Green and white scarf is clue to scouting heritage

3:56pm Tuesday 31st July 2007

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Berrylands Scout group began life as two separate district groups - 3rd Tolworth and 5th Tolworth.

With its distinctive all-white scarf, 3rd Tolworth was created months before World War Two broke out, and helped its neighbour group 5th Tolworth become established several years later.

“We were running around the park with laser guns in the middle of night playing laser tag!”

Reg Gage

To show its gratitude, 5th Tolworth designed its group scarf to be half green and half white, in thanks to 3rd Tolworth.

However, with six scout groups in Tolworth, it became clear in the late 1960s that numbers were dwindling and some groups would have to merge.

After much negotiation, it was decided that the scouts from 3rd Tolworth, 5th Tolworth and 6th Surbiton would get together to raise money to renovate the existing small scout hut in Stirling Walk, Tolworth, and combine the groups.

Fundraising provided money for new toilets, a new kitchen and a new hall, and the groups officially merged to become Berrylands Scouts on March 2, 1973.

To remember its scouting heritage, the group's scarf was white and edged in green.

Reg's happy memories

At 75, Reg Gage is the oldest scout leader in the district. After becoming assistant scout leader with Berrylands Scouts in 1976, Reg has remained involved with the group and is now in charge of the Berrylands Phoenix explorer scouts, a group for 14 to 18 year olds.

He said: "I had been involved with Surbiton Hill Scouts and often bumped into Berrylands scouts when out camping.

"I always said that was the group I was next going to be involved with. I joined the group as assistant scout leader, moving on to scout leader. At one point, I remember having 55 children under my command.

"We used to take the scouts camping all over England, especially Devon and Kent. They never really got up to any mischief. They were too well brought up.

"Back at headquarters at the weekly meetings, we taught them how to cook and we were lucky to have a large green area out the back where we could put tents up. It was part of the training - teaching them how to camp in our own backyard.

"I'm now scout leader with the Phoenix Explorers, and I like to think of myself as a recycled teenager. It keeps me young and has given me a new lease of life.

"We recently went to Gilwell Park for a 24-hour activity session, which started at 9am and carried on all day and all night.

"We were running around the park with laser guns in the middle of night playing laser tag!"