Scouting

As the weather did so little, after all, to damp our ardour, as we had the usual recreational facilities, and as the feeding and administration were very efficiently carried out by the Durham Light Infantry, we did have a successful camp R.S.M. Power has, as usual, hung up a suitable memento of it in the C.C.F. hut.

R.A.F. SECTION

The term's classroom training, supplemented by a day's visit to Linton-on-Ouse, brought no great success in the Proficiency Examination; but among the six successful candidates, Partridge did well to gain a Credit. Corporal Plester is to be congratulated on gaining an Advanced Certificate.

The visiting Officers at the General Inspection in June were very pleased with the appearance and work of the Section.

During the summer holidays Crowe and Partridge gained their Gliding 'Certificates at Rufforth, and Bytheway, handicapped by the summer weather, became the seventh cadet to win his pilot's A licence since the Section was started. He completed his training at Sherburn-in-Elmet.

SUMMER CAMP

One noticeable feature of this year's camp at Shawbury in Shropshire was the considerable reduction in the flying programme. The reason for this is quite clearly given by the Royal Air Force. It is not felt that a sufficient quota of Royal Air Force officers is recruited from Public Schools to justify camps as expensive as most of those in the past. It is pleasing to know that this School has provided what can be regarded as its reasonable quota since the R.A.F. Section started, and we wish success to N. D. Taylor and I. C. Bytheway, who are about to seek entry to Cranwell.

The camp provided a useful all-round training, including a strenuous map and compass exercise in the south Shropshire hills.

We can say that the camp fulfilled its important functions of making the Section more conscious of itself as a unit, and of giving N.C.O.s additional opportunities of responsibility and leadership.

THE GROUP

Early in the Summer Term came the gratifying news that the Chief Scout had awarded the Long Service Decoration to Mr. R. Bennett. Our congratulations to him on this account were soon to be renewed on his appointment to a Headship. We shall be extremely sorry to lose him after so many valuable years' service in charge of the Senior School Troop and are most grateful for all that he has done for Scouting in the School. The annual hikes in the Lake District, which he initiated in this section of the Group, will long be remembered with pleasure by all those who took part in them. 56

We also say goodbye to D. M. Walker this term who began his Scouting in the Pack and passed through all sections of the Group and ultimately became a Queen's Scout. For the past year he has held the rank of Assistant Scoutmaster in the Senior School Troop. He thus holds the distinction of being the first member of the School Group to hold a warrant while still at school. In thanking him for his help, we offer our best wishes to him for the future.

SENIOR SCOUT TROOP

The principal activity during the Summer Term was pioneering and a number of projects were successfully carried out, despite the fact that every time we appeared with ropes and spars the heavens opened. During the term we were delighted to hear that the School Group is going to have a new Scout Room and the Senior Troop spent the two Field Days excavating foundations. This job was tackled most enthusiastically and we confounded the experts by removing more soil than was believed possible in the time available.

Two Scouts, J. M. Smith and A. D. Best, came up to the Senior Troop this term, while J. A. Bygate and R. A. Elliott gained the First Class badge, bringing the number of full Senior Scouts to 18, eight of whom are Queen's Scouts. Seven of these attended the Chief Scout's reception at Gilwell Park in May, at which they were presented with their Royal Certificate and an account of their weekend appears below.

At the end of term we were sorry to bid farewell to Acting A.S.M. (S.) Lamb, the last member of the original Scott Patrol, P.L.s (S.) Magson and Turner, and Senior Scouts Burn and Carolin. We wish them well and hope that some or all may find it possible to continue to support Scouting in some way. We were also sorry to say goodbye to Mr. Bennett, who has been S.M. of the Scout Troop for seven years. His going means that the Scout Troop will be without a full S.M. for some time, but as the tradition of having older Senior Scouts assisting in the running of this section has become strongly established, we have no doubt that several of our Queen's Scouts will keep the Troop running successfully until a successor for Mr. Bennett is found. Next term D. Pfluger, D. R. Holt, and D. J. Oldman will be directly responsible for the Scout Troop.

VISIT OF QUEEN'S SCOUTS TO GILWELL PARK, MAY, 1956

On Saturday, 12th May, seven Queen's Scouts from the Senior Scout Troop arrived at Gilwell Park, Essex, for the Chief Scout's annual presentation of royal certificates. We pitched camp in the Yorkshire area, there being eleven regional divisions in all.

Soon after this we were summoned to our Troop Leader—Cedric Harris—by means of a bell, the sound of which was soon to become extremely familiar. There were 102 of us in all from Yorkshire, and we marched together to the large parade ground for the presentation. 57

Our certificates were presented to us by Air Vice-Marshal J. G. Weston, who is the Chief Commissioner for Air Scouts. After the presentation the Chief Scout gave us a short address, during which he apologised for having to leave us that evening.

Cedric then conducted us round the Park, ending up at the Pig Sty, which is the old barn, where a party of Rovers spent a stormy night when Gilwell Park was first discovered. Here we joined the Chief to have a group photograph taken. To our great relief, we were then given our tea, provided by a local Girl Guide company. Having spent rather a long time here, we were ushered into the Camp Fire Circle, where we listened to a talk given by Mr. Harold Abrahams, Olympic gold-medallist, and himself an ex-scout. After this we dispersed to cook our supper, returning for the camp-fire at 9-0 p.m., singing several verses of "Ilkley Moor". Leaving this, we continued in a musical mood round our own fires singing more popular variations of familiar themes.

Sunday morning promised a good day, but two or three of our party thought they should consider this possibility from their beds, although we were all up in time to attend the "Scout's Own" at 10 a.m. There followed a short talk by Mr. Laurence Stringer, Headquarters Commissioner for Senior Scouts, and then the inter-troop sports. Though we enjoyed this last activity to the full, we have to admit that we were runners-up to Lancashire after a hard-fought battle. We then prepared a meal, the hot sun making work even more repulsive than usual.

In the afternoon, three demonstrations were given, namely Bicycle Polo, a first aid display by the casualties union, and Judo. We had packed our kit and decided to leave during the second of these, but unfortunately this decision was not unanimous and one of our number had to be brought out of the casualties union display vividly describing how he had seen blood spouting from gory wounds and bodies covered in burns. We helped him out of the camp-site.

A word must be said about our camp-site. The amenities included a Providore selling everything ever thought of, a large storm hut, a swimming bath, a score of wash-basins, and the highlight of camp luxury, indoor toilets. Needless to say the weekend was thoroughly enjoyed—an experience long to be remembered by all. C. J.Q. and D.R.H.

SENIOR SCHOOL SCOUT CAMP

The Troop intended to camp on the Northumberland coast. Unfortunately our S.M., Mr. Bennett, was unable to come, and we offer our hearty thanks to Mr. Chilman for taking his place. The site had to be changed to the N. Riding permanent site at Kirkdale, near Kirkby 'Moorside.

The weather was very unkind to us; indeed there was only one day when we had no rain at all. This was on the Monday, and it

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