EXPEDITIONS
‘R’ US
A brief history of the first 50 years
of the North Kent Boys’ Brigade
DofE Expedition Training Group
EXPEDITIONS ‘R’ US
A brief history of the first 50 years
of the North Kent Boys’ Brigade
DofE Expedition Training Group
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EXPEDITIONS
‘R’ US
A brief history of the first 50 years
of the North Kent Boys’ Brigade
DofE Expedition Training Group
EXPEDITIONS ‘R’ US
A brief history of the first 50 years
of the North Kent Boys’ Brigade
DofE Expedition Training Group
|
|||
|
|||
EXPEDITIONS ‘R’ US
A brief history of the first 50 years of the North Kent Boys’ Brigade DofE Expedition Training Group.
It all started with a piece of paper. Not just any piece of paper, but a shiny, green piece of paper with a badge on the front showing a crown and two stylised crossed swords; inside was an introduction to something called the “Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme”.
Ron Dickinson was a young Lieutenant in the 51st London Boys’ Brigade Company in Hammersmith, just opposite the Hammersmith Palais. The 51st was a large and very active Company even by the standards of the day, and they were fortunate enough to have the use of large premises to match. One dark winter’s night in 1959, Ron had just finished taking his class for the night and was relaxing in the Officers’ staff room when he found the leaflet and started reading it.
Ron still remembers the tingle of excitement he felt when he read about this new scheme, and was immediately convinced that it represented a new dimension for the BB. He vowed to himself that if he were ever to have his own Company, he would base its badge and activities programme around the DofE Scheme, elevating the BB badge scheme to a whole new dimension.
He
didn’t have long to wait before the opportunity arose to make his dream come
true, as early in 1960 he moved from the hustle and bustle of London to the
backwaters of rural Kent. He moved to Trottescliffe, into the new home he had
designed and built for his young family, and joined the Baptist Church in
nearby Meopham. The BB was growing in North Kent but as yet there was no
Company in Meopham. Never one to leave a need unfulfilled, Ron set about
starting one.
The summer of 1960 saw preparations race ahead for the new company, and the village was on the receiving end of an enthusiastic and thorough publicity drive. The 51st London visited several times to support Ron with parades, displays, band concerts and meetings. On one memorable sunny Saturday in July the 51st marched from one end of Meopham to the other, colours streaming and the band spreading their message to the furthest corners of the village. There could be no doubt the BB was coming.
The 1st Meopham opened its doors to a queue of new recruits in September 1960 and rapidly became an enthusiastic, keen, active and well-respected group in the village and the area. True to his pledge, Ron based its activity programme around the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme, and on the 8th Dec 1960 DofE Record Books were issued to the first seven participants – Maurice Beeby, Richard Mucklestone, Roger Povey, Paul Durling, Norman White, Clifford Taylor and Jimmy Donovan.
The race for Gold was on!
The 1st Meopham thrived and rapidly grew to become a solid and viable BB Company, and many still feel this success was due in no small part to Ron Dickinson’s vision for its activity programme. By the start of 1961 the leading vanguard of seven DofE recruits were making the very most of the BB Badge scheme to satisfy their DofE requirements, but a small yet important gap in the grand plan was becoming apparent: there was no BB Expedition Badge, nor any covering the map work and camping skills that would be needed for the Expedition section.
Something new was needed, and it was “Ron the Vision” who saw the way forward. Over the Easter weekend of 1961, he ran an Expedition Training weekend for the seven Boys in his back garden in Trottescliffe. The syllabus for the weekend included map work, camp craft and cooking, and even a night-time training expedition up and down the North Downs to ensure that they’d all been listening. Although the main purpose of the weekend was training, it was all done in such a way as to be enjoyable as well and, according to the participants, managed most successfully to build team spirit within the groups.
Unfortunately no record remains of exactly what was done during that weekend, but from the recollections of the participants it would seem to be quite recognisable to today’s students. Indeed, one of the participants remembers being told on this weekend that the long term plan was to get them all through to Gold, after which it would be their job to pass on their knowledge and experience to the next generation.
The
training must have been successful as the Boys were considered ready to do
their Bronze Expeditions over the Whit Bank holiday 1961. They split into two
groups, doing their expeditions along the Medway valley around Tonbridge, following
the same route in opposite directions. None of the Boys had their own
equipment; everything had to be borrowed or improvised. Boots were ill-fitting
and often leaky; packs were bulky, heavy and awkward; stoves were weak and
dangerous; the food came mainly in tins; and the tents and sleeping bags were
heavy, cold and draughty. Undeterred, the teams pressed on as there wasn’t
much chance of anything better, passing their Bronze expeditions with flying
colours.
Norman White and Clifford Taylor completed their Bronze, but didn’t continue any further, and Jimmy Donovan left the BB to join the Army Youth Team. The remaining four advanced to their Silver. Another Training Weekend was held in Ron’s garden at The Stonewall, Trottescliffe, and over Easter 1962 Maurice Beeby, Richard Mucklestone, Roger Povey and Paul Durling set off to Salisbury Plain for their Silver expedition. The expedition ran from the 20th to the 22nd April 1962, and the group was assessed by an Officer of the West Kent Battalion BB whilst being watched carefully by Ron. Again they passed with flying colours; by the end of summer they were proud holders of their Silver awards.
