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History of Scouting in the City of Sheffield 1935-40

1935-36
The Special Tests Branch becomes 'Handicapped Scouts Branch'

Again, a Scouters' Conference is held in the Cutlers' Hall with over 200 Leaders attending

Each Division sets about raising money for the Headquarters Fund with dances, exhibitions and fairs - Western and Southern Divisions raising £120 and £80 respectively

Two Troops hold their Summer Camps abroad, 167th (King Edward VII's School) going to Kandersteg and 36th (Ranmoor) going to Denmark

The 29th (Montgomery) Cub Pack win the Cub Trophy, the First Aider Trophy and the Guide Trophy
   
1936-37
George V dies and is succeeded by Edward VIII who abdicates. George VI becomes king.
Television begins in Britain
The Jarrow March is held


Again, annual census numbers reduce due to further slum clearances and resultant Group closures
Eighty boys and Scouters attend the International Jamboree in Holland

Sheffield Scouts take part in the selling of Coronation Programmes

SLABS holds an Exhibition of Models in the Edmund Road Drill Hall entitled 'Lilliput 1937' and builds a city to hold the hundreds of models displayed

The Rover Section present a revue 'Shorts 1937', the first of many 'Shorts'

Formal notice is given to quit the Scout Campsite at Grimbocar to make way for the construction of Ladybower Reservoir
   
1937-38
Lieut Col J H Leslie resigns as County Commissioner and is succeeded Capt Harold E G West and the Scout County is renamed South Yorkshire

The South Yorkshire Scout Rally is held in July in the Sheffield Sports Stadium (now Owlerton Greyhound Track). The Rally is organised as a greeting for Lord Somers, Deputy Chief Scout, on his first visit to Sheffield. The Rally takes the form of an historical pageant, the Sheffield Scouts performing 'The Roman Episode' and 'The Age of Scouting', the Rover Scouts 'The Stone Age' and the Wolf Cubs 'The Rescue of the Settlers'. It rained continuously throughout the entire programme!

Organised by the City's Patrol Leaders, a Patrol Leaders' Conference is held in the Farm Grounds
Nationally, Leader training programmes are revised to be based on the Group System and the City's Training Troop and Pack become the Howard Group

Over 100 Rovers take part in 'Shorts 1938'
   
1938-39
All UK workers are now legally entitled to one week's annual paid holiday
Outbreak of World War II


A National Service Badge is introduced, by Imperial Headquarters, and is awarded to over 100 City Scouts for being engaged in some form of National Service

Many Scouters and Rovers train for various Air Raid Precaution (ARP) services. Scouters and Rovers who are in the Territorial Army are now on Active Service (OAS)
W G L (Wiggles) Smith is appointed District Commissioner for National Service and a Scout Messenger Service is established for duty in in the City ARP organisation

C E Holmstrom is appointed District Commissioner, succeeding Albert Harland who is appointed Honorary Treasurer

In January 1939, the South Yorkshire Rover Scout Conference is held in the Town Hall and the Cutlers' Hall. The speakers include the Vice Chancellor of the University and the HQ Commissioner for Rover Scouts. Over 400 Rovers from the County attend

Produced by W Jenkins Gibson, 'Shorts 1939' is on a larger scale than ever before, the numbers being increased by the addition of Scouts to the cast. It runs for five nights at the Sheffield Empire
A site is purchase on Trippet Lane for the construction of the City Headquarters, the Appeal Fund having been swelled by the Graves Charitable Trust advancing a mortgage of £2000, and building commences

A Development Committee is formed to initiate Scouting in the New Housing Estates and twelve new Scout Groups are registered

A party of Rover Scouts attends the 3rd World Rover Moot at Monzie in Scotland

Scout P Vemplew of 219th (St Catherine's) is awarded the Cornwell Scout Decoration
   
1939-40
The first Scouts' 'Soap Box Derby' is staged at Brooklands Race Track

A considerable number of Leaders join HM Forces, in some instances leaving PLs to carry on as best they can

Blackouts cause difficulties in holding evening meetings during the winter months

Requisitioning for National Purposes means that a number of Groups are deprived of their headquarters and meeting places

As part of the War Effort, the Association institutes a Scout Service Bureau which assists in hospitals and at railway stations and in the organisation of Flag Days

The Master Cutler sponsors a competition, with a prize of a trek cart, for the Group which can collect the most scrap metal. The joint winners are the 20th (Ecclesall) and 26th (St Mark's), each collecting over 20 tons. Scouts also collect waste paper, silver paper and magazines.

The new Headquarters are opened by Lady Riverdale with the great and the good of Scouting and Sheffield in attendance. As a tribute to Albert Harland for being a major initiator and fund raiser of the project, the 'Harlard Room' is named after him
A Scout Cafe and Forces Club are started in the building
The Equipment Department starts business operations in the new building. However it is suffers from limited stock due to wartime shortages
Four Sheffield Rover Scouts present the HQ with a set of flags which are dedicated by the Provost of Sheffield

A Sheffield Rovers magazine 'SLABS' begins publication and soon has a circulation of about 700 copies per month

The war restricts the competition programme and only the Ambulance Competitions are held
Similarly the Cub Rally is cancelled but Divisional Picnics take its place

(1) British Pathé have an incorrect date for the film
Events in italics refer to national Scouting Events. More information on these can be found here.
Numbers in brackets [1234] are links to more information in the Sheffield Scout Archives.

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