Extracts from East District News-sheets 1961-1966
Other Archived Information on East District
Our former editor, Ernie, has been delving into the District Archives to provide a glimpse of Scouting in East in years gone by:
Extracts from East News-sheets 1961
Bob-a-Job: £600 (approximately) earned
Rotary Ambulance Competition: East had the only entrants in this competition with placings thus: 1st -10th A; 2nd –28th; 3rd – 10th B
Belfast Gang Show:we were privileged to have had members from East participating in virtually every department connected with the Show.
Running a Rover Crew: special interest in this book for us lies in the fact that one of the contributors is David Harrison (RSL , Knock Area Crew). His chapter on visits and outings appears in the section dealing with collective training.
The 73rd Rover Crew have been bringing variety to their programmes. In past weeks, they have had talks from a visiting Franciscian Friar and later a Judo Instructor! At the latter they were joined by 28th Rover Crew.
The Knock Area Rover Crew won the Glasgow Shield at the County Rover Sports.
The Annual Relay Race attracted a good entry of over 20 teams. We were glad to welcome teams from 1st Kircubbin, 2nd Portadown, 1st Hillsborough, 2nd Ballymoney and 3rd Holywood. The race was won by 24th Troop. The batons used in the race carried a message of good wishes for Mr. R.H. Sayer’s (District President) future.
28th have at present active in their Group 5 Long Service Award Scouters- is this some sort of record?
The 1961 Old Wolves Gathering in the Slieve Donard Hotel was to my mind the best in recent years (writes Audrey Beggs). A well balanced programme of talks and activities included a handcraft session by Eric Clark of 33rd.
During Her Majesty’s recent visit, Ronnie Brown of 10th had the privilege of being introduced. The Queen chatted about the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and Ronnie commented that she displayed keen interest in his Scouting activities.
Joint winners of the County Flag Competition were 78th (North) and 28th (East). Congratulations to 28th on bringing home half of the flag! Other East teams were from 10th, 3rd, 7th and 64th.
A unique criticism of the Autumn 1961 issue came from a reader who complained that the type was too small to read in bed!- you can’t please ‘em all!!
Extracts from East News-sheets 1962
2nd Pack now re-accommodated in an annex of 1st Ballymacarratt Presbyterian Church is going nicely under Mervyn Thompson, Girvan Williams and Kathleen Murray.
4th Group’s recent Parents’ Night was slick and well presented. Good attendance resulted from personal visitations to parents. During the evening Mr.W.Elliot, D.C., presented warrants to Terry McBurnie, S.M., and Bruce Carswell, C.M.
28th Group’s Parents’ Night was well attended and entertaining. Special guests were Mr.David Bleakley, M.P., Mr.McCombe, District Chairman, Mr. Dyson, District Treasurer, and Rev.R.W.Kilpatrick. At one point Mr.Bleakley M.P. was rudely accosted by a ‘man and wife’ (who looked suspiciously like S.M.Russell and C.M.Sharp!) This pair sought Mr.Bleakley’s intervention at Stormont on the question of a ‘busted’ dust-bin! The matter was amicably settled!
At the recent Scouters’ Social Evening in the Brookborough Hall, Rhoda Sharp and Olive Holland peered at a revolting row of knees to select the winner in the ‘knobbliest knees competition’.
Two Groups with building ideas are 30th and 28th. The former have procured ground in the vicinity of Gilnahirk Presbyterian Church and have launched a building fund. 28th have had such a fund underway for several years and have submitted plans for an ambitious new hall on the present site.
The annual Belfast v Dublin football match took place at Clandeboye Park on Saturday 9th June and resulted in a 1-0 win for Dublin. Bravo Dublin! We had six Cubs from East on the team:- Philip Woods 4th, Robin McFarlane 10th, Nigel Killops 27th, Michael Stitt 27th, Stephen Warrick 99th, and Hugh Hall 30th (Captain).
East at the Conference: I was to move around the sessions but got no further than that of the Cubs. Here I sat fascinated in a mock courtroom with Cubbing on trial. The judge was Bob Carswell 24th, a defence witness was Hazel Anderson 99th and defence counsel was Bruce Carswell 24th (making Perry Mason look like a solicitor’s clerk!). There couldn’t have been a better session!
New SMs with 47th, 61st and 30th Troops are W.Scott, W.Johnston and J.McCay. We wish each of them success.
There is a pleasing trend in the District of potential Scouters doing a probationary training period with another Group- at the moment H.Davison of 28th and D.Watson of 64th are each acting at the other’s Troop.
Bill Jenkins 27th sorted out the ‘Blanchflowers’ and ‘McIlroys’ of East to play for places on the Belfast team who met Dublin Cubs in their annual football match.
The Scouts representing the District at the coming World Jamboree in Greece are Miles McDowell 27th, John Kane 47th and Mike Loder 10th. We congratulate them and know they will be worthy ambassadors.
Seated primly on the platform in the 28th HQ to watch the Field Commissioners’ demonstration with that Pack were Scouters from the District. They watched and listened intently throughout the evening. But they didn’t hear the 28th Cub who at one point beckoned his own Akela and with a quick jerk of the thumb towards the platform whispered indignantly ‘Who let them’ns in!’
Extracts from East News-sheets 1963
At Camp Mohawk (International Camp in England organised by American Scouts in Europe) two Scouts from East were in the Northern Ireland contingent of nine. They were Wilson Little and Graham Hamilton both of 4th Troop.
