Scouting in Wales

Scouting in Wales is largely represented by ScoutsCymru, a branch of the Scout Association of the United Kingdom, although some groups of the Baden-Powell Scouts' Association also operate there.

The Scout Association in Wales is administered through 12 Scout Areas. It has 14,000 young people, and over 3500 adult volunteers.[1] ScoutsCymru is the governing body.[2] There is a Chief Commissioner for Wales, currently Rhian Moore (Appointed 2018) and Commissioners for the various strategic pillars – Commissioner Wales - Programme, Commissioner Wales - People, Commissioner Wales - Perception and Commissioner Wales - Projects. A small team of staff manages the Headquarters functions based in Caerphilly. Senior Staff members Rich Flowerdew, Head of Strategy supports the external relationship of Scouting in Wales with external bodies and Tracy Lowe, Head of Operations supports the day to day running of the administrative function and in addition the Scouting Support Service assists to develop Scouting across Wales.

Aberystwyth Student Scout and Guide Organisation, Bangor University Guides and Scouts, Cardiff University Scouts and Guide Society, Glamorgan University Guides and Scouts, and Swansea University Guides and Scouts, all affiliated to the Student Scout and Guide Organisation (SSAGO), are situated in Wales.[3][4][5][6]

History

The 1st Colwyn Y.M.C.A. Baden Powell Boy Scouts appears to be the oldest Scout Troop in Wales, founded in late April or early May 1908.[7]

In 1911, Edward, Prince of Wales accepted the appointment as Chief Scout of the Principality of Wales and held this position until he became official patron of the Scout Movement across the British Empire on becoming King Edward VIII in 1936.[8]

In the Centenary year of 2007, The Scouting Association in Wales received five awards totalling more than £16,000 in lottery grants, awarded under the Awards for All Wales programme.[9] In March 2008, it launched a pilot scheme in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan similar to the Health Challenge Wales Guiding Scheme introduced earlier by Welsh Guides throughout the country.[10]

In 2007 Welsh Scouts were involved with the Scouts for Trees Project.[11][12]

In 2008, Ty Hafan Children's Hospice opened its own Scout group. This was the first hospice in Wales to do so.[13]

Welsh Scout Council of The Scout Association
Sgowtiaid Cymru
OwnerThe Scout Association
CountryWales
Website
scoutswales.org.uk

Brecknock Scout Area

The Area contains four Scout Districts, Brecon, Builth Wells, Glanusk and Ystradgynlais.

Cardiff and Vale Scout Area

The Area contains five Scout Districts: Cardiff North, Cardiff East, Cardiff West, Penarth District and Tir a mor[14]

The Area also runs a Scout Group at Ty Hafan Children's Hospice and The Lord Mayor's Own Scout Troop.

The Area runs and owns two campsites. Jubilee field which is based in the Vale of Glamorgan, and Miskin Mill Scout Village which is owned jointly with Mid Glamorgan Scout Area.

The Area Headquarters is based in Maitland Street, Cardiff. The Area Scout Shop is also located here.

The current Area Commissioner is Julian Jordan.

Past Commissioners include; Steve Evans, Richard Edwards, Sue Ryan, Keith Burfoot

The current Area President is Morfudd Meredith, the Lord Lieutenant of South Glamorgan.

1st Cathays Al Huda

The 1st Cathays Al Huda Scout Group in Cardiff became the first Muslim Scout Group in Wales in 2006 and the tenth in the United Kingdom.[15][16] Informal meetings of the Group started in 2002, prior to its official establishment in January 2006. 1st Cathays Al Huda had 61 members in 2006, 70 in 2007, 65 in 2008, 78 in 2009 and 98 in 2010[15] It is composed of a Beaver Scouts section, separate Cub Scouts sections for boys and girls, and separate Scouts sections for boys and girls.[17]

Carmarthenshire Scout Area

Carmarthenshire Scout Area (Sgowtiaid Sir Gar) covers the administrative county of Carmarthenshire, with two exceptions, Pencader and Newcastle Emlyn Scout Groups are registered with Ceredigion Area. Since 2005 there have been no Districts in Carmarthenshire and the Area now operates as a single structure.[18]

Ceredigion Scout Area

The Area contains two Scout Districts, North Ceredigion and Teifi.[19][20][21]

Clwyd Scout Area

The Area, covering the principal areas of Wrexham, Flintshire and Denbighshire, has sixty Scout Groups organised in four Scout Districts, with them all having District Explorer Scout Units. The Districts are Flintshire, Llangollen District, Vale of Clwyd (Denbighshire) and Wrexham.[22]

The former National Scout camp Brynbach is situated in Denbighshire near the village of Saron.

