Scouting in Newton

More: Mumbles Scouts and Cubs >

The Cub section of this Group was started by Miss Monica Hinds and myself on 29 April 1942 at the request of the late Canon W.J. Hickin, Vicar of St Peters. At that time, Newton boys were unable to go and join Packs in the Mumbles because of wartime conditions.

Miss Hinds was Akela leader for Mumbles. We did not have the use of the Church Hall as, like the Church Men's Club, it was full of troops, so we used the House belonging to the school, at the top of Nottage Road, as did all other Church organizations. We could not use the school rooms as they belonged to the education authority, but we did have the use of the playground.

The boys were called Wolf Cubs, which was much more exciting for the boy and easier to relate to Grand Howl, Jungle Book, and Totem Pole. The Totem Pole was also used much more in ceremonies, decked with its ribbons on which were written all the names and achievements of Wolf Cubs past and present, thus constituting a reminder of those who were to keep the Pack going over the years.

The programme was not so educational, but much more out-doors. The Wolf Cub was expected to have attained his 1st and 2nd Stars by the age of 10 and there were also practical badges, cloth embroidered, which cost three old pence. The Leaping Wolf Badge which the boys won after attaining their Stars and Badges, and also took up in to Scouts with them, was one of the loveliest badges ever produced by the Scout Movement, and was very coveted not only by the Cubs but also by collectors.

We got very cramped in the small rooms of the School House in the Winter months, so these we confined to badge work. During the Summer months, our out-door activities took us to Caswell Valley and the beaches and our favorite hike to Brandy Cove, when all Cubs wore proper dress, shoes, and haversacks. We were very lucky in that the Troops got good haversacks for us, and were also very kind and helpful, especially at Christmas parties, providing goodies the boys had never seen.

We started the Pack with five sixes, our Cubs coming from Nottage Road, Newton Road, St Peters Road, Caswell Road, Marytwill Lane, Brynfield Road, Lady Housty and Slade Road, the other areas not yet having been developed. We could choose our own uniform provided the regulation scarf, Cap, Garter tabs and badges were worn. We had the choice of black, brown, green, or grey and we chose grey. The Cub Leaders wore the same and it was ideal for us to wear grey skirts and jumpers, and to match, we chose the green and gold scarves. We looked very smart, especially on parades, and we used to have more parades in those days! Scouter wore the old bell tent hat, Monica Hind had hers cut down on the brim, and looked a cross between a Mountie and a gold prospector. With my figure I looked like a travelling bell tent! I eventually gave my hat away to some stage-struck member of the Church who wanted to play 'Rose Marie’. I am sorry now as they are expensive to buy, and looking back really represented Scouting. At Jamborees, it is a lovely sight to see the Canadian and Australian scouts still wearing them.

All the Church organizations at that timet helped us to start, the flag costing £2.17.0d was kindly donated by a Mr Dowling, as was the Totem Pole. He was a retired Scout Commissioner from Mountain Ash, who lived at the house known as Ledbury Lodge at the bottom of Nottage Road. The flag was dedicated on 27 May 1942 in the Service in the Church at which parents etc were present. A Mr. Taylor gave 5/-, Miss Jones 4/6, the Ladies’ Guild, £3..2..0d and the Mothers’ Union, 17/-. Our first balance sheet was £5..15..6d and we thought ourselves very well off. We went mad and paid 2/6d for a Scout Book.

At that time, we belonged to the Mumbles Boy Scout Association, and the late Canon W J Hickin was Vice Chairman. All areas had their own Association i.e. Swansea, Neath and so on. Each committee was self contained and was directly responsible to Imperial Headquarters. Mumbles was very strong in Scouting, every denomination having their own Group, some held in their own halls, others in the Mumbles Headquarters in the Grove, off Queens Road, now the H.Q of the 1st Humbles. We rarely used their numbers, and referred to them as Baptists, All Saints, Methodists and so on. 1st Mumbles was the only open Group. The H.Q in the Grove was used very night of the week for Scouting. It had been given by the late Mr. E. Pressdee, father of Mr. Ted Pressdee, the latter becoming Commissioner for Mumbles. There was a very fine Rover Crew and a Sea Scout Troop run by the Rev. Alun Evans. Mr Harold Smith, a County Commissioner was a member of this Troop. Mr. John Aeron-Thomas was Commissioner for Mumbles, and later became County Commissioner, and did sterling work for the Movement. We also had our own Badge Secretary, so did not have to go into Town to the Scout Shop, which was then under the Swansea Headquarters, situated at the top of Mansel Street and Page Street. Bryn Road was their Training Ground, and Scouter trained for what was then The West Glamorgan Training Certificate. We went to Gilwell for the Wood Badge, and had to carry everything on our backs from Chingford Station as well as dig toilets, wood fires and scrub dishes until they shone after every meal. There was no discrimination between sexes in the Scout Movement.

