SUMMER CAMPS (1966-1992)
1. Introduction
This page provides an overview of the various summer camps run by the 70th Renfrewshire Troop from 1966 -1992. Information on these camps has been obtained from Patrol Log books, Troop Log Books, Personal Log Books and photographs. However, the details on each camp varies significantly and it is likely that a number of Log Books and photographs are sitting in some attic or other. Hopefully, these will appear in time in which case the information on relevant summer camps can be expanded.
Summer camps prior to 1966 were covered in a separate website covering the period 1932-1966. There are good reasons for splitting the history into these periods. The year 1966 marked a significant change in Scouting. Prior to 1966, the movement was still very much focused on the system initiated by Sir Robert Baden Powell. Changes had inevitably occurred, but they were relatively minor and the nature of Scouting experienced by a Scout in the early 1960s would have been familiar to his parents and grandparents. However, society had been changing drastically during the 1950s and 1960s with the advent of the teenage culture. As a result, Scouting underwent radical changes in 1966 which saw substantial changes to the uniform, age ranges and the progressive Scout training scheme. These changes did not occur immediately and there was a five-year transition period during which Troops could adapt to the new system. The 70th chose to introduce the changes relatively quickly over a 2-year period. For example, photographs taken at the summer camps of 1966 and 1967 show the Scouts still wearing traditional uniform, whereas the Scouts attending the 1970 summer camp in Denmark are all wearing the new uniform. Similarly, by 1968, every Scout was on the new Scout training scheme. By focusing on the period 1966-1992, the website reveals how the 70th succeeded in adapting to the new system. It also makes sense to start this website at 1966 as the year marked a change in leadership with Bob Miller handing over the Troop to Alistair Cram. Alistair Cram built strongly on the work that Bob Miller had already carried out in terms of camping styles, the Scouting ethos and encouraging parental support - a support that was crucial in the Troop gaining its own Scout HQ in 1969. This was an absolutely crucial factor in the impressive expansion of the Troop to contain over 50 Scouts in eight Patrols - numbers that were maintained over the period covered in this website.
In this introduction that follows, links are provided to transcripts of relevant log books, as well as web pages containing photographs and other graphical information on specific summer camps. Thanks are also given to Bob Millar, Alistair Cram, Robin Crawford, Brian Anderson, Craig Anderson and Graham Patrick for photographs.​​
2. Summer Camps (Why have them?)
The annual summer camp was an integral part of 70th Scouting during the periods covered in both this website and the website covering 1932-1966. During the 1950s and 1960s, Ian Blake and Bob Miller promoted the Patrol System in camp, such that patrols camped independently of each other and were totally responsible for cooking all their meals over wood fires. The Annual Summer Camp was the one moment in the Scouting calendar when the Patrol Leader had a significant responsibility for his Patrol over several days. The vast majority of PLs lived up to the expectations of the Scouters in taking that responsibility seriously and the Summer Camp was viewed by Scout and Scouter alike as the climax of the Scouting year. One of the greatest achievements of Alistair Cram's tenure as Scout Leader was to continue that tradition into the modern era and to introduce modern innovations without discarding the fundamental strengths of Scouting from the past. Over the next three decades, the 70th continued to run well attended Summer Camps where traditional camping skills were still core to the good running of the camp, but where a variety of new activities were introduced to the programme such as horse riding, archery, canoeing, camp sports, pyrography, kite flying, etc.
During the 1930s, there were no televisions or computer games to amuse youngsters during the summer holidays. Families also had more restricted horizons in terms of holiday destinations. There were no cheap package holidays abroad and most family holidays were determined by where one could go by train or ferry. Only the very well off could afford to fly and go to exotic destinations. Similarly, very few families owned cars. Therefore, the Scout summer camp offered an opportunity for Scouts to camp and explore new locations. Greenock Troops were particularly well placed in terms of potential destinations. From Gourock and Prince's Pier, the ferries visited numerous destinations on the Clyde or its adjoining lochs. The only limitation was the availability of piers, but, unlike today, there were plenty to choose from. It is no surprise then, that the 70th's initial summer camps went to places like Ardrishaig, Carradale, and St. Catherines. It should be noted that summer camps were held in any old field that could be 'borrowed'. As a result, there were no standing toilets or washing facilities. The former you dug yourself, the latter you planned carefully so that you would not have soapy water in your water supply. This was usually a stream or a river!
For example, the Wolf Cub in figure 1.1 belongs to the white six. The colours of the sixes represented different wolves and were usually white, grey, black, brown, red and tawny. Each six typically had six boys. Usually, the oldest boy was the Sixer in charge of the six, and wore two yellow bands round his left arm (Fig. 1.1). The second in command (the Seconder) wore one yellow band. In the years following the Second World War, a Senior Sixer was chosen who wore three yellow stripes (Fig. 1.2). However, it is not clear whether this was an 'official' rank or not.
Figure 1 Christopher Wilson as Sixer of the White Six (1960s)
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Figure 2 Douglas Brown as Senior Sixer (1949)
The leaders in the Pack were named after characters in the Jungle Book. The overall leader was the Akela, while other leaders could choose their own names (e.g. Bagheera, Kaa, Baloo etc). However, the official term for the leader of the Wolf Cub Pack was Cub Master or Cub Mistress.