Scouting in West Midlands

From ScoutWiki, For Everyone, Everywhere involved with Scouting and Guiding...
Jump to navigation Jump to search
EnglandWestMidlands.png

Scouting in West Midlands is about Scouting in the official region of West Midlands. It is largely represented by the Scout Association of the United Kingdom and some Groups of traditional Scouting including the Baden-Powell Scouts' Association. The Scout Association West Midlands Region covers the same area.

There are four student associations at various universities in the region, each of which is affiliated to the Student Scout and Guide Organisation (SSAGO): Birmingham University Scouts and Guides, [1] University of Central England Student Scout and Guide Group covering Birmingham City University,[2] University of Warwick Scout and Guide Club [3] and The University of Wolverhampton Student Scout & Guide Organisation. [4]

History of Scouting in West Midlands

The 5th Wolverhampton, 24th Birmingham/1st Sparkhill, 13th Stoke on Trent & Newcastle (1st Alsager), and 84th Birmingham (Somerset Road Methodist Wesleyan) Scout Groups claim to have started in 1908.[5]

The 9th World Scout Jamboree, celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Scouting was held at Sutton Park, Birmingham.[6] There were 30,000 participants. It was combined with the 6th World Rover Moot with 3,500 participants and the 2nd World Scout Indaba.

The Scout Association Counties

The Scout Association in West Midlands is administered through eight Scout Counties,

Birmingham Scout County

File:EnglandBirmingham.svg
Map of England highlighting the location of Birmingham

Birmingham Scout County is a Scout County of the Scout Association of the United Kingdom. It is concurrent with the City of Birmingham, and provides Scouting opportunities for young people and adults in the area.[7]

Muslim Scouts from Birmingham were among those from the UK on the first ever official trip to Mecca for the Hajj in January 2006.[8] The first Muslim Scout Group in Birmingham was formed in 2005.[9]

The County has 98 Scout Groups and some Explorer Scout Units, grouped into Districts, providing Scouting for young people from the age of 6 and up. The County also manages the Scout Network, which is the programme section for 18-25 year olds, consists of a number of local Scout Networks.

The County is currently divided into six Scout Districts:

  • Cole Valley South
  • Rea Valley[10]
File:Uk-scouts-district-badge-rea-valley.png
Rea Valley District badge as worn on the uniform of Scouting members
  • Spitfire
  • Sutton Coldfield East[11]
  • Sutton Coldfield West
  • Tame Valley

City of Coventry Scout County

Map of England highlighting the location of Coventry

City of Coventry Scout County is a Scout County of the Scout Association of the United Kingdom. It is concurrent with the city of Coventry, and provides Scouting opportunities for young people and adults in the area.[12]

The Districts each divide into a number Scout Groups and Explorer Scout Units, providing Scouting for young people from the age of 6 and up. The County also manages the Scout Network, consisting of a number of Local Scout Networks, which is the programme section for 18-25 year olds.

The County is currently divided into three Scout Districts:

  • Bablake
  • Caludon
  • Charterhouse

The Coventry Saracens Rugby Football Club was originally formed in 1966 from the 13th Coventry Scouts.[13]

13th City of Coventry Scout Marching Band

The 13th City of Coventry Scout Marching Band was founded in 1929. Since then it has had 34 Royal performances, appearing in events and venues such as Westminster Abbey, Windsor Castle, St Paul's Cathedral, the Royal Tournament, Wembley Stadium, Royal Albert Hall, Royal Festival Hall, London's Guild Hall, The Lord Mayor's Show, Horse Guards Parade, Coventry Cathedral, the Spalding Flower Parade, London's Easter Parade, and the Jersey Battle of Flowers. They have been National Scout Supreme Champions nine times in ten years.[14][15]

Hereford and Worcester Scout County

Hereford and Worcester Scout County is a Scout County of the Scout Association in the United Kingdom, covering the counties of Herefordshire and Worcestershire.[16]

The County is divided into nine districts:[17]

Shropshire Scout County

Shropshire Scout County is a part of the Scout Association in the United Kingdom, covering the County of Shropshire.[24]

The County is divided into three districts:[25]

  • Shropshire Borders District
  • Shropshire Severn and Teme District
  • Tern Valley District[26]

