Our history
Scouting is one of the great success stories of the last 100 years. From an experimental camp for 20 boys on Brownsea Island in 1907, it has spread to 216 countries and territories, with an estimated 28 million members. In 1916 the Wolf Cub section was launched for boys aged 8–11 years, in response to requests from boys who wanted the same Scouting the older boys had been getting since 1908; in 1986 the Beaver Scout section followed for ages 6–8. The 1st Southwold and Reydon Scout Group has been part of that story for generations, meeting at The Scout Hall on Mights Road.
Cub Centenary, 2016
2016 marked 100 years of Cub Scouting. To celebrate, our Cub Pack produced a glossy 36-page booklet containing memories and messages from well-known people, nationally and locally, together with a brief history of the Pack and photographs looking back over the decades. The booklet was sold for £3.00 a copy in aid of the Group Building Appeal, with copies handled by Bob Mole — now the Group’s Chair of Trustees. A Centenary get-together for past and present Wolf Cubs and Cub Scouts was held in the Scout Hall on Sunday 23 October 2016, with a display of photographs and memorabilia, a camp fire and light refreshments; and on Friday 16 December 2016, at 19:16, our Cubs reaffirmed their promise alongside Packs across the whole UK.
World Scout Jamboree, Japan 2015
The first World Scout Jamboree was held in 1920 at Olympia in London, and apart from the war years they have been held every four years since. The 23rd World Scout Jamboree ran from 28 July to 8 August 2015 at Kirara-hama, Yamaguchi City, Japan, under the theme “WA: a Spirit of Unity”. The 1st Southwold Scout Group was very proud to have one of our Scouts, Tom White, selected to attend as a member of the United Kingdom Contingent.
International and camps
Its international aspect gives Scouting a special appeal, and many Scouts travel abroad during their time in the section. In 2007, 40,000 Scouts from around the world attended the World Jamboree in the UK, and Scouts regularly take part in international camps and experiences both on home soil and abroad. Closer to home, our Scouts and Cubs have kept a full diary of their own — including an October 2016 visit to the East of England Air Ambulance at Norwich Airport.
