From Iain D Robertson Very nice to speak to you and to get your email and links to the web site which is very interesting. You have done an amazing job establishing so many contacts but I'm afraid I have not been in touch with anyone so cannot add anything to your current searches. My last recollection was a reunion organised by Roger Bagguley in Wythenshaw, Manchester possibly about a year after the jamboree. At that reunion I got autographs and details as follows from attendees whom I think were all Troop C members Roger B Bagguley : Mike Clark :Richard A Wright :John Lambert Alan R Hall :Philip A Wright :Thomas E Parkinson :Geoffrey Ellis and of course myself:Iain D Robertson .
I started cubs at seven and a half and went right through cubs and scouts to Troup Leader, collecting the Queens Scout and Duke of Edinburgh Gold award, and then on to Assistant Scoutmaster then Scoutmaster with 183rd Glasgow. Exhausted with carrying the troup as sole leader for two and a half years I took a sabatical and got involved in other interests and didn't return to scouting until twelve years ago by which time I had moved from Bearsden to Kirkcaldy. I have been Treasurer of the local Group here [ 35th Fife (Dysart) ], introduced during my son's cub/scouting involvement and since, for the last twelve years. Hope this gives a little useful information as an initial response and hope to see what else I might dig up. In the meantime I see the 2012 reunion is on 13 October which happens to be the day I fly out to USA on vacation so please take my apologies for not being able to attend. Thanks again for your perseverance. Best Wishes
Michael Webb from Dublin - The only Scout from Republic of Ireland , Roger Thank you for your e-mails and link to jamboree site which i have now perused. It brought back many happy memories and reminded me of many things I had forgotten. Yes I am the scout in green at the Red Fort. I also stayed wiith the Dunnetts and celebrated my 17th birthday there. Mrs D prepared an enormous birthday cake with the Jamboree logo on it. I have a photo I will retrieve. I have a set of slides which i have always meant to scan and put on my computer. Will do so now and let you have copies. I wrote two articles which were published in the Irish Times on my return. I have hard copies but you may be able to retrieve from the Irish Time archive. I met the 3 Northern Ireland scouts before the Jamboree in Bangor, Co.Down but at the Jamboree was seperated from them as Laurence Stringer thought we might fight!!! I was in a patrol with some great Scottish scouts and Des Johnston from Singapore. I remember visiting Durham - was it for a troop reunion after the Jamboree? The kilt was swopped for a monkey after the Jamboree but I was not allowed to bring it home! As the soleIrish scout I carried the Irish flag at the opening ceremony and spoke instead of an Irish display. Laurence Stringer was very kind and helpful to me and helped me keep the Irish flag flying. I have been lucky enough to attend 4 World Jamborees 1957 Sutton Coldfield:1959 Manila:1975 Norjamb:1983 Canada as Irish contingent leader. I was also Camp Chief for two irish National jamborees in Woodstock in 1978 and Portumna in 1985. Portumna was a joint camp between the then 3 scout associations in Ireland north and south. It was one of the stepping stones in the two southern ones joining in one. I was awarded the Silver Elk (Irish) and Silver Wolf (British) for this work. After Manila I went on to become a Cub Scout Leader, a Scout Leader, National Commissioner for Scouts and Chief Commissioner. I later acted as National Commissioner for Venture Scouts. My wife was a Cub Scout Leader and District Cub Commissioner. I have two grandsons in the scouts - they are enjoying it greatly. I have a large scrap book from manila, the Jamboree song record, the BOAC log books and the aforementioned slides. Good to hear from you. Keep up the good work,Keep in touch,Good scouting,Michael
Thank you Michael it is always good to hear from our members.
Geoff Ellis - (Sadly Geoff died on 6th January 2010) but wrote this article before the reunion in July 2009. In 1961 I became Assistant Scout Master, followed by a stint as Assistant Senior Scoutmaster which ran concurrently with my time in the Rover Crew. I joined our local ironsides Rover Crew and took part in a full programme of activities up to the demise of the Rovers in the 1968 report. Our local commissioner wanted us to become a district service team which we didn’t want to do, so we formed a section of the B.P. Guild which eventually became the Fellowship. During this time our Scout Group was going through hard times and four of our members were approached by our old Group Scoutmaster who asked us to go back as Scout leaders. I was initially appointed assistant scout leader but within weeks became Scout leader in 1969. Following in 1972 I became Group Scout Leader, a post I held for 25 years. During 1998 I took a backward step to ease pressure (that is when I had to retire from work due to ill health). I continued as assistant Group Scout Leader within the group until 2006 when I retired as a warranted leader but still kept my membership. I am presently a member of both the District and County Exec Committees and also on the District Appointments Board. Over the years I have been fortunate in being awarded the Medal of Merit, and with bar, The Silver Acorn, followed with bar, and in 2006 I was awarded the Silver Wolf. Over the last 9 years I have been raising funds for a new HQ building and eventually being project manager for the building which cost over £500,000.
Roger Bagguley Our leader was a chap called Mr Bosson from Stoke on Trent. He knew my father from their days scouting in the Potteries and I remember, he loaned me a very posh Edixa Reflex camera for the duration. (My photos do not do this gesture any justice at all but I will climb into the loft to see what I still have up there. My son was scouting locally and lots of my memorabilia went over to the local troop over time. On my return from Manila I was kept busy right up to going to college sharing my slides and memories with other scouts and various audiences across Manchester. I was the sole representative from Manchester so there were many claims on my time. I did not carry on scouting once I went to college though did run a troop for a while that was in danger of closing for lack of leaders. However, I do know how much I owe to the movement. Despite the fact I was a patrol leader, troop leader and gained the Queen's Badge, I lacked confidence in public. For the jamboree I was made troop leader of the 15 who travelled separately and carried the flag at the opening ceremony. How proud I was that day! The presentations that followed over that year certainly gave me the confidence to be successful in teaching and finally inspecting schools. Along the way I have worked with young people in all sorts of ventures. OK, I trained as a teacher, counsellor and youth leader but I know clearly where it all came from. I am really touched that you have chosen to meet so close to Sutton Park and are trying to visit the memorial stone. I represented Manchester in 1957 at the Jubilee Jamboree. How lucky could a young person get? I don't remember any names but may well turn up a photograph or two that brings me together with the friends I made all those years ago.
Philip Wright- Prior to Jamboree joined as cub and went through all the ranks to Senior Scout Troop Leader After ran cub pack, and air scout troop before becoming Warden of the County Camp Site I am at present Health and Safety Advisor for the County of West Yorkshire
David Gilbert (Now lives in Canada) David had told me how although he came from Bristol "West of England" he was included in Troop C as a 'Scout from the South' He also remembers staying with Robin Strang and they both stayed with the Sladden Family in Forbes Park, a part of Manila for a few days before the Jamboree started.
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