Scouts: going strong 100 years on (From The Argus)

Scouts: going strong 100 years on

9:17am Wednesday 1st August 2007

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The number of British Scouts celebrating today's 100th birthday is a third of what it was in the early Nineties. The decline has been blamed on a mixture of factors but Scout leaders insist the movement is in good shape and, since a rebranding five years ago, it is trendy again. KATYA MIRA reports.

AT SUNRISE this morning thousands of scout groups from around the world gathered to renew their promise.

It is 100 years since Sir Robert Baden Powell set up the first experimental camp at Brownsea Island, near Poole, which led to the founding of the movement a few weeks later.

A century on, more than 40,000 scouts from more than 200 countries have descended on the South of England for the landmark birthday.

Representatives from every country have been invited to a World Jamboree in Hylands Park, Essex, while in East Sussex the Martlets Jamboree, a scaled-down version of the same event, is taking place at Laughton Showground, near Lewes.

A week-long extravaganza of activities has been arranged for more than 2,500 youngsters from East Sussex and their guests from Holland, Canada and Dundee, as well as a group from Chailey Heritage special school.

This morning these camps, along with others around the world, got together at 8am to say their Scout's promise in commemoration of the movement's special day.

There were gatherings in towns and cities across the county, such as the Peace Statue on Brighton seafront, Western Lawns in Eastbourne and the De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill.

Ray Tennant, county commissioner of the scouts in East Sussex, said it meant a lot to him to be renewing the promise he first made 53 years ago when he became a Cub.

The 61-year-old from the 1st Willingdon Scout troop in Eastbourne said: "It is quite an emotional moment for me, a big day. I have been in Scouting all my life and I just can't imagine life without it. It makes me feel I am doing something for the community and it is just fantastic to see the kids grow up and learn so many things."

Scout numbers have taken a nosedive in recent years. In the Nineties there were more than 943,000 members in Britain but by last year the number had fallen by two thirds to 358,000.

Alex Howell, the cub leader for Peacehaven and Telscombe scouts, said: "As far as I am concerned there is nothing like scouting.

"It offers the children excitement and adventure, teaches them responsibility and gives them faith.

"When I was a scout growing up in Brighton there was nothing else for us to do. We did not have Playstations or electronic games. Now Scouting has so much to compete with."

The struggle to keep the movement going has been further exacerbated by problems getting volunteers to give up their spare time to help out.

Increased bureaucracy means even those helping out on a casual basis needed to go through Criminal Record Bureau checks and take courses in child protection and first aid.

Rising rents can make it difficult for smaller, poorer troops to stay afloat.

The number of working mothers means many are too busy to volunteer to help or even ferry their children to meetings and help at home with achieving badges.

Mr Tennant admitted the movement had suffered a decline since the Nineties for a mixture of reasons but insisted a rebranding a few years ago meant it was on the up again.

He said: "There is a lot of pressure at work these days and people just don't volunteer any more because they don't have the time.

"The criminal checks may be a bit of a disincentive and put some people off helping but we do have to be a lot more careful with who carries out activities these days and make sure we have properly trained instructors for all activities.

"Also, scouting started to be considered an uncool' thing to do. But about five years ago we changed lots of things around and I think things have started to change now."

Scout figures nationally were up last year for the first time in 13 years.

Numbers grew by more than 1,500, with the biggest growth in the ten to 18-year-old range. A new cub pack opened in Portslade recently and a new scout group started in Wadhurst.

Mr Tennant said the rebranding involved a new, trendy uniform, more adventurous activities and the introduction of girls. The age groups were also reorganised so older children keen to do more challenging activities were not held back by younger ones and new badges' in modern subjects such as IT skills were introduced.

Mr Tennant said: "More and more girls are joining up, specifically older ones those who wouldn't want to be in the guides because they prefer the sort of activities we do, which really boosts our numbers as well as giving us a more modern image.

"It is still traditional scouting, with camping out, first aid courses and map reading but they now also do things like canoeing, abseiling and even scuba diving which is far more ambitious than when I was a Scout."

Grant Kerwin-Nye, Explorer leader for Ashdown Explorers, based in Crowborough, said: "Since we changed the age groups we have had a lot of success in attracting people in, especially in rural areas where there is not much for young people to do. We still have problems finding volunteers and in places there are waiting lists of kids wanting to join if only we can find enough helpers to cope with demand.

"I don't think the bureaucracy is really an issue. At the beginning it was a pain because it was new and an extra thing to do but now it is almost second nature."

Luke Wiltshire, 15, from Isfield, said he had been an explorer scout for a year. He said: "It is a good social thing and gives you something to do, which is important when you are from such a small place.

"People at school used to think it wasn't that good a thing to do but recently lots of people who wouldn't have done it before have joined up.

"The camp has been great - I particularly like the scuba diving."

Laura Critchley, 15, from Uckfield, said: "I joined the explorers because I am a tomboy I suppose. I was a guide when I was 11 but I didn't like it. Being a scout means you get more responsibility for things and the activities are more adventurous. I love it."

Were you or are you in the Scouts? Has Scout life become better? Share your experiences below.

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