There is a Scout Shop situated at the Wrexham District Scout Headquarters.[22] The County Camp Site, Gladstone Training Centre and John Clarke Centre, is located between Hawarden and Broughton.

Glamorgan West Scout Area

The Area covers the Unitary Authority boundaries of the City and County of Swansea and Neath Port Talbot.[23] There are three Scout Districts: Afan Nedd, Cwm Newydd and Swansea and Gower.

Gwent Scout Area

The Area has four Scout Districts, coterminous with unitary authorities of the same name: Blaenau Gwent, Monmouthshire, Newport and Torfaen.[24][25][26] The 25th Newport Air Scouts are the only Royal Air Force recognised Scout Troop in Wales.[27]

Mid Glamorgan Scout Area

As of 2008, the Area has four Scout Districts, aligned with the boundaries of unitary authorities: Bridgend, CRAI (Caerphilly, Rhymney Valley and Islwyn), Merthyr Tydfil, Rhondda Cynon Taff.[28][29]

Montgomeryshire Scout Area

This Area covers the County of Montgomeryshire. There is a single District, also called Montgomeryshire.[30]

Pembrokeshire Scout Area

This Area covers the County of Pembrokeshire.

Radnor Scout Area

This Area covers the County of Radnorshire.

Snowdonia and Anglesey Scout Area

This Area, covering the regions of Snowdonia and the Isle of Anglesey, has three Scout Districts: Conwy, Gwynedd and Isle of Anglesey, with 31 Groups.[7] All of these Districts have Explorer Scout Units, and the Area currently hosts a Scout Network.

Scout Association Camp Sites

The Welsh Scout Council maintains two Welsh headquarters sites in Snowdonia: Yr Hafod – a Scout Adventures affiliated centre[31] and the specialist Mountain training centre situated in the glacial Ogwen Valley; and Cornel, a large camping and indoor accommodation site situated on the banks of Llyn Crafnant, high above the Conwy valley. The name Yr Hafod is Welsh for Summer house and the Scouts of Wales opened the training centre in 1959, with Bill Tilman performing the opening ceremony. Both of these facilities are available to all youth organisations.[32][33]

Cardiff & Vale Scout Area owns and manages Jubilee Fields,[34] and has joint responsibility with Mid Glamorgan for Miskin Mill.[35]

Carmarthenshire Scout Area is responsible for the Cwm Rhaeadr Scout Camp.[36]

Clwyd Scout Area has four campsites: Cae Llwyd, Coxwood, Gladstone, and Rowallan.[37][38][39][40]

Glamorgan West Scout Area is responsible for Silver Cross Scout Centre.[41] The Swansea Gower District is responsible for Parc-le-Breos Scout Campsite on the Gower Peninsula.[42] Craig Gwladys Camp Site at Cadoxton, Neath is the Neath District Camp Site.[43]

Gwent Area is responsible for Botany Bay Training and Activity Centre.[44] Within Gwent, Monmouthshire District is responsible for Tudor Cule Scout Campsite in Llangenny, Powys.

Mid Glamorgan Scout Area is jointly responsible with Cardiff and The Vale of Glamorgan Scout Area for Miskin Mill Scout Village, which has been in continuous use by Scouts since 1929.[35][45] Dolygaer Scout Activity Centre is in the Mid Glamorgan Scout Area.[46] The recently merged district covering the Caerphilly unitary authority area is responsible for Islwyn Scout Parc.[47]

Gwersyll Y Bryniau Scout Camp, Machynlleth is in the Montgomeryshire Scout Area.[48]

St Brides Scout Camp, Haverfordwest is in the Pembrokeshire Scout Area.[49]

Snowdonia and Anglesey Scout Area's Conwy District is responsible for the Rowen (Gwersyll Parc Mawr) site[50] Its history has been described on BBC Wales.[51]

There are some activity centres in Wales, run by English Scout Counties:

  • Yr Hen Felin, a former Youth Hostel at Cynwyd, North Wales, was purchased in 2007 by Northamptonshire Scout County.[52][53]
  • Coetmor Mill, Bethesda is owned by Hertfordshire Scout County[54][55]
  • Yr Hen Neuadd ('The Old Hall'), Bethesda, originally a Salvation Army Hall, was converted in 1970 by Greater London South West Scout County as an Activity Centre.[56]
  • Clogwyn Activity Centre, located in Port Penrhyn, Bangor. It is owned by Mersey Weaver Scout District, Cheshire. The site has its own climbing wall and sleeps 36.[57]

Gang Shows

There are two Gang Shows in Wales:- Cardiff and Newport.[58][59]

Events

A number of events are organised on a Wales-wide basis coordinated by ScoutsCymru. Such events include Beaver Scout Leaders' Conference, Wales Cub Fun Day, All Wales Scout Camp and AWESOME.

