, it did not exist. When the Boy Scout and Boys Brigade organisations were founded, it was accepted that 17 and 18 year olds were still classed as boys and that they only became men once they had gained responsibilities for family or in society. Moreover, as teenagers were not identified as a distinct section of society, very little commercialism, marketing, entertainment or popular music was aimed at them. The main influences on teenagers were family, school, church and voluntary youth organisations such as the Boy Scouts, Girl Guides and Boys Brigade. In terms of entertainment, teenagers either chose traditional boyhood pursuits or entertainment directed at adults such as reading, cinema, theatre, wireless and dances. There were no mobile phones, computers, video games, television, pop music or social media. Youngsters normally entertained themselves and spent much of their leisure time outdoors, often getting up to mischief. For many, Scouting was an exciting contrast to the normal weekly routine and offered opportunities for ‘adventure’. It also offered opportunities to travel further afield at a time when there was relatively little private transport and when most people got around by cycle, train and ferry. Consequently, many Scouts spent the vast majority of their spare time on Scouting since there was not much else on offer. Scouting filled a void. However, that on its own would not explain the appeal of Scouting. It was a voluntary organisation and youngsters could leave as easily as they joined, if Scouting failed to maintain their interest.
So what was the appeal of Scouting? In the 1930s, Scouting was a successful and rapidly expanding movement that had been in existance for over 20 years, and was still fresh and revolutionary in its outlook. Baden Powell – the Mafeking hero of the Boer War - was respected by adults and revered by the Scouts who followed him. The public and the media had come to realise the benefits of Scouting, while important and influential figures leant their support to it both at local and national levels. Scouting was highly visible in local and national media with regular articles on BP and the Scouting movement. It was also highly visible on the streets of local communities with uniformed Scouts regularly seen walking or cycling to their troop nights, setting off for mysterious adventures in the country clutching their Scout staves and hauling trek carts, or marching on church parades. Success breeds success and this is a powerful draw on the young, so it was not unusual to be in a Scout Group along with all your pals from school. Scouting had achieved the almost impossible trick of combining mass appeal for the young with the approval of the adult world. Therefore, there was a powerful draw for youngsters to join, but youngsters can also be notoriously fickle so what was it that kept many in a movement for 10 years or more?
A successful movement has to have activities and games which appeal to youngsters on a number of levels. Scouting offered activities which were fun and physically demanding, but which were also educational and inspirational. At Troop nights, boys had regular opportunities to take part in physically demanding games and activities with their friends, and with boys of different ages under the watchful eye of Scout Masters who ensured that things did not get out of hand. Moreover, Scouting activities appealed to the imagination and adventurous spirit of boys. Activities such as hiking, camping, tracking, signalling, pioneering, survival skills, and navigation not only provided boys with fun and physical activity, it allowed them to imagine themselves as future explorers or adventurers. No doubt, there were numerous Scouts with a secret daydream that some future shipwreck would deposit them in a remote part of the world where they could make use of the skills they had. More realistically, there was always the possibility of being called upon to rescue someone from drowning or from a fire. The fact that newspaper stories occasionally recounted some example of Scouting bravery or initiative helped to fuel these dreams and expectations. Scout Annuals, diaries, books and magazines were available in abundance and sold well even into the 1960s. Merchandise aimed at Scouts included sheath knifes, camping gear and hiking equipment. As late as the 1960s, a brand of shoe was marketed to Scouts with a hidden compass in the heel that they could wear to school. This all added to the magic and mystery of Scouting. It was not like normal day to day life. There were strange customs, traditions and terms. There were salutes, badges and signs which made a Scout feel as if he was in a secret society - a kind of cliquishness. It all added to a Scout feeling that he was part of something special and important. This was further consolidated by the fact that there were ‘Brother Scouts’ in virtually every country in the world.
Scouting also appealed to a boy’s idealistic nature. This was personified by the Laws and the Promise. Every Scout had to know these off by heart and was expected to 'do his best' to live his life by a knightly code of honour. Scouts were expected to be have high standards of reliability and trustworthiness, and to know things which other boys did not. And it was not only a Scout's Patrol Leader and Scoutmaster that had these expectations; the same expectations were held by parents, teachers, police and the general public as a whole. It was a lot to live up to and part of the challenge of Scouting. Indeed many Scouts would have been mortally insulted if Scouting had been described to them as a 'youth movement'. It was far more than that.
Baden Powell described Scouting as a game with a serious purpose, and that was what it was. It was fun, but Scouts learnt how to do interesting and exciting things, as well as learning about themselves and caring for others. One of BP's most brilliant innovations in Scouting was the concept of the Patrol Leader where older boys aged typically 15-17 had duty of care for younger Scouts through the patrol system. It was a responsibility that was taken very seriously and with a dedication that many would have doubted possible prior to Scouting. It was also brilliant in that it gave older boys a sense of ownership. They were the ones in charge and so BP deliberately adapted peer pressure to work for the benefit of Scouting and society. He knew perfectly well that a younger Scout would listen far more seriously to his P.L. than to an adult. A 16 or 17 year old P.L. was viewed by a 12 year old Scout, not only as an older brother Scout, but someone to aspire to, someone to hero worship.
Many Scouts gained a fascination for all things Scouting whether that be taking part in Scouting activities, visiting a Scout shop, meeting Scouts from other troops, visiting jamborees, communicating with Scouting penpals, or collecting Scout badges or stamps. The list could go on and on. Scouting was a lifestyle and an aim in itself. It was a fantasy and it was different. That represented much of its appeal. The genius of the movement was in instilling moral values in youngsters without moralizing. Boys joined Scouting because it was totally different from normal society and learnt practical skills that often appeared to have no direct relevance to normal life. And yet, by participating in Scouting, they were also accumulating many generic skills that were ‘picked up’ without always appreciating the fact; for example, leadership, teamwork, commitment, responsibility to name but a few. By applying those skills to Scouting, Scouts were unconsciously practicing those attributes for the time when they would enter society and the work place.
6. Scouting then and Scouting now