Like alec ludlow and medwayboy I was in the 17th Medway (West) cubs and scouts. I remember medwayboy as a patrol leader when I “went up” from cubs to scouts, and during my first scout camp that was held at Kingsdown (Deal) in the summer of 1959. During my time with the troop, we camped at Hole Park (Rolvenden); Knowle Park (Sevenoaks) and again at Kingsdown. I only remember camping at Buckmore Park once, during my time with the cubs, and that was a joint camp with the 32nd Medway (West) and in hut accommodation rather than under canvas.
I believe I’m correct in saying that the Group Scout Leader was Ernest Ravenscroft (Ernie) with his wife (Vi) as “Akela” and at one point a daughter assisted her at cub-pack meetings. I thought that the Ravenscrofts lived in Lester Road - I can remember going to a house in that road which I’m sure was their home, and my 1963 Kelly’s directory shows what seems to be the “right” Ravenscroft family at the address that I recall.
However, the directory shows several Ravenscroft families as living in that general area, including two in Mills Terrace right where Peterchall’s wife remembers them so I wonder whether the family she remembers is possibly not the same as the family involved with the cubs and scouts. Related possibly?
The photograph of “Akela” and two helpers running a stall at a cub event was taken around 1957/8. I remember going to two events, one of which was held in the grounds of the old rectory on New Road (which I think was where this photograph was taken) and another in Frindsbury that I think was held in the church grounds but I could easily be wrong on that.
District Commissioner Whitehead’s fore-name was, I think, Cecil (rather than Cyril). My memory of him was that he “failed” my “First Class Hike” – one of the tests towards a scout’s “First Class Badge”. This particular test involved a hike covering around 15 miles over two days and included an overnight stay under canvas with the participants (the candidate usually travelled with another scout who was not taking the test) having to be self-sufficient, carrying tent, food, water, cooking equipment etc. The route of the hike was dictated by the examiners, and navigation was via mandatory way-points that were either places or map-references, so map reading was a key skill that was tested. The route was usually not particularly local to “home” – mine was around Cuxton, Halling, and Trottiscliffe whilst the previous week I had accompanied the scout who accompanied me on his own hike that was in the Shalmsford Street – Chartham area near Canterbury. Some tasks were set that had to be performed. At the end of the event, the candidate had to write a log of the event which was sent to the District Commissioner for evaluation.
DC Whitehead failed mine – there was nothing wrong with the narrative of the report – simply that there were insufficient sketches of “items of interest”. The lack of sketches was hardly surprising as I couldn’t draw to save my life then and still can’t! I wasn’t going to walk the route again just to make some very bad drawings to make the man happy, so I ended my days as a scout (school exam time was looming!) as a second-class citizen, never achieving the First Class Badge.
Although I never fully forgave him, he wasn’t wholly responsible for my not achieving that coveted award before leaving scouts – being able to swim was another test and I still can’t do that either!