The 100th anniversary of Scouting was celebrated in Shropshire on top of the Wrekin, near their County Camp Site, and in Ironbridge.[27]

Staffordshire Scout County

Staffordshire Scout County is a Scout County of the Scout Association of the United Kingdom. It is concurrent with the political county of Staffordshire.[28]

The County is divided into eleven districts:[29]

  • Moorlands District
  • Potteries North District
  • Newcastle District
  • Three Towns District
  • Uttoxeter District
  • Stone District
  • Stafford District
  • Burton District
  • Cannock District
  • Lichfield District
  • Tamworth District

Warwickshire Scout County

Warwickshire Scout County is a Scout County of the Scout Association of the United Kingdom. It is concurrent with the political county of Warwickshire.[30]

The County is divided into eight Districts:

  • Atherstone
  • Nuneaton
  • Kenilworth
  • Leamington
  • Rugby
  • Stratford
  • Warwick
  • West Warwickshire

Solihull Scout County

Solihull Scout County is a Scout county of the Scout Association in the United Kingdom, and covers an area similar to the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull.[31]

Following a reorganisation in 2004, the scout county now has two districts:

  • Blythe Scout District
  • Cole Scout District

West Mercia Scout County

West Mercia Scout County is a Scout county of the Scout Association in the United Kingdom, and covers the Boroughs of Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton. [32]

The County is divided into ten Districts:[33]

  • Dudley
  • Halesowen
  • Stourbridge
  • Sandwell
  • Walsall
  • Walsall North
  • Wolverhampton East
  • Wolverhampton North
  • Wolverhampton South
  • Wolverhampton West

Halesowen Scout Band

The Halesowen Scout Band

Founded: 1975
Based: Halesowen, Template:UK
Contesting Class: National
Members of: The Scout Association, TYMBA
Band Master: Paul Wong
Websites: http://www.halesowenscoutband.co.uk

The Halesowen Scout Band are a marching band from Halesowen in the West Midlands, England. They were formed in 1975 as a district Scout band, which means that their members are drawn up from different Scout groups throughout the Halesowen district. The Halesowen Scout district includes the Hasbury, 1st Halesowen, Coombes Wood, Lapal, Howley Grange, Romsley, Cradley, Stambermill and Wollescote scout groups.[34]

The band plays an important role in the community of Halesowen and surrounding areas which includes leading parades on Remembrance Sunday, St George's Day, Guides Thinking Day, opening of the Christmas lights, and various fêtes and carnivals throughout the year.

They are members of TYMBA and compete in the National Class. They attend competitions throughout the year which are organised by other members of TYMBA (they also host a TYMBA contest themselves at the Earls High School, Halesowen).

Over the past few years, the band has performed at venues in places such as France, Alton Towers, Wembley Stadium and Arena, the Black Country Living Museum, and at the Birmingham International Tattoo alongside the Grenadier Guards and The Royal Marines.

In April 2007, the band, joined by members of Spen Valley and Northampton, played at the St Georges Day Parade at Windsor Castle and was reviewed by Her Majesty The Queen.

Campsites

Birmingham

The Scout Association County has a campsite at Blackwell Court and one maintained by the Pikes Pool Management Committee, near Blackwell Court. The site covers 52 acres (210,000 m2) of woodland and open fields, and features a large body of water allowing a number of activities including sailing, kayaking and raft building. The site also offers archery and air rifle activities, as well as pioneering, forester and conservation courses.[35] [36]

City of Coventry

Rough Close Outdoor Centre is the City of Coventry Scout Association County's campsite, located outside of the city of Coventry, about 1-mile (1.6 km) west of Tile Hill Village.[37]

The site offers a number of fields and pitches, allowing it to host anything from small patrol camps to County events. There are a number of buildings on the site, offering indoor accommodation and dining facilities, as well as some training facilities. The centre provides activities including archery, air rifle shooting, climbing, pioneering and orienteering.