Scout Bands

It was estimated by Gilwell park, that during the late 1950s, there was around 50 marching band associated with Scouting in Wales. These numbers rapidly decreased in the early 1990s and today only one marching band is associated with Scouting in Wales – 1st Rogerstone Scout Band.

The 1st Rogerstone Scout Band was formed in 1957 by Ramon O'brien, who continued, as bandmaster, until his death in January 2012. Ramon played with the Newport District Scout Band and continued to play in both until Newport District Scout band ceased to exist. It is a 'Group Band' however it has members from all over the Newport Scout District. The band was formed quite by chance, as someone offered Ramon some second hand drums they no longer had the space for, and the band was born. The band has included members that have gone onto play for The Parachute Regiments Corps of Drums. It has played a major part in Rogerstone's Remembrance Day Parade as well as Newport District's annual St George's Day Parade. In February 2012, Gavin Foley and Jonathan Gibbons took over the band as Band Master and Assistant Band master, and have subsequently added new music and instruments, to the existing line up. In the summer of 2012, Andy Watson joined the leadership team as Director of Music[60]

See also

References
  1. Scout Census 2016
  2. ScoutsCymru
  3. SSAGO list of clubs in Wales
  4. Aberystwyth University Scouts and Guide Society
  5. Bangor University Scout and Guide Club
  6. Cardiff University Scouts and Guide Society
  7. Conwy County District
  8. "The Prince of Wales and the 1937 Coronation". Archived from the original on 12 September 2012.
  9. Awards for All Wales programme press release
  10. Health Challenge Wales
  11. Welsh Scouts for Trees Project
  12. Scouts for Trees Project
  13. First Welsh Scout Group in hospice
  14. Cardiff and The Vale Scouts Website
  15. Youth Citizenship and Religious Difference: Muslim Scouting in the United Kingdom, Sarah Mill, pds. 190–206, in Block, Nelson R.; Tammy M. Proctor (2009). Scouting Frontiers: Youth and the Scout Movement’s First Century. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing. ISBN 1-4438-0450-9.
  16. "First Muslim scout group in Wales". BBC. 27 March 2006. Archived from the original on 9 May 2009. Retrieved 9 May 2009.
  17. Official 1st Cathays Al Huda website
  18. Carmarthenshire Scout Area
  19. Ceredigion Scout Area Website
  20. North Ceredigion District
  21. Teifi District
  22. Clwyd Scout Area Website
  23. Glamorgan West Area Website
  24. Gwent Scout Area Website
  25. Monmouthshire District
  26. Newport District
  27. 25th Newport Air Scout Troop
  28. Mid Glamorgan Scout Area
  29. Bridgend District
  30. Montgomeryshire Scout Area Website
  31. Scout Adventures Yr Hafod
  32. Yr Hafod
  33. Cornel
  34. Jubilee Fields Camp
  35. Miskin Mill Scout Village
  36. Cwm Rhaeadr Scout Camp
  37. Cae Llwyd Camp Site
  38. Coxwood Camp Site
  39. Gladstone Camp Site
  40. Rowallan Camp Site
  41. Silver Cross Scout Centre
  42. Parc-le-Breos Scout Campsite
  43. National, County and District Camp Site Directory 2003
  44. Botany Bay Training and Activity Centre Archived 28 August 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  45. Cardiff and The Vale of Glamorgan Scout Campsites
  46. Dolygaer Scout Activity Centre
  47. Islwyn Scout Parc
  48. Gwersyll Y Bryniau Scout Camp
  49. GLSW Guide to Campsites – St Brides Scout Camp
  50. Conwy District Scout Camp Site
  51. BBC Wales on Parc Mawr
  52. Yr Hen Felin Cottage
  53. Cynwyd Youth Hostel bought by Northampton Scouts
  54. Coetmor Mill
  55. Coetmor Mill
  56. Yr Hen Neuadd
  57. Clogwyn Activity Centre
  58. Cardiff Gang Show
  59. Newport Gang Show
  60. The Last Scout Band in Wales, 1st Rogerstone Scout Band, Newport District
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