Cubs in Box David Ibberson, Phil Martin and Hugh Sawyer September 2015
The earliest known photograph of the Box Cub pack (courtesy Phil Martin). Seen left to right:
Back Row: Phil Martin, Bob Hancock, Joy May (front), Len Weeks (behind her), Paul Phillips (shadowed), Alec Cogswell
Middle Row: Richard Pinker, Rodney Brickell, Mick Betteridge, unknown, unknown
Front Row includes Richard Ball, Gareth Lloyd, Stuart Gould, Tony Gover and Mick Warren.
Back Row: Phil Martin, Bob Hancock, Joy May (front), Len Weeks (behind her), Paul Phillips (shadowed), Alec Cogswell
Middle Row: Richard Pinker, Rodney Brickell, Mick Betteridge, unknown, unknown
Front Row includes Richard Ball, Gareth Lloyd, Stuart Gould, Tony Gover and Mick Warren.
The cub pack was, of course, an addition to the Scout Troop which started in Box in February 1910.[1]
Phil Martin: The 1940s & 1950s
The cubs troop was formed in 1947. Joy May was Akela and Len Weekes from Mill Lane was an assistant. Later Alec Cogswell took over the running of the troop. Seen above are:
Joy May, Akela; Len Weeks behind her, partly hidden; Phil Martin top left; Bob Hancock 2nd left; Alec Cogswell 2nd right. Please let us know if you can you identify any of the other young men in this early photo.
The cubs troop was formed in 1947. Joy May was Akela and Len Weekes from Mill Lane was an assistant. Later Alec Cogswell took over the running of the troop. Seen above are:
Joy May, Akela; Len Weeks behind her, partly hidden; Phil Martin top left; Bob Hancock 2nd left; Alec Cogswell 2nd right. Please let us know if you can you identify any of the other young men in this early photo.
Richard Pinker Added
At the back are Phil Martin, Bob Hancock, Len Weeks and Alec Cogswell. Next row Richard (Dickie) Pinker, Rodney Brickell, Mike Betteridge, ?, Paul Phillips (in shadow). Can anyone fill in the missing gaps please?
At the back are Phil Martin, Bob Hancock, Len Weeks and Alec Cogswell. Next row Richard (Dickie) Pinker, Rodney Brickell, Mike Betteridge, ?, Paul Phillips (in shadow). Can anyone fill in the missing gaps please?
Cubs in 1950s (photo courtesy Hugh Sawyer).
Hugh Sawyer: 1950s & 1960s
You mention local clubs and organisations, and my first thought was Cubs and Scouts, which used to be held opposite the top of Burton Lane. I’m sure there are lots of memories of that from people, but I thought I would attach a photo for starters. The only name I could come up with is my cousin, Robin Sawyer, sat on the right at the bottom. I will ask around and see if I can get any other information. My cousin was born in 1944, so it must be early 50’s.
Can any of our readers help with names for the photo above?
You mention local clubs and organisations, and my first thought was Cubs and Scouts, which used to be held opposite the top of Burton Lane. I’m sure there are lots of memories of that from people, but I thought I would attach a photo for starters. The only name I could come up with is my cousin, Robin Sawyer, sat on the right at the bottom. I will ask around and see if I can get any other information. My cousin was born in 1944, so it must be early 50’s.
Can any of our readers help with names for the photo above?
David Ibberson: 1970s
In the mid-1970s I found myself in the role of Cub Scout Leader (Akela to the indoctrinated) of the Box Scout Group. Helping me keep over twenty boys in line was one special lady who stands out (because she is stronger than me), Sandra Callaway. The Scout Hall, next to the Rifle Range had seen better days. No, let us be fair, it was a mess, but then boys are happier in a mess - grime and boys are totally compatible.
The Hall was built in the mid-1950s, replacing a much earlier wooden structure. Just about everything in the building was re-cycled, concrete blocks from demolished military buildings, ancient gas heaters from the Bingham Hall and timbers from the previous building. Twenty or so years later toilets were often flushed with a bucket of water before they finally became unusable. A sink was used that rarely witnessed the use of soap and detergents and there was a floor in the main hall which became a skating rink when the heaters were lit and condensation engulfed the building. The Cubs and Scouts were not the only users: grey squirrels found the roof space attractive as did the occasional passing field mouse. Despite all of this, this was a space were boys could be boys in the spirit of Baden Powell’s philosophies.
