It was a hero from the Boer War, Robert Baden-Powell who created the Scout Movement in 1907, for boys over the age of 11. However, such was the demand from their younger siblings to take part, in 1916 he went on to found a section for those boys under 11, and called them ‘ Wolf Cubs’. This was later to become ‘Cub Scouts’, but recalls from those early day [as with a wolf pack], why a group of cubs is still called a ‘cub pack’. http://www.scouts.org.uk/

A Scout Troop was first recorded in Hanslope in 1922. But it wasn’t until 10th February 1969 that a Scout Group in Hanslope was formed, to organise the founding of a Cub Scout Pack, with a Scout Troop commencing in 1970.

Then there was the quite a break until 1991, when the 1st Hanslope saw the formation of its’ own Danelaw Venture Scout Unit , and later that same year, the 1st Hanslope Scout Group expanded even more, to include a Beaver Scout Colony for the first time.

A Scout Group consists of one or more units e.g. Cub Scout Pack or Scout Troop etc. A Scout Group is split between the boys (girls now included), with their uniformed leaders for one part, and the parents for another part. Both these are combined under the leadership of a Group Scout Leader (GSL). The uniformed, warranted leaders look after the boys, their parents are expected to provide the rest, with the GSL as the chairperson liaising between them.

The administration, including fund raising etc for the Group is invariably conducted by a committee of parents, and is called the Group Scout Council. This is where the Group Scout Leader sits as chairperson, overseeing matters between the uniformed leaders, the boys and their parents.

This particular history however, is a record of events, just of the 1st Hanslope Cub Scout Pack from 1982 to 2000. Hopefully, other Scout Units and other cub leaders, can add their contributions as time and records permit.

This Cub Scout Pack is part of the 1st Hanslope Scout Group, all meeting in Hanslope, lately a rural part of Milton Keynes, but at the outset, just a village community in North Buckinghamshire, UK. Importantly it must also be mentioned here, membership of our Group included lads, leaders and parents, from Hanslope, and the nearby communities of Long Street, Tathall End and the next village of Castlethorpe.

The Cub- Scout Leader (CSL) in 1980 was Alan Payne, helped by two Assistant Cub Scout Leaders (ASCLs) Robin Coles and Colin Mansell Brown. All three of us took over from Pat Smith and Maureen Kilkenny in 1979, as a means to prevent the Pack from closing. This was a sudden measure because the then leaders, Pat and Maureen, were having to devote more time for their families etc, even to moving out of the district, and relinquish their well appreciated efforts at running a cub pack.

We remember it well! Pat and Maureen had called together cubs’ mums and dads to a meeting in the Hanslope school hall. We were to hear they were having to move on, and the Pack would have to fold unless willing parents could volunteer to take over. Well, some of us dads had already been involved on Saturday mornings, helping organise tasks for the cubs to attain their World Conservation badge (cleaning out and falling in the village pond etc!). Some of us had thoroughly enjoyed such involvement, and so three of us, Alan, Robin and myself, became the ‘dad’s army’ that initially took over. Robin and I both agreed to be Assistant Cub Scout Leaders (ASCLs), providing Alan became the Cub Scout Leader (CSL). Later we expanded with more help, from two Venture Scouts, Steve Millard (1982), until he went off to university, and Myles Bailey (1983). Myles later went on in 1985, to take his Scout Leader Warrant and become our third ASCL.

Since its’ founding, it became the established role of all Cub Scout leaders to be called after jungle creatures, from Rudyard Kipling’s ‘Jungle Book’. At the outset of our period, the attributed names for each of us was, Alan Payne (CSL) Akela; and Robin Coles (ASCL) Baloo. And for a reason lost in history, initially I was somehow called Skip. However, these names were to change fairly soon after - see later.

We all joined in to run the Pack for a couple of years or so as helpers, but were gradually urged by the Scout District leaders to take out our Scout Leader Warrants. I certainly, was a bit shy of this at first, largely because it involved having to wear a uniform, but eventually, we all agreed needs must, and we began running the Pack as it demanded. At a later stage, Alan Payne was to handover leadership in 1983 to Robin Coles and at this point, Robin then became Akela, and I became Baloo. We were soon to be joined by additional ASCLs, Myles Bailey (Kaa) as a full ASCL in 1983, Anthony Jenkins (Bagheera) in 1984, and eventually, Jim Nash (Chil) in 1994.

The following pages retell the history of the Pack’s notable events - camps, competitions and far spread expeditions.

These started to become more formally recorded by Robin Coles’ assiduously kept diary notes, and Tony Monk’s photography. Tony is the father of two of our early Cub Scouts’, James and William Monk, and was the photographer included among a couple of cub dads that came away with us on our expeditions. Peter Cox, our 1st Hanslope Group Scout Leader, also father of cubs Edwin and Howard, was another stalwart helper with our ‘away days’, usually weekends away youth hostelling in the hills, over some of the scenically rich and spectacular parts of England.

Finally, as members of the 1st Hanslope Scout Group for over 20 years, some of us missed these ‘away trips’, not to mention each other’s company when we eventually retired from the Group. And so, seven of us still meet once a month, to plan our yearly outing to wilder parts of this Septred Isle. We have much fun remembering, and still getting lost on the hills, so I hope the cubs will enjoy the memories that these records and pictures evoke, as much as we have enjoyed being their Cub Scout leaders.

Colin