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Summer Edition 2003 No. 11

Editorial

In this 70th Anniversary Year of the Group, we would draw your attention to arrangements outlined below for the Anniversary Dinner to which Friends will be more than welcome. 70 years is quite an achievement and the Group continues to flourish even though it is becoming more and more difficult to attract Leaders. A 70th Anniversary Fun Day for the boys is taking place in July and will include a Scouts' Own, lunch, activity bases and ending with a Camp Fire.

As always, please do encourage former members of the Group with whom you are still in touch to join the Friends - £2/year is their only commitment. We'll be enclosing with this edition your subscription statement. We are very grateful to all who sent subscriptions, (some for years in advance), and we do thank the many who sent a donation.

70th Anniversary Dinner

The Group will be celebrating its 70th Anniversary with a dinner at The Restaurant in the Park at Morden on 19th July. Tickets are £20 per person. The numbers will be limited but members of Friends of the Fourth are invited to apply for tickets and they are assured of a very warm welcome. Please apply as soon as possible to our Group Scout Leader.

We are very pleased to announce that Group Scout Leader, Keith Daly, has been awarded the Silver Acorn for his services to Scouting. Keith will have completed ten years as our GSL next year. Keith has recently announced his decision to step down at next year's AGM. There will be time later to thank Keith more fully for what he has done in the Group, but the Friends do collectively thank him for his time and efforts for the Group over the years. The Group is currently busy finding a successor, not an easy job as your editors will testify.

Having lost Hazel Richardson as Akela, Brownsea Pack will now be led by Les Prescott, already an Assistant Leader. One of the young leaders in the Pack, Ben Alembick, will be taking out a warrant as Assistant.

2002 World Jamboree (by Gary Heron)

Over the Christmas Holidays and New Year I was fortunate enough to attend the 20th World Scout Jamboree, in Thailand. Jamborees are held once every four years. Each Jamboree has its own distinctive flavour and is a "once in a lifetime" experience. The theme of this year's Thailand Jamboree, the 20th World Scout Jamboree, was "Share our World, Share our Cultures". I was chosen to represent our District, Sutton and Cheam, at the Jamboree alongside 35 other scouts aged between 14 and 18 years from the Greater London South West (GLSW) Scout County.

The GLSW Jamboree Unit left for Thailand early on Sunday 22nd December 2002, the journey involving a short coach ride, two international flights and then a further three-hour coach ride and took over 26 hours. The Unit finally arrived at the 5,000-room Ambassador City Hotel, in Jontiem, south of Bangkok, on Monday afternoon. The Hotel would be my home for the next four days, and would form the venue for the Thailand Experience. The entire UK Contingent numbering nearly 3,000 was booked into the hotel. Here we sunbathed, celebrated Christmas and acclimatised to 38°C and 95% humidity.

On 27th December it was time for the GLSW Unit to leave the Ambassador City Hotel and to make the short coach journey to the Jamboree Site. The Jamboree site was located at Sattahip, three hours' drive south east of the capital city Bangkok. The land was formerly owned by the Thai Navy, and was situated right next to the luscious water of the Indian Ocean. The Jamboree Site covered 1,200 hectares (nearly 3,000 acres) of land and consisted of flat plains, foothills and a white sandy beach, sloping down towards a crystal blue sea. This would be my paradise home for the next 14 days, during which I made a lot of good friends and spent the best days of my life so far. Every day was crammed full of fun activities including hiking, raft building, sailing and snorkelling. My personal favourite was when we spent our community action day rebuilding a classroom at a local school, and I managed to convince the children that I was David Beckham!

After 14 fun-filled days it was time to leave the Jamboree site for home hospitality in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. After a short flight we landed at Kuala Lumpur Airport at 8.15pm on 9th January. The pick-up point for our home hospitality families was at the Commonwealth Games Stadium. My Ho-Ho partner and I were assigned to Brian Chee, a Chinese Scout and his family living in Malaysia. We spent the next two days living with Brian at his house in Kuala Lumpur during which time we were shown much kind hospitality, toured the capital and were treated to Mrs Chee's delicious Chinese Cooking.

On 12th January after an experience of a lifetime, reluctantly it was time to fly home. A total of over 30,000 young people attended the 20th World Scout Jamboree and I am confident that the event lived up to its objective of promoting peace and international friendship through challenging activities, thought provoking cultural experiences and simply being together. I would like to take this opportunity to say how grateful I am to 4th WP for providing me with the chance to experience a truly once in a lifetime event.

In 2007 Scouting will celebrate its centenary and one of the highlights of the year will be the 21st World Scout Jamboree, which is to be held in the UK. This will take place from 28th July to 8th August 2007 at Hylands Park, Chelmsford, Essex, and 40,000 participants from around the world are expected to attend making it the biggest Jamboree yet experienced.

News from Members

In the last newsletter Paul Dovey wrote about his experience at the County Camping Competition back in 1953 - 50 years ago this year! In those days we were part of the County of Surrey which then included virtually all of what we now know as Greater London South-West, so it was a real feat for the Patrol that Paul was in to win this. We've now heard from the PL of that winning patrol, Tony Burrage, from his home in Australia. Tony writes:

"We have now lived in Australia since 1973 having been lucky enough to be sent here on assignment initially. I was working with a petrochemical contract engineering company with a project to build an oil refinery in Adelaide. Nearing the end of our eight month stay, we thought it was a pretty good place to be and to bring up our two children. Besides, it was good not to have to go to and from work in the dark in the winter! I remained working for the same company until I retired about five years ago. Now, I've never been so busy and enjoy walking, table tennis, travelling and doing a bit of historic motor racing.

