Scouts, Cubs and Girl Guides

Please note the text below has been updated since its original publication in the Highbridge History project book thanks to contributor David Derham and others. If you would like to add anything to the material on this site, send your thoughts, memories and updates via the comments box at the bottom of the page – all are warmly welcomed.

This is an international organisation formed by Lord Robert Stephenson Smyth Baden-Powell in 1908 (and the Girl Guides in 1910); the aim was to produce good citizenship in the rising generation. As a young Cavalry Officer he had served with distinction in the South African War defending Mafeking. On his return from military service, he saw that young men required incentives in order to provide for themselves a better life. There was a need to help boys of whatever class to become all-round men; the aim was develop good character, to train them in habits of observation, obedience and self-reliance. Also instilling a sense of loyalty and thought for others and to teach them services useful to the public and handicrafts useful to themselves, there was also a need to promote their physical development and hygiene.

The first camp for boys was held on Brownsea Island in 1907; 22 boys were chosen to test the scheme; such was the success that the movement was born.

The current Boy Scout Creed, which every boy has to promise, is: –

I promise that I will do my best,

To love my God,

To serve the Queen and my country,

To help other people and obey the Scout Law

Their motto is: – “Be Prepared”

In contributor David Derham’s years “The Original Boy Scout Creed” was:

I promise that I will do my best

To do my duty to God and the Queen

To help other people at all times

And to obey the Scout Law

It is not known when the first local troops were formed but we have found that a troop was present in the area around 1910, scout groups were registered with the ‘The Boy Scout Association’ in London and evidence shows that the 1st Highbridge Group had the registration number 4227 and the 3rd Burnham number 4228.

The Movement, when formed had certain guide lines, one was an age limit; scouts would be boys aged from 12 to 16. But, younger brothers, who also wanted to join this new organisation, became ‘Cubs’, starting at 8 years old and moving on into the scouts when they reached 12. To cater for the older boys those over 16, the movement formed the ‘Rovers’.

During the Great War (1914-1918) records nationally were sparse, after the war scout troops started to re-form; between the wars a meeting was held on 13th January 1931 in “Flook’s Royal Café in Burnham High Street which covered the inauguration of the Burnham and Highbridge District Boy Scouts Association. The first indications of scouting activities in this area are that in the Burnham and Highbridge District Association Directory of 1939 it states “Still only two groups in the area”. But it is interesting to note that the 3rd Burnham Troop attained its majority in 1937 and 1st Highbridge Troop celebrated its 21st birthday during 1939”. This does indicate that Scouting was present soon after the Great War.

In 1939 Scouting was again affected by hostilities, troops were again ‘stood down’ as Scout Masters and other officers were called up for active service and mothers, obviously concerned for their son(s) safety, refused to let them attend Scout meetings. Also, with father away at war, mother wanted her family around her; this resulted in a shortage of young men capable of running Scout troops after the war. It must be remembered that during the early days of the last war the Scouts were actively involved in collecting paper and other ‘scrap’ for the war effort. Also, after the war, do you remember “Bob-a Job” when lads toured the town offering their services to do jobs for local people? This was an attempt to obtain funds for the Boy Scouts Association; the only reward the boy himself got was the satisfaction of knowing he had played his part in keeping the Scout movement out of debt.

From the “Scout Handbook” 1946 it is noted that Miss Bertha Knight was a Scout Mistress, her meetings being held in the Highbridge Town Hall on a Tuesday. Three local groups were active 1st Highbridge, 3rd Burnham and 1st Brent Knoll.

In 1951 Mr, Graham S. Hayter formed the 2nd Highbridge Troop, registration No 28826 it was sponsored by Highbridge V.C. School, this meant it was controlled by the school and was not an independent troop and it was free to operate where it pleased; there were 40 members at the time. During the 1950’s the Troop went from strength to strength and collected many awards for its members. Scouts and Cubs attended camps and jamborees all over the country.

In the Census forms returned in 1956 the 1st Highbridge had disappeared However, on Tuesday 3rd November 1959 the Highbridge Scouts and Guides were devastated to find their headquarters, situated in Coronation Road had been totally destroyed by fire, its contents, which included their records plus treasured trophies and equipment were destroyed; the headquarters had been built in 1948 by the local association and many improvements had been carried out over the years. 2nd Highbridge Scouts had held its summer camp that year in Lyme Regis on the private estate of Colonel Alheuson. Normally, it stored its camping equipment in the loft of the parents of Scout John Davey. His parents had a large detached red brick house just on the junction of the Burnham end of Old Burnham Road where it meets the Burnham Road. The house still stands but most of its large vegetable garden and its eastern environs (field) towards the other end of this small loop road, has changed dramatically since those days. This was done because the HQ was not really large enough to house the ever growing inventory of camping equipment and because of the enhanced safety of it being stored away from the timber hut which was the HQ. The Scouts eventually paid the price of their slothfulness in getting this task completed after the summer camp. The members kept reminding themselves to do it, but by November it was still there when the HQ and all the equipment went up in smoke (or melted into aluminium lumps!).

