LANCASTER GUARDIAN AND OBSERVER, FRIDAY, 20 JANUARY, 1950
Scouting Notes And News
Parents Attend Demonstration
A LARGE AUDIENCE of parents and friends spent a pleasant evening on Saturday with the Sea Scouts of the 21st Lancaster Group. The occasion was a demonstration of the many activities which occupy the attention of the Scouts in achieving proficiency in various branches of their training. Scoutmasters W. Rutherford and A. Griffies introduced a very interesting programme, interspersed with games, which closely followed the lines of a normal evening’s session.
The proceedings opened with flag-break and inspection, and the patrols demonstrated signalling, first aid, lashings and tenderfoot training, the Scouters explaining how the patrol system operated with the Patrol-leaders responsible for seeing that the Scouts under their charge attained proficiency. Commentaries were given to explain to the visitors the purpose of the various tests. Sea Scouts, in addition to mastering the rules of Sea Scouting must, first of all, be able to carry out the tests done by Land Scouts, but to bring a nautical atmosphere into the indoor demonstration a ship’s bell was used to signal the watches, and other exhibits were on view.
Scoutmaster Griffies conducted an investiture when Peter Curwen was admitted as a member of the Group, having first satisfied his patrol-leader and Scouter, that he understood the significance of the Scout Promise, and had successfully concluded his tenderfoot training.
The King’s Scout Certificate
Field Commissioner Charles A. Winn presented second or first-class proficiency certificates to Alan Cornthwaite, Derek Whittle, Peter Holt, Arthur and J. Rennison, Colin Holmes, Alan Gardner, Peter Muckalt and Ken Hargreaves. He had a congratulatory word for each certificate-holder, and expressed the hope that they would aim for the King’s Scout badge (the mark of all-round Scouting proficiency) as early as possible. It subsequently gave the Field Commissioner much pleasure to find that he had indeed to present a King’s Scout certificate signed by His Majesty the King, to Troop-leader Ken Hargreaves, that evening.
The Commissioner later spoke to the Group on the spirit of adventure and the joy of Scouting. Thanks were accorded to him by Scoutmaster Rutherford and Mr. F. Dennison, whilst Scoutmaster Griffies and Mr. T. Boak (a former Scout of the 21st) thanked the parents for their interest in attending the event. On behalf of the Scouts, Patrol-leader J Rennison thanked the Scouters for arranging the programme, which took place at the 12th Lancaster H.Q., Willow Lane, instead of at the 21st Group headquarters at the Customs House.
In Memory Of “Truculent”
Prayers were said at the conclusion of the evening, and a brief silence observed in memory of the victims of the “Truculent” ** disaster.
Those present included Assistant District Commissioner J.W. Ellwood, District Cubmaster Mrs. M. Davis, and Cornwell Rover Scout Sam Cooke.
Scouts and Cubs of the 16th Lancaster (St. Paul’s) were guests of the Group Committee at the pantomime “Aladdin” at the Winter Gardens, Morecambe, last week. Travelling by special ‘bus from the Parish Hall, the party accompanied by the Vicar (Rev. D. Birney), Mrs. Birney, Scouters, and several members of the Group Committee had an enjoyable time, the arrangements being carried out by Group Scoutmaster J. Hodgson.
The 21st Lancaster Cub Pack made merry last week at Bowerham School when the Christmas and sixteenth birthday party was held. District Cubmaster Mrs. M. Davis, “Akela” of this pack, superintended the arrangements and catering was carried out by Mesdames Galbraith, Johnson, and Wiggins. Games were played and prizes won by Ian Galbraith, Tony Robinson, Jack Williams, T. Sweeney, Keith Whittle, Rodney Rostron and Billy Aspinall. First year stars were presented to K. Wiggins, K. Whittle and I. Galbraith, the second-named also receiving a first proficiency star. Prizes for most useful service to the Pack and for best progress during the year went to B. Aspinall, K. Whittle, I. Galbraith, B. Sandham, R. Johnson and D. Sallows.
All present spent a very happy evening, the guests being Assistant District Commissioner R.E. Wright, and Scoutmasters W. Rutherford and A. Griffies. – AKELA
** HMS Truculent was a British submarine of the third group of the T class. She was built as P315 by Vickes Armstrong, Barrow , and launched on 12 September 1942.
On 12 January 1950, Truculent was returning to Sheerness, having completed trials after a refit at Chatham. In addition to her normal complement, she was carrying an additional 18 dockyard workers. She was travelling through the Thames Estuary at night. At 19:00, a ship showing three lights appeared ahead in the channel. It was decided that the ship must be stationary, and because Truculent could not pass to the starboard side without running aground, the order was given to turn to port. At once, the situation became clear; the Swedish oil tanker Divina — on passage from Purfleet and bound for Ipswich — came out of the darkness. The extra light indicated that she was carrying explosive material. The two vessels collided and remained locked together for a few seconds before the submarine sank.
Fifty-seven of her crew were swept away in the current after a premature escape attempt, 15 survivors were picked up by a boat from the Divina and five by the Dutch ship Almdijk. Most of the crew survived the initial collision and managed to escape, but then perished in the freezing cold mid-winter conditions on the mud islands that litter the Thames Estuary. Sixty-four people died as a result of the collision.
