21st June 1957
SCOUTS IN DOUBLE CELEBRATION

Nearly 500 Boy Scouts, Cubs and leaders in the Pontefract and District Boy Scouts Local Association, are this week celebrating the centenary of the birth of Lord Baden-Powell, the founder of the Scout Movement, and also the Jubilee of the movement. Their programme began on Monday when a District ‘Gang Show’ was given in the Assembly Rooms, Pontefract, and was repeated on Tuesday. A camping and handicrafts exhibition was held in the Town Hall, Pontefract, on Wednesday, and yesterday (Thursday) a swimming gala was held at Pontefract Public Baths. Today, a whist drive and dance are to be held in the Town Hall and the celebrations close with a sports rally on the Racecourse tomorrow, and a thanksgiving service in the Castle grounds on Sunday.

A brochure "Salute to B.P." contains messages of goodwill to the Pontefract District Scouts from the Chief Scout, Lord Rowallan, the Mayor of Pontefract, Councillor G.E. Poppleton, and the District Commissioner, Mr. A.C. Adamson. Lord Rowallan describes the double celebration of jubilee and centenary as "a new beginning" of better scouting.

The brochure traces the history of Lord Baden Powell, and relates that he was one of seven children under 14 years of age who were brought up by his mother. His father died when he was a small child.

As a young man he served in the Army in India and South Africa, where his heroism at Mafeking gained him national recognition. Returning to England in 1907 he gradually developed the scouting idea in 1920. ‘B.P.’, as he became known, was proclaimed Chief Scout of the World, and there are over 7,000,000 boys in the organisation.

[ 1957 Index ]