The fire had started in one of the two “side rooms” (which looked out over the HQ boundary onto the house next door, of the Headmaster of Highbridge VC School, Mr. Albert Mason) where, along one wall was a line of coat hooks. A school class was in occupation on this day during which a badly behaved child was banished to the side room as a penance. It was winter, the child became cold and found an electric “open barred” fire standing under a wooden bench aligned under the row of coats which belonged to the rest of the class. The power point was too high for the cable to reach it, so the child placed the fire up on the bench under the coats, plugged it in and switched it on! The coats soon burst into flames. The rest is history. The heroism of the teacher who rescued this child from the blazing room was a matter of record.

David Derham was now working in Weston super mare as an apprentice aircraft electrician. He received the news at home on his return from work from his father and brothers assembled at the tea table. He dropped everything and rushed to the scene only to be greeted by a “sea” of embers and smoke from a few still smouldering timbers. He was devastated and remembers the emotions of the time well and the subsequent efforts of the lay members of the troop (mostly parents led by Mervyn Bamsey, who had two boys, one in the Scouts, another in the Cubs) to raise money to rebuild. As soon as they could, they went from door to door with collection tins and boxes asking for donations (to make the most of the sympathy which prevailed before it waned). Soon the site had been cleared and the new hut was delivered in sections. It was erected by the adults and painted and fitted out by many of the older Scouts, Seniors and Rovers. They had a great time building-in and wiring up the Patrol dens and the Kitchen and loos etc. There was a wonderful team spirit associated with the project which held the troop in good stead for many years afterwards. It also won the boys much respect from the people of Highbridge in general.

Following the fire the troop continued to meet, their aim now being to obtain funds so that the Headquarters could be re-built. Many money-raising events were held the Scout and Guide Associations launching appeals for funds. The Chairman of the Highbridge Scout Group Committee (Mr. M. Bamsey) confirmed at a meeting that an “all out effort” would be made to rebuild the Headquarters as soon as possible. St John’s Church had offered the Scouts and Guides use of the church hall as a temporary measure and for this the groups were most grateful.

Funds were being steadily built up from door-to-door collections and in May 1960 the Highbridge Scout and Guide Headquarters Rebuilding Fund presented a variety concert in the Town Hall, with songs from “Carousel” plus sketches by Billy Jacobs and Bob Nicholson. The Silver Stars Rock & Roll Group, a local band, provided lively music for the evening.

Following twelve months hard work by the Scout and Guide Movements, and true to their determination, a new hut was built and officially opened by Lord St. Audries on the 12th November 1960. The final cost of the new hut was £2000 and it offered more facilities to both movements.

David Derham has a few photographs of this event, including the presentation of his Assistant Scouter’s warrant and Terry Yard receiving the Troop’s first ever Queen’s Scout Award by the County Commissioner who was present at the opening and also of Gillian Fielding’s Assistant Cub Leader Warrant.

The 2nd Highbridge Troop was inspired by ITS new Headquarters and for the next few years was to win a number of trophies. In June 1960 when competing for the Koodoo Horn Competition, four members (David Dyer, David Derham, Chris Meaden, and Terry Yard) floated their homemade oil-drum raft on Apex Pit (now Apex Park Lake). It was constructed from four oil drums lashed together with a few bits of timber probably acquired from Mr Haines of Woodbury & Haines in Springfield Road, Highbridge, which company, made School furniture for Somerset’s Schools. Cecil Haines had three boys who passed through the 2nd Highbridge Troop in their time, the eldest was Roger. Planks of wood were fixed on top of the raft to allow for the pitching of a tent. They decided as an enhancement to their adventure challenge for the trophy, to spend the night in a tent on the raft; their ‘look-out’ was David Dyer who was to be on hand, encamped in his tent on the bank of the lake in case of an emergency. Originally it was intended that all four Senior Scouts would sleep on the raft and would have enough food and a primus stove on board, to cook a meal but at the last moment, they noticed that the raft was lying low in the water on one corner – one of the oil drums had sprung a leak! So they changed their plans such that David Dyer would camp onshore together with all the stores and they rigged up a ropeway from “ship to shore” in order to pass stores as required to the raft and to clear it all off when finished in order to keep the minimum weight on board and have nothing to slide off into the water during the night! They slept in relays so that at least one of the three on board, was keeping watch all the time over the sinking oil drum. David Derham had the dawn watch and said:

“I remember my watch so clearly. As the sun rose and the light came, it was a gloriously calm morning with an orange tint of the sun slowly gathering on the horizon towards Highbridge. The water was as a mirror, gleaming and flat without a ripple. Then the Swallows came. They swooped low over the water and soon I realised it was not insects they had come for that early, it was to drink. It was one of the most magic moments of nature I had witnessed in my life at the time and has remained in my memory to the present day. They flew in with ultimate height control, opened their beaks and slid the lower one into the water and as they flew, scooped up the water, leaving behind them just a fine line of disturbed water. I can still see the entire scene nearly 50 years later. Our escapade had to be inspected by the Assistant District Commissioner John Brown who was the adjudicator for the competition. I can’t recall whether he came in the evening or in the morning but he was suitably impressed that this was the best adventure by either of the three troops in his area and so we won the trophy. I think he presented it to us at the Remembrance Day Parade later in the year, when all the Scouts and Guides gathered in the market place in front of the old Railway Hotel in Highbridge. This is now the site of General Higgins House (where my father lived out his twilight years so peacefully)”.

