History of 4th Kew Scouts

4th Kew

Fourth began in October 1925 at St. Paul’s Church of England hall, under SM Wyatt (1925 to 1933) and CM Kalwig (CM 1925 to 1933, SM 1933 to 1935). Its genesis was a church parade by the First Kew scouts which impressed the vicar. After a disagreement with the vicar, the Group met for a while at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church hall in Normanby Road (now East Kew Uniting).

The Group moved into a new hall at Harrison Reserve, Glass Street in 1935 (see the clipping from the Argus newspaper). At about this time Skipper Manton became SM and Miss Little the LCM. By the end of 1936 the troop had five patrols. The troop won the first Richardson Hide in 1938.

In 1942 the hall was prepared as an emergency station, and palliasses and mattresses installed and screen put up for black out use. After the war a lease was taken out at a campsite at Mt Evelyn (till 1959) and the hall extended to provide for a kindergarten (1947 to 1957?). In 1947, when the Richardson Hide was not held as there were not enough patrols from other troops to compete, Fourth had 41 scouts! Skipper Manton left the Group in 1953 (to become DSM). Many of the scouts gained their King Scout Award during this period. Long serving group committee members included Mr Darby (over 20 years to 1953 also a DA rep) and Mr Williamson (22 years service to 1949)

A senior patrol was started some time between 1947 and 1954, and has continued more or less continuously since. Peter Barlow led the unit (initially as a combined 4th/5th/l2th unit) since the introduction of the new design programme in 1972. He was VL until1986. It subsequently grew into a large and active unit and at times had up to 30 members. Mick O’Shannessy (ex 12th Kew) was a leader with the unit for almost 20 years.

Post war LCM’s included Miss Patton and Miss Grey. Doonie Miles became LCM in 1966 and ran a high standard cub pack for some 20 years - children were put down at birth to get onto the waiting list! (Doonie also acted as DLCM and was later an ADC). Barbara Urie was a long serving assistant, as were Malcolm Miles and Steve Jukes. The pack was awarded the first National Commissioners Award for Community Service for its work with the Eva Tilley Old Ladies home - each cub looked after ‘their lady’.

Desley Reid took over the pack in 1986 (and is now an ADC). A second cub pack was started in 1988 by Lorene Quick and Anne Miles (ex 17th Kew).

The troop grew from two scouts (meeting with 3rd Kew) in 1973 to six patrols and some 40 kids in 1984. For most of this period the SL, Brad Miles (ex 4th, 2nd and 6th), held monthly camps as well as regular Easter and Christmas Camps. A second troop was formed in 1991.

The rovers which had been strong in the 1940’s - the Burton Crew — was reformed in the 1970’s under RA’s Arthur Spurgeon (also GL and later an ADC) and Elizabeth Doery. By the 1980’s a second crew was created (based at 1st Kew)

A campsite was leased at Woori Yallock in the 1950’s and 1960’s. A rover den was erected in 1975, a brick work room, store and new toilets in 1978, the remainder of the hall renovated in the late 1980’s, and a new venturer den started in 1994.

GSM’s included R.E. Pope (1953 to 1958), Dr. Geoff Miles (ex 2nd Kew - 1968 to 1974, Arthur Spurgeon (1975 - 1986) and Brad Miles (ex SL, 1986 to end 1993). The District’s first AGL, Helen Patterson was appointed in 1994.

The Group held a number of special events for its fifty year celebrations in 1975 (and produced a history booklet)

Excerpt from attachment. Originally located here

Clippings (from Trove)

Argus 25 July 1927

Argus, 14 May 1935 page 4

In case you have trouble reading this:

NEW SCOUT HALL OPENED

Completed at a cost of about £600, a new hall for the use of Boy Scouts at Glass street, East Kew, was opened on Saturday afternoon by the mayor of Kew (Councillor J Carnegie)

The money for the building, which is about 50 feet long and 40 feet wide was, advanced to the Scouts' Parents' Association, which will repay the money in installment.