Water Under The Bridge

Today, in response to an e-mail I received from a fellow scout, I sent the following e-mail.

Scott:

Please excuse the delay in replying; I’ve been somewhat preoccupied.

Here are some of my recollections which go back to around 1946 when I joined the scouts

The Curlews was the one and only patrol of which I was a member and Ronnie Sharp was the patrol leader. A few years later, i became the patrol leader with Alan Vost, my assistant. He was the son of Dr. Henry Vost. At the same time, Robert Russell was the patrol leader of the Lions. His father, Henry Russell, was the district secretary.

In those years, John MacLeod was the scoutmaster with Robert Preston and Dan Wright being his assistants. Dan’s father was the district commissioner. There was another brother, John Wright, who also may have been an assistant commissioner.

Of course, Sir Ian Bolton, who was the county commissioner, should not be forgotten. It was my pleasure to meet up with him again in Canada at the 8th World Scout Jamboree (the first outside Europe) at Niagara-on-the-Lake in 1955; the same year I emigrated to Canada. At that time, I was an assistant scoutmaster with a Dawson Creek, BC troop and was on the administration staff at the Jamboree.

While being an assistant with the 1st Stirlingshire, I was also a member of the Rover Den. The only name that pops into my mind of the group at that time was Robert Cook.

As far as summer camps, the most memorable were the ones when we went to Cullen, Banffshire. Of course, the coach trip we took to Belgium was spectacular; with that continuing into France where we visited Abbeville which was Stirling’s sister city.

While in Paris, the troop did the usual tourist rounds with the Eiffel Tower being of particular interest since that is where Ian Wallace and I were left at the top. The lifts did not have room for all of us and we were left behind; which would have been all right but the troop did not wait for us. Ian and I had to make our way; navigating the Paris Metro with our limited schoolboy French, to where our camp was.

More may come to mind; but it is hoped that you may be able to find some use for this epistle.

If you have questions, please feel free to e-mail me.

Be prepared and best wishes.

David Oliphant