Cub nights were structured starting with the Grand Howl, the basis of which was Akela surrounded by a circle of cubs. Akela would shout Cubs do your best to which they responded Akela we will do our best. This ceremony is based on Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle Book where the wise old wolf guided the younger wolf cubs. There followed a mixture of games and learning activities to develop what today we might call life skills. (These worthwhile ideals did not allow for the fact that we were dealing with juvenile cunning and the disruptive nature which somehow is ‘hard wired’ into every boy). By far the favourite activity was fire lighting and cooking outdoors. This reaffirmed my view that in every boy there is a potential arsonist. Observing the process of safely lighting a fire and cooking a sausage, one almost felt sorry for the sausage since its journey often took it from package to floor, from floor to frying pan, from frying pan to floor, from floor to the relative safety of a bread roll. The Cub didn’t worry about the dirt that the sausage collected. The bread roll, sausage, dirt plus bacteria were consumed with relish.
Badge work also featured in Cub activities. It was a sign of prestige if you could display lots of badges down the arm. The Housekeepers Badge was not a favourite for reasons which will become obvious. The general idea was that a boy should be useful round the house. Such tasks as tidying your bedroom, washing up, cleaning shoes etc were considered suitable tasks to earn the Badge. Parents were not keen either since interpretations of usefulness differ between Cubs and their parents. To the average Cub, tidying up meant, make sure everything is out of sight, where you locate it is irrelevant. Parents subsequently found themselves playing hide and seek looking for things lost by their overzealous offspring. Washing up proved expensive on crockery and after cleaning shoes, enormous effort was needed to remove shoe polish deposited everywhere but on shoes. Far more popular was the Athletics or Sportsman’s Badge. Unfortunately to do this required a visit the Rec, avoiding the wrath of groundsman, Bob Hancock, when the Cubs strayed onto the cricket square.
Wide Games in Quarry Woods were hugely popular. Take a rope, tie to a sturdy branch, create in the boys' minds the picture of a shark-infested river to cross and they are happy until they happen to collide with another tree which obstructs their journey through the air (risk analysis had not been invented). Whose fault was it? Why, the tree of course. Venturing into the woods always carried the risk that a Cub might just be lost, this never happened although on one occasion we lost the lot, but that is another story.
Surprisingly, Cubs could be quiet and attentive, particularly when you were telling a story. Such stories must have three key ingredients: ghosts, violence and mayhem. The Scout Hall lighting was dimmed, an atmosphere created and stories of lost Roman Legions emerging from Box Tunnel, headless Highwaymen on Kingsdown and, the favourite, the haunted Weavern Farm. Such stories may not have had the wholehearted approval of Baden Powell, or historical authenticity, but they served to keep Cubs quiet for a while, albeit occasionally a parent complained about their son’s inability to sleep.
There was one subject guaranteed to stir a Cub’s emotions: girls, especially Brownies. The Cubs viewed Brownies with total disdain. To be associated with girls reduced your credibility to zero so when a handful of Valentine Cards were pushed under the Scout Hall door by the Brownies, mayhem ensued. No Cub would claim ownership even though it was addressed to them. I therefore felt obliged to display them for all to see. You see nothing much changes, despite X-boxes, i-phones, laptops etc. Boys remain curious, adventurous and competitive and so it will be to eternity.
Evenings ended almost as they had started with Akela surrounded by Cubs and observed by loving mums or dads and a chorus of Goodnight Akela, goodnight all Cub Scouts. So ended another evening in the life of Box Scout Hall and worn out leaders made their way home relieved that the evening had passed without major incident.
In the mid-1970s I found myself in the role of Cub Scout Leader (Akela to the indoctrinated) of the Box Scout Group. Helping me keep over twenty boys in line was one special lady who stands out (because she is stronger than me), Sandra Callaway. The Scout Hall, next to the Rifle Range had seen better days. No, let us be fair, it was a mess, but then boys are happier in a mess - grime and boys are totally compatible.
The Hall was built in the mid-1950s, replacing a much earlier wooden structure. Just about everything in the building was re-cycled, concrete blocks from demolished military buildings, ancient gas heaters from the Bingham Hall and timbers from the previous building. Twenty or so years later toilets were often flushed with a bucket of water before they finally became unusable. A sink was used that rarely witnessed the use of soap and detergents and there was a floor in the main hall which became a skating rink when the heaters were lit and condensation engulfed the building. The Cubs and Scouts were not the only users: grey squirrels found the roof space attractive as did the occasional passing field mouse. Despite all of this, this was a space were boys could be boys in the spirit of Baden Powell’s philosophies.
