Scout troop marks 80 historic years
A THRIVING scout troop whose members took part in the Queen's wedding at Westminster Abbey celebrates its 80th anniversary this year.
The 8th Muswell Hill cubs and scouts meet weekly at the United Reformed Church Hall in Tetherdown, eight decades after the group began in 1929.
Brian Smith, troop leader for the last eight years, said: "It's great to look back and see how it's shaped the lives of lots of people over the years."
In the early days, the troop was led by patrol leaders Brian Ambler and Gordon Hunt.
Bill Dickens, 91, was one of the original troop members. He reminisced: "We stored our camping gear including ex-Army Bell tents that leaked at the seams, in the basement of the church hall. We graduated to green "Niger" tents with fly sheets - what luxury!"
The Second World War brought much change for the troop when leaders were called up to fight, resulting in some amalgamation of troops and meetings in The Odeon Cinema car park.
Former scout David Stacy, who joined up 69 years ago, said: "With food rationing in place, we each had to take our own supply of rationed goods to camp. This resulted in a jostle for places round the fire at breakfast as no-one would trust anyone else to cook their egg."
Later in 1947, Mr Stacy was one of 26 King Scouts chosen to represent the 8th Muswell Hill at Princess Elizabeth's marriage to the Duke of Edinburgh by handing out orders of service at Westminster Abbey.
The troop today faces a shortage of leaders with Mr Smith almost single-handedly running meetings for 38 cubs and more than 40 scouts - a complaint also made in a archive document in 1934.
Any adults interested in getting involved are promised a "fun and interesting" time.
Looking to the future, scouts from the troop have won three of only four Haringey places to visit the World Scout Jamboree in Sweden in 2011.
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Muswell Hill
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