Scouts and Guides

Boy Scouts and Girl Guides

The Scout Association is an international your movement founded in England in 1908 by Robert Lord Baden-Powell (1857-1941). While serving in the army, he had written a book about the scouting techniques he had developed, especially patrolling in small units for reconnaissance purposes. He later learned that the book was being used for training boys and on the basis of the interest shown in its ideas, he organised an experimental camp for about 20 boys on Brownsea Island in Poole harbour, Dorset, in 1907.

He then wrote a proposal for a national movement for scouts and published Scouting for Boys in 1908. The purpose of the Scouting Association is to train boys to use their initiative, to teach them practical skills and to help them become useful members of society. Open to all, both able-bodied and handicapped, it is a voluntary non-political organisation based on moral principles such as loyalty, especially to one's country and religion, active participation in society and responsibility for self-development.

Scout groups, of which there are nearly 12,000 in the United Kingdom, consist of Cubs (8-11 years), Scouts (11-16 years) and Venture Scouts (open to young men and women of 16-20 years). Activities include sport, bands, camping, community service and fund-raising. Progress is marked by awards, the highest being the Queen's Scout Award.

One of the lads in the 2nd Bourne Scout Group posing for the camera in his back garden in 1965. At that time, there were 14 boys in the group, aged from 11 to 16, learning a variety of skills with the accent on loyalty, responsibility and self-development, while at the same time helping the community through various events and participating in fund raising for good causes.

Bourne boy scout in 1965

By 2005, the world movement comprised more than 28 million scouts in some 216 countries and a World Jamboree is held every four years. It is also estimated that some 300 million people have belonged to the scouts for a time during their lives.

Bourne has always had an active scouting association and interest reached its peak during the middle years of the 20th century. In 1965, the 2nd Bourne Scout Group attracted many youngsters with 28 cubs led by Mrs M Bloodworth, Mr Rushworth and Miss J Ayliffe, and two patrols of seven boys each led by Mr J Collins and Mr F J Hunt. Meetings were held at the Old Grammar School in the churchyard with outdoor meetings during the summer months when a camp was held in Devon during the first week in August while fund raising events during the year included jumble sales, cake stalls and Bob-a-Job week, now known as Scout Job Week.

In 1977, the venue for meetings moved to the Shippon Barn in the Wellhead Gardens which continues as the headquarters for both scouts and guides to this day.

The Stamford & Bourne District Scouts now covers a wide area of South Lincolnshire with Beaver Colonies, Cub Scout Packs, Scout Troop and Explorer Scout Units throughout the district including Market Deeping, Deeping St. James, Bourne, Stamford, Ketton, Corby Glen, Thurlby, Wittering, Billingborough, Horbling, Morton, Ryhall, Essendine and Belmesthorpe.

Scout group badge

The girl guides

Girl Guides were the female members of the scouting for boys organisation founded in Britain in 1910 by Robert Baden-Powell and his sister Agnes and continues to this day. There are three branches: Rainbow (age 5-7 years), Brownie Guides (age 7-10) and guides (age 10-15). The World Association of Girl Guides, and Girl Scouts as they are known in the United States, has more than 6.5 million members.

The guides circa 1919

A company existed in Bourne from the earliest days although there are few surviving records except from the photograph above taken in 1919 and occasional news reports of their activities. The Stamford Mercury, for instance, carried an account on Friday 17th December 1920 of a presentation to a former officer:

On Saturday afternoon, the Bourne company of Girl Guides had a social evening in the Congregational schoolroom. The company included a few visitors. During the evening, Miss Beale, the captain of the company, made a presentation to Mrs Paton, who has just resigned the office of captain, of a china vase subscribed by the officers and members. Mrs Paton suitably acknowledged the gift. Various parlour games and competitions were provided and a hearty vote of thanks was accorded to Mrs MacLeod (Commissioner for Bourne and district), who has been one of the principal prize donors. In acknowledging, Mrs MacLeod said that her desire was to make the movement a success in the district. She referred to the excellent service that Mrs Paton had rendered, and also to the appointment of Miss M Lloyd as the new honorary secretary, at the same time proposing a vote of thanks to Miss Kingston, her predecessor. Supper was subsequently provided and a most enjoyable time was spent. The arrangements were almost entirely carried out under the supervision of Miss Beale, who had worked most energetically.

The girl guides in 1921
Bourne Girl Guides with their officers, photographed by Ashby Swift
in the grounds of the vicarage in 1921.

During the Second World War of 1939-45, the Girl Guides took on a new role by helping with the war effort in various forms and operating from the Old Grammar School in the churchyard. The number of children living in the locality had been dramatically increased as a result of the influx of evacuees who were sent here to escape the bombing in their home towns. The majority came from Hull and were billeted with families living in Bourne and in villages such as Thurlby and Market Deeping.

