Christ Church Darley Scout Group was founded almost 30 years ago, having started life as a satellite Cub Pack of Upper Nidderdale a few years before.  The aim was to bring Scouting “down t’Dale” into Summerbridge, Dacre, Darley and beyond.  After a few ownership issues, we were eventually officially adopted by Christ Church Darley in 1981 and have made it our home ever since.  With the adoption came the formation of a Group Executive Committee, the appointment of a GSL and the birth of CCD Scout Troop.  They knew how to co-opt volunteers in those days!

Many of our past leaders still show an active interest in the Group and we are proud to include Ray and Jean Head in their number as two of the founders of CCD.  As many in HANDS (Harrogate and Nidderdale District Scouts) know, Mike Reynard recently retired as our Scout Leader and it was wonderful to be able to invite so many local ex-leaders to his Farewell Barbecue at Thornthwaite last summer, albeit with serious concerns about the future of the Troop as he had no successor.  However, as one door closes another opens, and we were very lucky that three opened all on the same night!  As a result of that “leaving do” (although he still pops in regularly to put his two cents’ worth in!), we managed to convince three ex-CCD Scouts to take up the leadership mantle and this they have done very successfully.  Howard Bellerby was a Cub and Scout at CCD and has taken on the role of Scout Leader.  Having just completed his Degree at “uni” he has returned to the Dale and is happily putting into practise all that he learned at the other side of the woggle!  Steve Robinson and Magnus Anderson were both Cubs before Erica took over the Pack and have very colourful memories of their time in short trousers and garter tabs!  Steve is married and has a son (with two more on the way – get them on the waiting list quick!!) and Magnus has “a significant other” and lives in Summerbridge.  As two of Mick’s Scouts they have many stories to relate to their Troop of what CCD used to get up to on expeditions and activities.  All three have been thoroughly programmed with Mick’s ethos of Scouting so future Scouts can look forward to an exciting time ahead!

Our Pack leadership consists of Erica Spencer, Keith Waterworth, Brenda Reynard, Sally Beer and Lisa Marshall.  Erica has been a Cub Scout Leader since 1976 when she was convinced to fill in, just for a year, at a Pack in North West Leeds while her sister went to America.  After marrying, her family moved to Thornthwaite in 1984 but she continued with her Leeds Group.  However in 1988 she decided it was time to make the move to HANDS.  She took over a Pack that consisted of three boys and slowly began to rebuild it with the help of Keith Waterworth.  He was an ACSL in those days and continues to be Erica’s right hand man in running the Pack.  Although he openly admits to struggling with controlling a room full of noisy eight-to-eleven-year-olds, he is a brilliant badge tester, nose wiper and first aider as well as being the Group’s Quartermaster, responsible for sorting out kit before camps and scrubbing everything from billies to chemical toilets after the event!!  Brenda and Sally were both cub parents who used to come along on camp to “do the food” but when, six years ago, it was decided that we really needed some fresh blood on the Pack leadership team, they were approached and both agreed to sign up for “uniform duty”.  Brenda also managed to sign up for matrimonial duty as she and Mick are now married.  Both Brenda and Sally love doing craft activities (just don’t mention papier maché bowls to Akela!!) and have, in the past, been responsible for creating an entire solar system in the fields around Thornthwaite amongst other fairly madcap ideas.  Brenda works as a freelance greetings card/giftwrap designer and Sally is a chiropractor – a very handy gadget to take on camp I can tell you!  Lisa Marshall used to do Brownies and Guides at Darley and decided that she would like to become a leader a couple of years ago.  She enjoys working with the younger children but has also expressed a wish to get involved with the Explorers so we shall have to see where she ends up.  Just so long as she stays a leader in the Movement!!  We need everyone we can get!!  As a Barclays Bank employee, Lisa has been successful in securing the Group funding to help finance the repainting of the scout hut for which we are very grateful.

Our Beaver Colony has a bit of a start-stop history, mostly due to leadership issues.  Dates are a bit vague but I think it was formed in about 1993 and originally met at Christ Church Darley before Cubs on a Monday night.  After various changes of leadership it did close down for a while but was eventually given the “kiss of life” when two parents agreed to take it on provided it could be moved to Hampsthwaite and be held on a Wednesday evening.  This has worked almost too successfully as we have a massive waiting list and could actually easily create another Colony but again leadership is the problem.  There just are not enough people out there willing to give up that hour and a half each week!!  However at present our leaders are Lisa Tiffany, Richard Prudames and Clare Worsnop ably assisted by a team of willing mums who have not yet been convinced to fill in an AA form!  We’re still working on them!!  Being the mother of four boys, Clare has been involved with the Group for over six years and her youngest is just about to start Beavers so I think she will be around for a bit longer yet.  She agreed to become an Assistant Beaver Leader about three years ago and is an invaluable member of the team.  As a mother of both a Cub and a Beaver, Lisa agreed to apply for a warrant as Beaver Leader to ensure the future of the Colony and dragged Richard along to provide much valued support as ABSL.  Both Richard’s sons have been past members of CCD Scout Group.  Richard is a driving instructor – nerves of steel – a very valuable quality to have as a Beaver Leader!!  The Colony is flourishing under their care and we are grateful that its future is in such safe hands.

Unfortunately we are currently without either a Group Scout Leader or a proper Group Executive but hopefully this will be resolved at our next AGM due to be held in June 2010.  Being a rural Group, we do struggle to get parental commitment and support as everyone has such busy lives.  We are just grateful for the help we do get, usually from the same reliable faces who keep the cogs greased in times of crisis!  We shall continue to instil in all sections of the Group the values of Scouting and hopefully we can look forward to welcoming yet more ex-Cubs and ex-Scouts onto the Leadership Team.  Time will tell!

Erica Spencer

May 2010

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