Foundations
In 1929 Rector Lea of St. Margaret’s Church sent out the call for a volunteer to start a Scout Troop in the area – his call was answered with the arrival or Alfred Martin, or ‘Chief’ as he became known to us. The first Troop meeting was on Wednesday 9th October in Truth Hall, next to the church. It was proposed our scarves be Oxford Blue and Cambridge Blue, however these were unobtainable at the time so grey scarves were worn temporarily. At the start there were two patrols, the Bulldogs and the Lions. Not long after, Claude Fox (an adult recruit) and Mrs Moss (who has previously worked with Chief) opened our Cub Pack.
A couple of years later a First World War army hut was offered to the Scouts by Rector Lea if they raised the vast sum, at the time, of one hundred pounds to move it to the present site. With a lot of effort this was managed, and we had our own home.
In 1930 the first camp saw the Patrol Leaders under canvas through rain, hail and snow over Easter. Better weather was forecast in June for the first Troop camp, just ahead of the first summer camp in Guernsey. This must have been a terrific adventure for the Scouts, many of whom had not been away from home for any length of time before, let alone abroad. The fortnight was spent engaged in large amounts of exploring, hiking, sightseeing and cricket matches against other troops camping in the area.
In 1932 the band was started as a gift by Mrs Whitehouse, the lady who gave the churchyard wall, and the bugle band first played at the wall dedication. Another milestone happened a year later – the temporary grey scarves were replaced with red and black, the very same we wear today.
Into the Second World War, winter meetings moved to Saturday afternoons due to blackouts with Air Raid Precaution drills to finish each meeting. In 1940 we had our first air raid, with the PLs and 2nds taking home the Scouts late at night. That same year we also had our first war casualty, Scoutmaster Bill Wilson.
The Scouts did their bit for the war effort, with indoor shelter erection, waste paper collection, growing vegetables in our headquarters garden, and a total stint of 3000 hours of fire watching during the Blitz of 1942. Camping continued with camouflaged tents and ration books, pitching locally.
The Group came out of the war well – now with two Cub Packs and a Senior Scout section – but sadly our headquarters did not. It burnt down overnight in May 1945. The insurance was arranged by the Rector, unbeknown to the Scouts, and allowed us to buy a further hut, our headquarters until 1987.
By the end of the decade both Rector Lea and Chief said their goodbyes to the Group as they moved away. Both had been monumental in establishing 2nd Edgware. The reigns were now handed to Arthur Pitcher (Bosun) who continued to be a terrific driving force behind the Group.
Prayers at camp flag break
A group of Scouts, 1930s
The Band at the opening of the Grand Fete, 1949
Coming of age
Into the 1950s and the Group was growing, soon running two Cub Packs and two Scout Troops, alongside Rovers and our re-opened Senior Scouts. Numbers peaked in 1964 when we recorded our highest ever membership of 154. This was 44 more than the next largest Group in the District.
The Band attracted many of these members. After the war, this had been developed into a full brass band thanks to the efforts of Joe Wade. Then under his brother Sam’s leadership, the band went on to play at the Royal Albert Hall, the Royal Exchange, two Chief Scout ceremonies, Mansion House, Horse Guards Parade, alongside military bands at Fleet Carnival and at seven of Ralph Reader’s London Gang Shows, including one which was chosen to feature in the Royal Variety Performance before Elizabeth II. All this, and there was always time to perform at church parade every last Sunday of the month.
The Band, 1957
The Group on Rectory Lane before a parade
Cubs knot practice, 1960s
New Look
In 1967 Scouting was given a new look and structure. This saw the start of our Venture Scouts (replacing Seniors and Rovers) whilst an unofficial Mohawk Rover Club continued scouting for young adults. However the biggest change was around new sponsorship rules, which resulted in us becoming an open Group. The ‘St. Margaret’s’ was dropped from our official name, although the involvement between church and Scouts continued, as did church parades.
In 1968 the Ventures began a tradition of Christmas camps, which were initially under canvas. In 1985 our coldest camp was recorded: -20° C in the Lake District. Funnily enough, not long after this these camps were moved indoors! Camping has always been a highlight. We have camped in many lovely English counties as well as in Wales and Scotland. Abroad, we have camped in Denmark, Luxembourg and Switzerland. We have also had representatives at World Jamborees in Hungary, Holland, Austria, Greece, America and Korea.
In the 1980s, necessity dictated that before the second fell down, we needed to set in motion a project to build a new headquarters. The Group committee had foresight in the early 1960s to establish a building fund, and so to add to that, with seven further years of intensive fundraising and planning, matched with a tremendous enthusiasm by everyone associated with the Group and the 7th Edgware Guides, 9th May 1987 saw Chief Scout Major-General Michael Walsh open the new Scout and Guide Centre.
Scouts Summer Camp, Luxembourg 1975
Cubs outside the old HQ, 1980
Our new HQ opening ceremony, 1987
Winds of change
The success of the Centre attracted an increasing number of young people to join the Guides and Scouts. In June 1988 we opened our Beaver colony, for boys aged between six and eight. Three years later, The Scout Association welcomed girls into all sections.
In the ten years between the group’s Diamond (60th) and Platinum (70th) anniversaries, much has changed. The costs incurred by the building of the new headquarters were, incredibly, paid off by 1992. Barn dances and annual events such as the plant sale and the increasingly successful pig roasts all made significant contributions to Group funds, while regular bookings and hosting Bo-Peep Nursery ensured that the Group remained financially secure.
Change, of course, involves not just the introduction of the new, but the loss of the old. The 1990s saw the demise of the jumble sale, the Christmas bazaar and regular monthly church parades, as well as the traditional march to the church from the headquarters. Towards the end, the Venture unit, after many years of being the only single group unit in the District, found itself unable to continue.
The 2000s saw a quiet decade as we ran a much smaller Group. Without a Group Scout Leader, many of the group events faded out, and in 2006 the Scouts joined meetings with the 3rd Edgware, who were in a similar position to us.
Queen’s Scout Award, 1995
Badges presented at Cubs, early 2000s
75th Birthday Camp, 2004
Revival
Around 2010 things begun to turn around. After the 3rd Edgware merger ended we recruited on a new, young generation of Scout Leaders. With some recruitment efforts, the Scout numbers grew from about five to 25 in just a few years. Soon enough an active programme was up and running, including the return of the annual Summer Camps. We’ve also begun many new traditions, such as the yearly Narrowboat Camp, summer water sports at the Welsh Harp and our Review of the Year.
In 2019 we celebrated our 90th birthday with a time capsule and reunion event. That would turn out to be our last big gathering for some time, as the 2020s started with a global pandemic, with scouting at home and video call meetings. In between national lockdowns, face-to-face meetings took place with social distancing rules, group size limits and face masks worn indoors.
Into 2022 we were keen to get back out there, with Scouts participating in the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee parade and in 2023 a couple of our Young Leaders helping at the State Opening of Parliament, the first in the Group to catch a glimpse of the new king.
Camp investiture, 2013
Cubs gardening project, 2019
Troop’s 95th Birthday evening, 2024
What’s next?
As we look forward to our centenary in 2029, 2nd Edgware continues to thrive with outdoor adventures, skill-building, and a growing community. Why not join us on our journey? Whether you’re a past member, a future Scout, or just interested in our story, we welcome you to be part of our next chapter.
If you would like to share your memories of 2nd Edgware, donate some scouting memorabilia to our archives or just ask us a question about our history – our archivist would be happy to hear from you! Fill in the form below and we’ll get back to you shortly.
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