Cub nights were structured starting with the Grand Howl, the basis of which was Akela surrounded by a circle of cubs. Akela would shout Cubs do your best to which they responded Akela we will do our best. This ceremony is based on Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle Book where the wise old wolf guided the younger wolf cubs. There followed a mixture of games and learning activities to develop what today we might call life skills. (These worthwhile ideals did not allow for the fact that we were dealing with juvenile cunning and the disruptive nature which somehow is ‘hard wired’ into every boy). By far the favourite activity was fire lighting and cooking outdoors. This reaffirmed my view that in every boy there is a potential arsonist. Observing the process of safely lighting a fire and cooking a sausage, one almost felt sorry for the sausage since its journey often took it from package to floor, from floor to frying pan, from frying pan to floor, from floor to the relative safety of a bread roll. The Cub didn’t worry about the dirt that the sausage collected. The bread roll, sausage, dirt plus bacteria were consumed with relish.
Badge work also featured in Cub activities. It was a sign of prestige if you could display lots of badges down the arm. The Housekeepers Badge was not a favourite for reasons which will become obvious. The general idea was that a boy should be useful round the house. Such tasks as tidying your bedroom, washing up, cleaning shoes etc were considered suitable tasks to earn the Badge. Parents were not keen either since interpretations of usefulness differ between Cubs and their parents. To the average Cub, tidying up meant, make sure everything is out of sight, where you locate it is irrelevant. Parents subsequently found themselves playing hide and seek looking for things lost by their overzealous offspring. Washing up proved expensive on crockery and after cleaning shoes, enormous effort was needed to remove shoe polish deposited everywhere but on shoes. Far more popular was the Athletics or Sportsman’s Badge. Unfortunately to do this required a visit the Rec, avoiding the wrath of groundsman, Bob Hancock, when the Cubs strayed onto the cricket square.
Wide Games in Quarry Woods were hugely popular. Take a rope, tie to a sturdy branch, create in the boys' minds the picture of a shark-infested river to cross and they are happy until they happen to collide with another tree which obstructs their journey through the air (risk analysis had not been invented). Whose fault was it? Why, the tree of course. Venturing into the woods always carried the risk that a Cub might just be lost, this never happened although on one occasion we lost the lot, but that is another story.
Surprisingly, Cubs could be quiet and attentive, particularly when you were telling a story. Such stories must have three key ingredients: ghosts, violence and mayhem. The Scout Hall lighting was dimmed, an atmosphere created and stories of lost Roman Legions emerging from Box Tunnel, headless Highwaymen on Kingsdown and, the favourite, the haunted Weavern Farm. Such stories may not have had the wholehearted approval of Baden Powell, or historical authenticity, but they served to keep Cubs quiet for a while, albeit occasionally a parent complained about their son’s inability to sleep.
There was one subject guaranteed to stir a Cub’s emotions: girls, especially Brownies. The Cubs viewed Brownies with total disdain. To be associated with girls reduced your credibility to zero so when a handful of Valentine Cards were pushed under the Scout Hall door by the Brownies, mayhem ensued. No Cub would claim ownership even though it was addressed to them. I therefore felt obliged to display them for all to see. You see nothing much changes, despite X-boxes, i-phones, laptops etc. Boys remain curious, adventurous and competitive and so it will be to eternity.
Evenings ended almost as they had started with Akela surrounded by Cubs and observed by loving mums or dads and a chorus of Goodnight Akela, goodnight all Cub Scouts. So ended another evening in the life of Box Scout Hall and worn out leaders made their way home relieved that the evening had passed without major incident.
Further Information
The whole of David Ibberson's book Lambert's Way is available to read on-line thanks to the 1st Neston and Box Scouts Group. Their fabulous website is http://nestonandboxscouts.org.uk/. You can down-load Lambert's Way article below:
The whole of David Ibberson's book Lambert's Way is available to read on-line thanks to the 1st Neston and Box Scouts Group. Their fabulous website is http://nestonandboxscouts.org.uk/. You can down-load Lambert's Way article below:
| lamberts-way.pdf |
References
[1] David Ibberson, The Box Collection Vol 2, 1989, p.34
[1] David Ibberson, The Box Collection Vol 2, 1989, p.34