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Scout troupe Kings Heath
- Thread starter RobertS
- Start date
It was not simply a Scout Troop, but a complete Scout Group (Cub Pack, Scout Troop, Senior Scout Troop and Rover Crew). It began in 1914 as the 130th Birmingham, but c 1950 it adopted a sub-title as 1st King's Heath (there was never any 2nd or later King's Heath numbering). Although it regularly used the Cambridge Road Methodist hall as a base, it was never formally sponsored by that church. It celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1964, but I have no more recent information.
KRO Brummie
proper brummie kid
I went to the 130th Birmingham, 1st King’s Heath cubs and scouts in the late 1950’s/early 1960’s for about 5 years. I’m not sure if this post is still of interest to anyone but my memories are -
The Leader was called Chief – Mr Rooker. Chief was helped by his older son who was a senior scout. The next in charge was Skip – a man with bushy ginger beard.
I had a great time and learnt many things which are still useful and come back to me today.
I went on several camps – the World Jamboree of Scouts in 1957 at Yorkswood, Birmingham (which was scout owned), at Kinver and 2-week camps in the Lake District, Westward Ho, the Peak District and Germany – Bopfingen near the Southern Alps. My first long camp in the Lake District was a disaster as it rained for 2 weeks and everything was damp. I do remember some good times in Keswick (fish and chips by the lake). The camp in Germany was great – we were pitched up on top of a steep hill which the local gliding club used for winch launching. We were all taken up for a flight. I think this camp was to foster relations with young German scouts who shared the campsite.
I achieved a few badges – the usual knots plus cycling proficiency, and homemaking come to mind. The homemaking involved going to a “posh” house in Vicarage Rd to vacuum, dust, make a pot of tea and fry eggs and bacon. I became the patrol leader of the Eagle Patrol
Another memory is the regular Bob a Job weeks where I would pester all the local residents to cut grass, clean cars etc. I always made a lot of cash – possibly to get me to go away.
My memory of the Cambridge Rd Methodist Church is not so good as I was hauled over the coals for “not doing my duty to God” as I did not attend regularly enough and turned up in my football kit on Sunday mornings.
Many happy memories.
The Leader was called Chief – Mr Rooker. Chief was helped by his older son who was a senior scout. The next in charge was Skip – a man with bushy ginger beard.
I had a great time and learnt many things which are still useful and come back to me today.
I went on several camps – the World Jamboree of Scouts in 1957 at Yorkswood, Birmingham (which was scout owned), at Kinver and 2-week camps in the Lake District, Westward Ho, the Peak District and Germany – Bopfingen near the Southern Alps. My first long camp in the Lake District was a disaster as it rained for 2 weeks and everything was damp. I do remember some good times in Keswick (fish and chips by the lake). The camp in Germany was great – we were pitched up on top of a steep hill which the local gliding club used for winch launching. We were all taken up for a flight. I think this camp was to foster relations with young German scouts who shared the campsite.
I achieved a few badges – the usual knots plus cycling proficiency, and homemaking come to mind. The homemaking involved going to a “posh” house in Vicarage Rd to vacuum, dust, make a pot of tea and fry eggs and bacon. I became the patrol leader of the Eagle Patrol
Another memory is the regular Bob a Job weeks where I would pester all the local residents to cut grass, clean cars etc. I always made a lot of cash – possibly to get me to go away.
My memory of the Cambridge Rd Methodist Church is not so good as I was hauled over the coals for “not doing my duty to God” as I did not attend regularly enough and turned up in my football kit on Sunday mornings.
Many happy memories.