The troop was successful, wresting the trophy from the Berrow Scout Troop, which had held it for the past two years.

Unfortunately, during the 1960’s interest in the Youth Movement appeared to wane, many organisations had very lean times with memberships declining until only the dedicated few remained. The 2nd Highbridge Troop, however, was an exception. Numbers held steady and enthusiastic members kept the scout leaders and troop busy.

David Derham ran the troop as Scoutmaster from 26th April 1963 to 1964. In his time, numbers in the scout section had held to around 12 to 14 (two Patrols of about 6/7 boys – Rhinos, Buffalos and one other when numbers allowed).

Two Cubs, now older, moved up into the Scouts and Don Mulholland became Assistant Scout Leader. When Dave retired and with more Cubs Scouts moving up into the Scouts, Don became ‘Skip’. Colin Hall (‘Squire’) joined him. Membership was still fluctuating and in order to keep the Scout Movement active and alive locally the 2nd Highbridge amalgamated with the 1st West Huntspill troop to become the 1st Huntspill and Highbridge troop. This took place in 1968 the new registration number being 38955.

At present the Troop meets regularly on a Monday evening at the Headquarters in Coronation Road; the Group Scout Leader is Sue Hunter.

RECORD OF PRIMARY SCOUT CAMPS FOR 2ND HIGHBRIDGE SCOUT TROOP – 1952 TO 1965 – Compiled by David Derham

1951 – Somerset Jamboree @ Berrow, Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset (on site of old Army Camp,

now The Retreat Caravan Site).

(SM:- G. Hayter)

2nd Highbridge Troop had only just been incorporated and had no camping gear at that time – only SM was present in an administration role)

1951 – Summer Camp @ Couch Hill Farm, Nr. Beer, Devon

SM – G. Hayter

This camp was shared with 3rd Burnham Troop.

1952 – Somerset Jamboree @ Bath (Ammerdown Park ??)

(SM:- G. Hayter)

1952 – Summer Camp @ North Hill, Minehead, Somerset

(SM:- G. Hayter)

(Lynmouth flood disaster the week previously)

1953 – Scouts cycle journey around Exmoor with about 8 Scouts, staying in three

different Youth Hostels. Bampton, Parracombe and Minehead.

1953 – Summer Camp @ Pinhay, Lyme Regis, Dorset in August.

1954 – Somerset Jamboree @ ? The Troop won the Cup for Campcraft

1954 – Summer Camp at Gilwell Park Chingford, London in July/August

(SM:- G. Hayter -his last year with the troop).

1955 – Somerset Jamboree @ Sham Castle Bath. The Troop shared the Cup for

Campcraft.

1955 – Summer Camp @ Bleadon, Nr. Weston-super-Mare, Somerset.

SM Mr. A. Brown – lived in Bleadon and unable to leave home, so Scouts

camped near his home and he watched over them from there!

1956 – Somerset Jamboree @ ?

1956 – Summer Camp @ ?

1957 – 50th Anniversary World Jamboree @ Sutton Coldfield in early August.

Scouts attending had to be to minimum standard of First Class.

2nd Highbridge sent Terry Yard, John Rummery and Chris Meaden.

Some Scouts, D. Derham included, spent two nights at Yorks Wood Camp Site

in order to visit the Jamboree for one day.

(Scouter at this time was Tom Cryer).

1957 – Summer Camp – Was there one this year ?

Scoutmaster was Tom Cryer

1958 – Summer Camp @ Yorks Wood in Birmingham in August

(SM:- Tom Cryer, ran this from his new home in Birmingham as Sec to

County of Birmingham Boy Scouts – 9/16 August, with (believe) acting ASM.’s

M. Yard and D. Atyeo).

1959 – Somerset County Jamboree @ Ammerdown (?) Park, Bath – 15/18 May

1959 – Summer Camp @ Pinhay, Lyme Regis, Dorset in August

(SM: F. W. Brierley, ASM‘s:- M. Yard and D. Atyeo – only evidence of M.

Yard at camp as SM).

1960 – Summer Camp at Horner Water near Porlock in Somerset in August. The two

Patrols were called Buffaloes and Rhinos.

(SM:- M. Yard. ASM:- D. Derham SSM:- F. Brierley)

NB. The 1st Berrow Troop was also at this Camp with SM:- Colin Vowles &

ASM ?? (tba), Also the 3rd Burnham Troop – SM not known.

1960 – Somerset Jamboree @ Taunton

(SM:- M. Yard. SSM:- F. Brierley)

1960 – Taunton & District Competition Camp on Blackdown Hills Nr. Clayhiden in

Somerset in September. Seniors won the ‘Totem Pole’ (believe this was for a

combination of Campcraft and Initiative competitions).