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Scouting for a Major statesman
1st Old Malden reputedly began its scouting history during World War One, not as the group known today but as 1st Worcester Park and Old Malden.
An entry in the parish magazine of St John the Baptist Church, Old Malden, in November 1915, states: "We are beginning the meetings for the boys and girls. For the elder boys - those over 11 years of age - a troop of Boy Scouts is in the process of formation.
"To set these various things going, a certain sum of money is necessary and the Vicar will be most grateful for any small subscriptions."
By the early 1920s, the group was meeting regularly in Old Malden, led by scoutmaster Mr Brown and later by former scout George Lambert.
A second entry in the parish magazine states: "Those who have seen the two troops parading for the Church must be impressed with the wonderful work done in so short a time by Mr Brown."
A letter to the group from a Mr Leslie Fancourt however in 1985 put the cat among the pigeons, when he disputed the group's date of formation and stated instead that he had joined the group in 1919 but had learned that the scoutmaster, Mr Brown, had himself been a scout with 1st Worcester Park pre-World War One.
To back up his memory, three extremely delicate 1st Worcester Park name tapes, thought to be pre-World War One, were uncovered in 1985, with lettering in red capitals on a white background.
Nametapes from 1919 onwards had green lettering.
The group's flag, hand-made by nuns at St Anthony's Hospital in Cheam, is also still in existence. Its wording "1s Worcester Park" (note the number is not 1st) is carefully embroidered in golden letters above an early scout fleurs-de-lys on a heavy silk flag.
In 1924, the Surrey Comet itself reported on the opening of the group headquarters on land behind St John's Church hall.
The opening ceremony was performed with a silver key by the Hon. Mrs Frances Colbourne, and District Scoutmaster Maitland is reported to have congratulated the group on being the first in the district to have its own headquarters.
Unfortunately, the start of World War Two in 1939 brought about the end of 1st Worcester Park and Old Malden.
By April 1945, the group was described as dormant in official records and was never to reopen under that name.
1st Old Malden
In 1949, an announcement was made in the parish magazine that thought was being given to starting a Wolf Cub Pack in Malden once again.
A regular member of the church congregation, Jack Millar, had moved to the area from Clapham and felt the church needed a scout group again.
Mr Millar lobbied the church curate, Father John Hampton, and, supported by an enthusiastic band of parents, a cub pack held its first meeting in May 1950.
Father Hampton was the first scoutmaster, and the name 1st Old Malden was officially registered in London on July 3 that year.
Mr Millar took over as scoutmaster in 1952, but was forced to retire due to ill health only two years later when a doctor banned him from holding scout meetings around his sick bed.
Meetings were generally held in the headquarters previously used by 1st Worcester Park and Old Malden, but it soon became clear that new facilities were needed when rats began to swarm the building.
After joining with the local guides group to raise funds - £4,500 in total - the newly renovated headquarters opened in 1964.
In 1978 however, a serious fire caused extensive damage to the southern end of the building, forcing both the scouts to hold their meetings at 1st Malden's headquarters for nearly a year.
In the early days, growing popularity led to the creation of three cub packs, with two based at the headquarters and one at Green Lane School.
One cub leader from the 1950s, Eileen Nixon, remembers running all three meetings herself, with numbers exceeding 30 each night. It was at the Green Lane School pack that the group's most famous former member, Sir John Major, began his scouting career, but without a uniform as his family were too strapped for cash.
Tim Eggitt, group scout leader, wrote in a recent newsletter: "Prime Minister John Major made no mention of his short membership in the Group, but he was certainly a Wolf Cub with us and went to camp too. Our most famous ex-member enjoyed scouting - without uniform as his family was strapped for cash."
Cubs has always been the most popular section at 1st Old Malden, and over the years, numerous trips and camps supplemented the regular weekly meetings. In the earlier days, camps took place in Hampshire, the New Forest and Kent but since then the group has travelled further afield, including the Isle of Wight.
The cub packs have also been traditionally involved and extremely successful in many district events, including a soapbox derby in 1970, a sedan chair race and volleyball competitions.
More recently, Cornwell pack won an award from the Royal borough for its work on environmental issues.
A common theme among many of the scout groups in the district has been the omnipresent trek cart.
1st Old Malden still owns its original trek cart, which the scouts used to pull to camp in the 1950s. Since the 1970s however, the group has branched out and has been fortunate to own its own vehicle - an orange Bedford, which was replaced by a G-reg BMC minibus and later a Bedford three ton box van bought from British Airports Authority.
Scout-built chipboard bench seats meant that the van could carry more than 20 passengers as well as being loaded to the roof with kit.
5:06pm Wednesday 4th July 2007
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