Roy Morris, President of the 4th Coventry Scout Group, who joined the Scout movement in 1942, was awarded the Silver Wolf Award, the highest award of the Scout Association, for raising £85,000 for Rough Close in 2008.[38]

Hereford and Worcester

The Hereford and Worcester Scout Association County Camping and Activity Centre is Kinver Scout Camp.[39] Rhydd Covert is owned and run by Kidderminster District.[40] The Malverns District own a campsite at Warren Oak. The site is 3 miles (5 km) NNW of the market town of Ledbury in Herefordshire, just east of the B4214.[41]

Shropshire

Wrekin Scout Camp, owned by the Shropshire Scout Association County, goes back to before 1951 when a Shropshire Rotary Club built a chapel on the site.[42][43]

Staffordshire

The Staffordshire Scout Association County has access to a number of camp sites:[44]

  • Barnswood Camp Site
  • Beaudesert Camp Site
  • Consall Scout Camp, situated between Leek and Cheadle.[45]
  • Kibblestone International Scout Camp (also home to the Country Office)
  • Rangemore Camp Site
  • Sherratts Wood Camp Site (Stafford District site)

Warwickshire

Broadwater is the Warwickshire Scout Association County's Activity Centre [46]

Solihull

West Mercia

There are two camp sites in West Mercia:

Gang Shows

There are several Scout Shows, known as Gang Shows in the region:

  • East Birmingham Gang Show. Spitfire Scout District runs an annual Gang Show at Sheldon Heath Community Arts College in Sheldon.[citation needed]
  • Coventry Scout Gang Show[49]
  • Handsworth Gang Show.[50]
  • Kenilworth Gang Show.[51]
  • Solihull Gangshow. Although it has existed unofficially for some time, after 25 years of Solihull Gangshow,[52] 2007 saw the formation of the Solihull Gangshow Scout Fellowship, of which the stilt instruction/performance group Stiff and Stilted are a part.[53][54] [55]
  • Warwickshire Gang Show (WAGS).[56]

See also

References

  1. Birmingham University Scouts and Guides
  2. University of Central England Student Scout and Guide Group
  3. University of Warwick Scout and Guide Club
  4. The University of Wolverhampton Student Scout & Guide Organisation
  5. List of Scout Groups The First Troops
  6. Milestones of World scouting
  7. Birmingham Scouts Website
  8. BBC report on Hajj visit
  9. BBC report on first Muslim Group
  10. Rea Valley
  11. Sutton Coldfield East
  12. City of Coventy Scouts
  13. History of Coventry Saracens RFC
  14. 13th City of Coventry Scout Marching Band
  15. History of 13th City of Coventry Scout Marching Band
  16. Hereford and Worcester Scout County
  17. Districts in the Scout County of Hereford and Worcester
  18. Bromsgrove Scouts
  19. Wyre Forest Scouts
  20. Redditch Scouts
  21. South Marches District Scouts
  22. The Malverns District Scouts
  23. Worcester District Scouts
  24. Shropshire Scout County
  25. Shropshire Scouts Online
  26. Tern Valley District
  27. BBC - Scouts celebrate 100 years
  28. Staffordshire Scouts
  29. Staffordshire Scout County Districts
  30. Warwickshire Scout County
  31. Solihull Scout County website
  32. West Mercia Scout County
  33. West Mercia Scout County Districts
  34. Halesowen Scout Band
  35. Pikes Pool Campsite and Water Activities Centre
  36. Blackwell Court Camp Site
  37. Rough Close Outdoor Centre
  38. Scouting stalwart earns top honour
  39. Kinver Scout Camp
  40. Rhydd Covert Camp
  41. Warren Oak Campsite
  42. Scoutbase - Scout Camps, Wrekin
  43. The Rotary Club of Wellington, Shropshire
  44. Staffordshire Scout County Camp Sites
  45. Consall Scout Camp
  46. Broadwater Activity Centre
  47. Beaudesert Park
  48. Patshull Activity Centre
  49. City of Coventry Scout Gang Show
  50. Story of Handsworth Gang Show
  51. Kenilworth Gang Show
  52. "Solihull Scout Times - June 2006" (PDF). Solihull Scout Times. June 2006. http://www.solihullscoutcounty.org.uk/newsletters/newjune06.pdf. Retrieved 2007-08-28. 
  53. Stiff and Stilted
  54. Solihull Gangshow website
  55. Solihull Scout Guide Gang Show
  56. WAGS Gang Show


External links