Scouts bid farewell to hut
A SCOUT group held a nostalgic event to mark the ‘passing’ of their hut, their home for over 40 years.
The thriving 5th Woodley Scout group, with 150 young members, has huge affection for its wooden hut at Waingels College, Woodley.
Group chairman Neil Jeffery said: “The school has now asked us to leave the hut because they need it for educational purposes. They have kindly offered us use of a gym and two class rooms instead.
“It allows us to continue Scouting for the young people of north Woodley, although it means we have less flexibility for use for the group.
“Ideally, we would like our own premises so we would love to hear from anyone who could help us with land or a building.
“The hut has been a significant part of the group’s life. We held a small celebration, our last event there [on March 27]. It was quite sad but we were celebrating the group’s achievements and our history.”
For years, although not recently, the group staged a Gang Show, with mince pies, for elderly people in Woodley.
For the celebration assistant group scout leader Andrew Price adapted the words of the Gang Show anthem We’re Riding Along on the Crest of Wave. Instead, everyone sang about packing up and leaving the hut.
District Scout leader Zed Rogers presented silver and gold awards, the highest awards for Cubs and Scouts, to some of the members there.
Scout leader Clive Boys, present the first day the Scouts used the hut, gave a speech. Among those listening was his wife Margaret, the group’s first Beaver leader, assistant Cub Scout leader Sue Slade who set up one Beaver colony and assistant Cub Scout leader Mike Lee, a Venture Scout 46 years ago. There were other leaders and Scouts from the troop who had just finished their meeting.
The group has two sets of each age section, Squirrels for four- to six-yearolds, Beavers for six to eight years, Cubs for eight to 10 and a half years, and Scouts for 10 and a half to 14.
Mr Price said afterwards that 5th Woodley was “a successful, thriving group catering for all these young people.”