I was very interested to see the note from Paul Dovey in the previous newsletter and particularly the reference to the 4th WP win of the County Camping Competition held at Walton Firs in Cobham. (I wonder if it is still there or if it's now under bricks and mortar)." [Editors note: It is still there and going strong as a Scout Camp Site and fiercely defended against development by the local authority as it is designated Green Belt land]. Tony continues: "We had checked and double checked all our gear at our allotted campsite. However, I was mortified to find that the entrenching tool was nowhere to be found! How could we have forgotten this most basic piece of scouting equipment? We used our scouting skills and became instantly resourceful - we improvised and completed these excavations with the use of a sheath knife (allowed in those days) and a spoon. All this while posting a guard to warn of any sudden appearance of judges who would certainly have queried what on earth we were doing!

Best wishes and health to all!

On a rainy day in 1963, two 4th WP Senior Scouts were trekking around the Kent coast investigating coastal defences for their Senior Explorer Badge project. They were wearing uniform (as Scouts did in those days). They had purchased a Ministry of Works season ticket which allowed access to the Kent castles in the care of the Ministry and were busy looking around Dover Castle. Suddenly a lady they didn't recognise approached them declaring "You're from 4th Worcester Park - I'd know that scarf anywhere!" The lady was Jessie Killick who had been a Cub Scouter and was the niece of the late C.D. Fenner ("Chief" - our GSM at the time). Some years had passed since she had left the area, and so was unknown to the two Senior Scouts - Les Prescott and Alan Worrall.

Forty years later, Kim (Peter Kinton) with Sheila and their friends Paul and Emily Richardson (also of Sutton & Cheam Scouting fame) were on a Thames Scout Cruising Club weekend meet at Crookham, and low and behold, who did they see, but Jessie Killick, now Mrs Jessie English. Kim immediately signed up Jessie to the Friends and her address appears at the end of this edition of the newsletter. Welcome, Jessie.

Family News

Bill Rush known to everyone in the Group for many years is now in Tolworth Hospital. Members of the Group Fellowship have visited and he would welcome short visits from anyone who knows him.

We congratulate former Beaver Leader (and ADC Beavers) Margaret Hunter on her recent marriage to Malcolm Patch. We wish them well. Congratulations as well to former Venture Scout Richard Diaper, now married and returned to the Marines (after a spell with the Metropolitan Police) and living in Devon. Also, former Venture Scout Jon Twine recently married and living in Essex.

Congratulations to ex-Akela, Hazel Richardson and Ian on their engagement. The wedding is to be in January 2004.

Former Venture Scouts and brothers Andy and Richard Casali have both announced additions to their families. So, congratulations to Dawn (ex-leader in Brownsea Pack) and Andy on the birth of Isla, and to Wendy and Richard on the birth of Lily. Former Venture Scout Paul Bridgeman and his wife Hayley announced the birth of their daughter, Louise, last year. Congratulations to all.

* We are sorry to report the death of Gilbert Jefferis. The Jefferis family lived in Hobart Road and were very keen supporters of the Group. In the Army, Gilbert became a Major and he had postings around the world, but always returned to Worcester Park. Gilbert's wife Doreen died in 1999, and their son Jonathan was a Cub, Scout and Senior Scout in the Group. Jonathan is now a Scout Leader in Havant.

Explorer Scouting and the Scout Network

For those whose Scouting took place before 1966, the heading of this article could be translated as "Senior Scouting and Rover Scouting". In the new-look Scouting of 1966, Seniors and Rovers disappeared and Venture Scouting started. There was no section for those over 20. In the new-look Scouting of 2003, Venture Scouting is no more and we have Explorer Scouts who are organised on a District basis (for 14½ to 18 year-olds - a similar age range to Senior Scouting), although in our Group we have a Group-attached Unit operating under District guidance. Alan Avery is the current leader. At 18, the lads can progress to the Scout Network which is organised on a County basis and, like Rover Scouting all those years ago, the upper age limit is 25.

The arrangements are in their infancy, so ex-Venture Scouts from the Group continue to meet socially twice a month, with Marc Wicks co-ordinating. Several have attended County Network events, but the network is not yet flourishing. The target age group is a difficult one to pin down. They're all away at college, working away from home or busy socialising!

4WP in Iraq

Two former members of the Group were with the British Forces in Iraq - Neil Smith and Danny Connor. We are pleased that they have both returned home safely.

Supporting Charities

Over the years the Group has supported numerous charities, often by means of a book stall in Central Road, in particular to support victims of earthquakes, hurricanes, famines, etc. Recently, Birch Colony ran the Scouts' Own and the Group agreed to devote the collection of over £100 to the Shooting Star Hospice which is being built for children at Hampton. This was followed by Charterhouse Pack who ran a bring-and-buy sale at the headquarters which raised £300. The speakers at a Group Fellowship meeting also devoted their fees for the project. There will be a Barn Dance to raise funds for the hospice on 15th November.

Paul Green, Scout Leader of Silver Troop, has just returned from an expedition in New Zealand and raised £3,000 for "Help a London Child".

Explorer Scout Phil Wicks entered this year's London Marathon. Phil writes:

"In spite of a very hot day for running I was pleased to complete the course in 3 hours 3 minutes and 47 seconds - not quite sub-3 hours as I had hoped but good enough. The leg ache has not been too bad and I even went for a walk to the local shops the next day. Having had Meningitis as a baby I decided to support the Meningitis Research Foundation again and hope to raise about £1500 for them. Thanks again for your support."

Coming Events

The Group has a full programme of events as usual, and you are cordially invited to attend all of them. The main ones are:

E-Mail Addresses

All e-mail correspondence for Friends of the Fourth should be addressed to: fotf(at)4wp.org.uk

This page was last updated on 08 July 2003