Leaders' Manual 

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Peggie Aprahamian’s name is peppered over late 1970s songs, plays and educational materials of all kind in our Woodcraft Folk Archives, UCL Special Collections. It is not surprising to see Peggy’s name pencilled in at the top of a final draft of a re-edited version of the ‘Leaders Manual Part 1’ - an inch thick typed A4 document to guide new leaders.  

Not long before it's publication Peggie had set out modernising principles to Woodcraft Folk members: 'Whilst not wishing to change in any fundamental way the character of the Folk, we are nevertheless convinced that some aspects of our traditions are out of date and lacking in appeal to the children of today. We need new songs of our own making and our Creeds need redrafting in language more understandable to the children of this decade…'.  Peggy Aprahamian argued that the Folk needed to go on record as becoming a mass movement:  We did not mean by a mass movement one that would lose its Folk character and identity. We meant one which was prepared to adapt itself to the times. We should be appealing to all children of the working class'. 

The ‘Leaders Manual ‘ sets out that vision, changes emphasis from learning ‘bites’ of information leading to badges. The leaders manual is a collective venture setting out broader themes encouraging debate and sharing ‘peer-to-peer’, building on ‘Educaton for Social Change’ led by young people.  Included in the Leaders Manual, and the new constitution of the time were sections on the rights of the child, equality between men and women and the environment.  

In the early 1980s, as Rich Pulser notes, ‘Two different Woodcrafts were emerging; one which was rooted in tradition, including the educational programs based on ‘badge work’, and the other experimenting with broad themes and incorporating materials from the peace, anti-racist and women’s movements.

How it became one of our 100 Objects

This item drew attention of many visitors at the Trailblazer tent, Camp 100, and deserves it's place marking Woodcraft Folk History alongside leaders guidance by Basil Rawson and Leslie Paul written in earlier decades.

References

• 'The Woodcraft Way' Ernest Thompson Seton Institute

• " Learn by Doing, Teach by Being " : The children of 1968 and the Woodcraft Folk' First published 2004  Socialist History journal: Socialist History 24: Youth Cultures and Politics, London, 2004, pp 1 - 24

• The Woodcraft Way, (1952) Basil Rawson

• 'Here is the story of Brown Eagle’: Basil Rawson, Shefstanthing, and the Woodcraft Folk' une 2025 Journal of Co-operative Studies 58(1):10

Where can I find it?

Loaned by Linda Osborn.