Alan Gibson is now acting as C.M. of 71st Pack. George Holland is back in harness as C.M. of 59th Pack. Charlie Boyd, S.M. 99th, has gone to take up an appointment with an Outward Bound School in Wales. Artie Dempster is now S.M. 73rd Troop and Joe Watson C.M. at 3rd Pack.
If we read a correspondent’s scribbled note correctly- 3rd Group have been given a Church (?) as Group HQ! Much renovation will be required but the building offers great possibilities.
Troops which have not already done so are invited to cough up their Jamboree subscription at once. Cough in the direction of Mr. Dyson, District Treasurer.
We had 8 GSMs from the District at the first G.S.Ms conference in BP House during February. Amongst the special speakers was Clarence Bamford 4th and E.F.Sharp 28th.
Our good wishes follow Jim Hewitt, C.M. 72nd Pack, who has gone to England to take training for subsequent Overseas Missionary work with the Salvation Army.
We hear there is talk of new Rover Crews at 47th, 30th and 3rd Groups- good show- if action follows!
Extracts from East News-sheets 1965
At the recent East A.G.M., a special guest was Mr. G.B. Newe, Secretary of the Northern Ireland Council of Social Service. In the course of an inspiring talk he made the observation that Scouting could be in danger of becoming a sort of super movement operating on a selective basis with the ‘better’ boy….!?
We think this comment, coming from someone outside our Movement, is worth a long, hard look.
At a recent 7th Pack Parents’ Night, there was a turnout of 60 (?) Cubs, plus guests from 27th Pack for good measure!
10th Group Committee and East Local Association jointly promoted a dance in King George VI Hall. Each profited by approximately £55-0s-0d
In World Scout Friendship Year, two Groups already have plans for going abroad and making contact with local Scouts. 33rd Troop under B.Robertson are heading for Denmark. 24th Troop are also going to Denmark but plan to visit Youth Hostels in Germany en route.
An interesting speaker at a recent 47th Rover Crew Meeting was Ian Sinclair, one of the few professional taxidermists in Ireland!
Extracts from East News-sheets 1966
Joe Fairley and Co. of the 4th shared an island in Lough Erne with some sheep. The sheep in turn shared their tics with Fairley and Co. Sheep dip is the only remedy for tics- our men refused to take it, so- steer clear of them!
Bruce Roberstson and Gareth Owens (33rd) did a series of ‘slide’ shows on their recent Troop jaunt to Denmark. Bruce collects the takings while optician Garth (with an eye for business) projects fuzzy slides!
A recent 4th Patrol activity (designed to lay the foundations of good citizens!)- was a roaring success. The teams were invited to produce the most novel forms of torture and killing!? The sadistic young beasts revelled in it- a clear case here for a Scouter/psychologist??
It was nice having the Chief Commissioner, Mr.Wilfred Brennan, at the A.G.M. and to hear him recall his early days in the Bloomfield area of our District.
Much has been happening since we last dropped through your letter-box- the Advance Party report, for example. Now there’s something- 200,000 words on the development of our Movement in the immediate future and into the 1970’s. If we are not ‘with it’ after this lot, we never shall be. It has been a tremendous undertaking and one of which the Movement can be proud.
‘East’ was privileged to play several parts during the recent visit of the Chief Scout for the Queen’s Scout Reception at Stormont being responsible for stewarding at the ceremony, and at the Church Service on Sunday. Likewise, transport and the King George V Dance were in the hands of East personnel.
East lead again! – this time in Co.Wicklow at the recent Boys Scouts of Ireland Conference. We hear that their Chief Scout followed Audrey Beggs in order to reach the venue!!
It was great to get John Davidson’s letter several months ago. John, SL of 72nd Troop, tells us of his Troop’s World Friendship Year activities. They are corresponding with Troops in Japan, Canada, Iran, Sweden and Denmark. They have some wonderful literature and photographs from Iran and from 10th Hiroshima Troop.
Mr. P.L. Davis, our Local Association Secretary, put the Commissioners’ Conference at Larne ‘back on the rails’ with the bright quip that ‘if only the Movement could get shot of all those wee Scouts the Committees could get on with their work!’
At the Queen’s Scout Reception at Stormont the following Scouts received their Queen’s Scout Certificates:- Ian Kidd, Ian Milligan (4th), Michael Stitt (27th), Ian McCullough, James Clarke,Desmond Reid, John Hunter (61st), Geoffrey Hoskins, Peter Rodgers, John Alexander(64th), Kevin Balmer and Billy McConnell (10th). Congratulations to all these lads and to their Leaders and the various Badge Examiners. On the same occasion B.P. Awards were presented by the Chief Scout to Ronnie Brown (10th) and Mark Elwood (41st and K.A.R.C.)- Good Show.
At the recent Scouters’ Conference, Mr.Jack Britton reflected that in the ‘good old days’ he had left South Belfast District with £100 in the Bank at which a lightening wit called out- ‘and what did you do with the rest?’
Way back in the good old summer time, we had our Sports Meeting- remember? Group winners were 30th Group with 27th Group second and 64th Group third.
47th Rovers are doing a real service job helping to run the 28th Troop during the latter’s Scouter problem period. Also doing a good job assisting with the 28th Pack is Alan Robinson of 33rd Troop.
The London Gang Show will be televised on Wednesday, 14th December. Unfortunately this means the cancellation of the proposed muscle display by Commissioners Hunt and Kernohan in the old Dundonald Hall on that date. Pity!!
Ernie Sharp