The 2nd Bourne Guide Company was founded in December 1941 with the school as its headquarters and so enabled girls aged from 11 to 14 assist during the emergency by running errands, carrying messages, helping in hospitals and with child care, and even digging allotments which were growing food for the home front under the government's Dig For Victory campaign.

They also raised money towards the war effort and between 1940 and 1945, girl guides in Britain and the Empire had contributed more than £¼ million to buy vital equipment for the armed services such as mobile canteens and ambulances, an astounding amount by today's values when the figure would be around £20 million.

In 1957, one of their members, Margaret Osborne, attended the 1957 World Camp and met the Queen and the Chief Guide. She also represented South Lincolnshire at Princess Margaret's wedding in 1960 and in 1985, a card designed by guide Sharon Stringer was sent to the Princess to mark the 75th anniversary of guiding and she replied with a letter of thanks.

Photo courtesy Michael McGregor

The pavilion in the Little Peper meadow provided by Trevor and Sheila Brodrick as a regular meeting place for the guides until the Shippon Barn was made available in 1977. Mrs Brodrick (later Countess Midleton) was a vicepresident of the Lincolnshire South Girl Guides.

In 1965, the company consisted of one captain, two lieutenants and 17 guides, meeting at their own headquarters at Little Peper Harow, a pavilion in a meadow behind Frogmore Cottage at No 105 North Road, by permission of the owners, Mr and Mrs Trevor Brodrick (later Viscount and Countess Midleton). Activities during that year included a Thinking Day in February, a Shilling-for-Willing event that raised almost £16, a ten-day summer camp, attendance at the Remembrance Day service in Bourne in November and some of the guides also took part in a march past and rally at Market Rasen in Lincolnshire which was attended by Lady Baden-Powell.

The 2nd Bourne Brownie Pack was formed on 11th May 1948 and by 1965 there were 24 members and a waiting list to join. Meetings were held every evening at 101 North Road under the direction of Mrs J Gilbert (Brown Owl) and Mrs J Orbell (Tawny Owl) while three members of the guides helped the younger girls studying for their efficiency tests. Brownies also attended the Market Rasen rally when Mrs Gilbert was presented with a long service award.

Former members of the 2nd Bourne Guides held a reunion to mark the 60th anniversary of their formation at the Red Hall on Tuesday 4th December 2001.

PHOTO ALBUM

Guides and brownies from Bourne attended a rally at Market Rasen in Lincolnshire in 1965 attended by Lady Baden-Powell, whose husband had founded the movement in 1910. In September that year, the guides also adopted a new and more casual looking uniform, designed to provide a little glamour for the girls.

Photographed in 1965

Photograph courtesy The Local newspaper

Scout troops from the district paraded through Bourne on Sunday 22nd April 2012 for the first time since 1990 to mark St George’s Day which was observed the following day. Brownies, cubs and beavers marched through the streets from the bus station in North Street, past the Town Hall and into South Street before finishing at the Abbey Church. The Mayor, Councillor Brenda Johnson, said afterwards: “It was an important occasion for the town because Bourne has not had a St George’s Day parade for 22 years. The service afterwards was quite beautiful and the church was packed.” It is now hoped that the parade will again become an annual event.

The Shippon Barn

THE SCOUT AND GUIDE HEADQUARTERS

The Shippon Barn was officially opened as the Guide and Scout headquarters for Bourne on Sunday 19th June 1977 by Dr Michael McGregor, chairman of Bourne United Charities.
There was virtually no money available when the project started two years before but a specially convened Guide and Scout Premises Association undertook to raise the necessary funds supported by the town council and United Charities who own the barn and who made the building available on lease at a nominal rent for 21 years. This association has a permanent existence, the property being vested in three trustees, one each from the charities, the guides and the scouts, and the period of the lease was renewed in 1998.
The cost of converting the building for community use with accommodation for 300 people was almost £11,000 and annual running costs were estimated at £575 which, except for heating and lighting that would be paid by the various troops using the premises, would be met by fund-raising.
The conversion eventually provided two general purpose activity areas, an office for the group leaders, a kitchen, toilets, stores and space for handicrafts. The guide and scout movements in the town had a total membership of 170 at that time.
The Mayor and Mayoress of Bourne, Councillor and Mrs Ron Alexander, attended the civic opening and by now, the necessary finances were in place through council grants and contributions. Dr McGregor told the gathering: "I do not think there is a voluntary organisation in the town that has not contributed and we are extremely grateful to them all and to the local authority for its grant aid."

Photo courtesy Michael McGregor

The official opening of the Shippon Barn as the new scout and guide headquarters took place on 19th June 1977. Those pictured above are Mr Roger Penny, secretary of the Bourne Guide and Scout Premises Association, guide Laura Caves, Brownie June Goodale, scout John McGregor, cub Kevin Warn and Dr Michael McGregor, chairman of Bourne United Charities.

REVISED NOVEMBER 2005