Mr W. G. Williams of Melcorn Drive Newton, was together with many others, Chairman for years of the Mumbles Boy Scout Association and became the first President of the new Gower District, in the first re-shuffle. Mumbles became a Division of Swansea, and then in the Gower District of the newly formed West Glamorgan County. Mr. Williams held the Medal of Merit, as did Mr. Erank Jones (Churchwarden) who had gone through the Movement from Cub to Rover, and was Secretary of the Old Association, right up to the time of coming into Gower District, and was a pillar of the Movement.

Other committee members were the Mr. W Sutton, Mr. Hind, Mr. Clewet, Mr. Donald Day, Mr. Norman Clarke, Mr. Ken Radcliffe, Mr. Ted Pressdee, Mrs Marjorie Heron, Mr. Vincent Thomas, Mrs. W Sutton and many more including Scouters, the calibre of the late Mr. and Mrs. Bert Moore, Mr Ron Davies and Mr. Len Evans.

As you can imagine, it was heaven to have the Church Hall back after the war and the use of the field at the back, Many frazzled beans, and blackened sausages have been consumed out there (They took the cows out on Pack nights!) and so you can imagine our thoughts when the field was taken for the new Vicarage. It amazes me it is still standing as our wrath at that time should have shaken its foundations!

In 1943 Miss Hinds left to join the Lady Louis Mouatbatten's St Jones Brigade in Burma, so we carried on. My first assistant was Mrs. Jean Llynfi Davies (nee Griffin), then Mrs Esme Lithgoe (nee Owen) and Mrs. Bonnie Hughes (nee Melville), the latter two running the Pack for about 2 years while I had my third Cub. Then came Mrs. Bunty Guest, a power of strength for many years, Mrs. Clare Richardson (nee Baines), Mrs. Ann Lamprey (nee Cundy), Miss Judith Canning and then Mrs. Ann Matthews, who after helping for years took over the Pack, which was later run by Mrs. Barbara Cule—Davies. Another Pack had started by now, run by Mrs. Margaret Jones and Mrs. Barbara Blewitt Jenkins and later by Mrs. J. Bowbancks and Mrs. G Quick.

We could proudly boast at one time that all Members of the Church Choir were Cubs, and that all the Servers were, or had been members of the Group.

Scouts were started about 1945, by Mr. Norman Long and Mr. Marcus Holt. The Scout side suffered everywhere when the war ended as the last thing men, who had served in the forces wanted was to be bothered with Scouts, and National Service made things even more difficult because as soon as a young man got interested, he was away at 18. Groups helped one another out, but it was not easy. The 5ths were shelved for a time, and then re-started by Mr. G Golden and assisted by Mr. Robert Wilks, then Mr. Doug Solly with Mr. W Canning. Mr. Tim Thomas really got them going. The A.C,C. Scouts Mr. Jeff Evans came regularly each week from Waunarlwydd to maintain them, and then came Mr. Gibson, Mr. Wright and Mr Bowbank plus Assistants.

By about 1967/8, we were beginning to get the children of the original Cubs and the realisation came that we were rapidly growing and would have to find our own Headquarters. We would have liked to have added an extension to the Church Hall for Scouts, Guides and Youth activities, but this was not acceptable. A Fund- raising committee, separate from the Group Committee, was started under the Chairmanship of Mr. Courtney Price— Mr. Viv Ganz, Mr. Don Poole, Mrs. Nicky Sandry and Mrs. Barbara Cule Davies. Later, others were added to this Committee, and all Scouters, Committee members, parents, friends and supporters, and the Church helped in the money-raising appeals for the new Headquarters at Picket Mead, now used by both the Scout and Guide Movements.

From 1942 we had always had this wonderful Parental help, also many Friends and supporters. I am very proud to belong to the Scout Movement and grateful for all it has given me over the years.