History of Scouting in West Lothian
Shortly after BP founded the movement in 1907 all over the country troops were formed. In Scotland nearly every town and village within a few years had their own scout group. The skills then taught with ropes, axes, cooking utensils, with woodcraft, respect for nature and good citizenship have not varied but later came from sailing, canoeing and mountaineering making good map reading essential. Communication has moved from semaphore to the internet. Good camping standards were and still are pillars of the order. Groups met in many premises, church halls, former garages and lofts but, gradually acquired purpose built premises. Prior to 1958 the main county camping ground was the polo park at Hopeton, courtesy of the Marquis of Linlithgow. This happy site was lost to us due to war restrictions.
Fortunately in 1958 the Craigs site was purchased and its history and development as presented by Dr. Andrew Bain...The first Forty Years 1958 - 98 makes fascinating reading.
Up to the early 60's transport to camp was usually on the back of open topped lorries perched on our camping gear. The sites were often shared by sheep and cattle. Health and Safety regulations did not exist but safe handling of knives and axes was always preached. As a boy along with scouts from the county we put on displays at Ibrox and went to the Empire Exhibition in Bellahouston Park, later we met Royalty at Murrayfield.
West Lothian like Gaul was divided into three districts. Northern Southern and Eastern. In 1953 Eastern built a huge bonfire on the top of Binny Craig as part of the national chain to celebrate Coronation Year. I had the honour of lighting it. In October 1939 I had sat there watching the first air raid of the war. In the early 1960's a Rover Scout Moot (jamboree) was held on the Binny estate and the fields of Oatridge Farm have been used for county events. As a cub scout I attended my first camp there but the site used was ripped up by a string of bombs early in the war.
The Rover Scout Challenge Hike, a major event was won by Broxburn and the following year they were asked to be the HQ staff providing the food and shelter for all attending. My transit van was packed with tents, shelters, utensils, food and seven hefty scouters and on top a three piece Whittle pack boat. We had an adventurous journey.
In 1946 I was on the staff of the first International Jamboree at Blair Atholl under the legendary Jack Stewart. In 1996 I was invited to attend a reunion. The difference was fantastic a JCB to dig latrines, Calor gas, electricity but above all girls as scouts and scouters.
The Craigs has become a major centre for Scouting locally and Nationally, and the county an area in which to enjoy Scouting to the full.
Ian H Thomson - Area President West Lothian
BP - The Founder
His Story
Baden Powell or BP was born Robert Stephenson Smyth Baden Powell was born on the 22 February 1857, the son of Professor Baden Powell, of Oxford University. His father died when he was 3 years old and his mother devoted herself to bringing up a rather large family of 10. Baden Powell and his brothers were encouraged by their mother to make their own fun. They learned about the outdoors, built boats and sailed them and went on long journeys learning to look after themselves.
Baden Powell attended Charterhouse School during which time he took part in a number of activities including acting, singing and cadet corps and art. In the woods near the school known as "The Copse" he studied, stalked and tracked animals, birds and his friends and teachers.
Baden Powell was encouraged to sit Army Exams, he surprised everyone by gaining 2nd place out of 700 candidates and has a result was commissioned as a sub-lieutenant in the 13th Hussars. He sailed to join his regiment in Lucknow, India, where he took courses in surveying and reconnaissance.
He was quickly promoted and moved up through the ranks and trained his men using competitions and games and taught them how to track and live in wild country. He also wrote a book called "Aids to Scouting" about his methods of Army Training. This book was later to become the bases of Scouting
In 1887 he was sent to South Africa where he took part in a campaign against an African chief called Dinzulu
In 1899 Colonel Baden Powell returned to South Africa. because the was the possibility of war between the Dutch settlers (Boers) and the British Settlers. War was declared and Baden Powell and 1000 men we left to defend the town of Mafeking, which was the supply center for the British, He thought up all sorts of schemes to make it look like the town was heavily guarded. When reinforcements arrived the siege had lasted for 7 months.
Baden Powell took part in a number of other conflicts and in 1903 was appointed Inspector-General of Cavalry.
In July 1907 BP ran a camp for a group of boys on Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour.
In 1909 BP was knighted by King Edward VII for his outstanding military career and especially for founding Scouting
Baden Powell died in Kenya in 1941 when he was almost 84 On his gravestone under the badges of the Scouts and Guides is carved.
"Robert Baden-Powell, Chief Scout of the World"
The Following article about BP's Grave appeared in the October 2001 issue of © Scouting Magazine - The Magazine of the UK Scout Association, which in my opinion is good news for the Scout Movement across the world