The group of four remained intact as they moved on to Gold. Even more intensive training was held at The Stonewall as the group readied themselves for the 50 mile challenge in Snowdonia. There was little in the way of good expedition equipment and clothing in the early 60s, and the begged and borrowed items of their earlier expeditions would have been foolhardy and even dangerous for a Snowdonia Easter. In the end they hired almost everything they needed from Blacks, so were able to set off for their first experience of the mountains well-equipped but with empty wallets.
On the 11th April 1963 they travelled to Wales by train, arriving in Bangor in (typically) foul weather. After a seemingly endless cold, wet wait at the bus stop they travelled to Capel Curig, enjoying without realising it their last moments of dry for the next four days. They pitched camp at Capel Curig just as the light was fading, and settled down to a night disturbed by wind, rain and sheep, to say nothing of worries about the next 50 miles.
They woke to a deep white silence, and had to dig themselves out of their tents to start the day. From Capel they walked along the track to Llyn Ogwen, then over the Glyders and up the Miners’ Track to their next camp at Llyn Lyddaw below Snowdon. Much of the snow had, by then, been melted by the rain; they were all soaked through so thoroughly they were able to pour the water from their boots. How pleased they were though that they had chosen to equip themselves with good quality tents, sleeping bags and stoves!
On Saturday morning they slithered down the pipeline from Llyddaw, strolled down the road in the rain, struggled and slid their muddy way up the hillside above Hafod Rhisgl, and squelched their way across the boggy plateau, following the Ancient Trackway to Dolwyddelan. They were so wet and cold by then that they pitched their tents in a barn for a bit of shelter, and managed just enough rest to allow them to make it to the end of their route near Betws-y-Coed the next day.
Their expedition was assessed by Brian Roberts from the Birkenhead Battalion BB, the same Battalion whose path would be crossed so many times during so many subsequent years of expeditions. He passed the group, and they left as the rain stopped, travelling home in style, comfort, warmth and dry in Ron Dickinson’s Ford Zodiac.
The group worked towards their other Gold sections during the summer of 1963, with Maurice, Roger and Richard completing but Paul Durling struggling to reach the required standards in athletics. The first three were presented with their Gold awards in November 1963; Paul did eventually complete his athletics, following them to Buckingham Palace in the summer of 1964.
Ron now had his Gold Boys and was ready for the next stage of his plan, but true to style he’d already jumped the gun. He considered that DofE was too good to keep to just his Company, and had always said he wanted to push it out to the rest of the Battalion (actually, still a Group at this stage). His experience in the 1st Meopham showed that BB badges were able to handle everything bar expeditions, so the next stage would be to offer his Expedition Training to the Battalion. To do this he needed suitable staff, and the key to this was his first cohort of Gold Boys.
Many would have waited until the group had completed the very last activity in the book, but not Ron. Once his group had finished their training, he felt ready to launch. In February 1963 a letter went out to all Company Captains in the Battalion encouraging them to start the DofE scheme in their Companies and inviting them to send candidates to an Expedition Training Weekend to be held on the 16th and 17th March 1963 at South Street Farm Meopham.
Ron
had thought that “maybe a dozen or so” Boys would come, and had arranged a few
staff to help. Assisting Ron were Maurice Beeby and Roger Povey from the
Meopham Gold cohort, and Doug Bush and Dick Allen, officers from the 2nd
Gravesend. In the event some 50 Boys arrived by bus, bike, car and foot and a
sort of not-so-quiet, organised chaos ensued for the weekend. Interestingly,
at least three of the candidates on this weekend remained active in the Group
for the next 20 years, so it must have been a success! They were Paul Cheney,
Martin Harris and Colin Marshall from the 2nd Gravesend.
Most Boys were starting at Bronze (including Colin), although one group of slightly older Boys (including Paul and Martin) were put in for direct-entry Silver. They were all divided into groups of about 6, with lectures being split only into Bronze and Silver. Lectures were held in the small barns at the farm and space was at a premium: seats on hay bales at all heights were much prized whilst the rest lounged, lent, stood or squatted as best they could. By the end of the weekend there was nearly as much sleeping as listening during lectures; nevertheless the sense of adventure was caught by all.
There was certainly a marathon map-reading and compass work session (well done Doug Bush), and probably sessions on camp craft and safety. The Boys brought their own food, and cooking their own meals was their cooking training. Pitching tents was also largely “work it out yourself”, but somehow everyone did. After tea there was an evening expedition in groups: the map-reading session must have been successful as everyone returned before daybreak. The night is remembered as sleepless, cold and uncomfortable, as a first night at camp typically is.
Sunday definitely included a service and a test, and another attempt at cooking. Some time was spent planning real expeditions, but everything was so new and so different to anything experienced before at BB that much of it left the students with glazed expressions on their tired faces. However, history had been made and the Group was up and running. The significance may not have been realised by those who were there, and few could have guessed just how far it would go, or for how long, but all knew deep down that this was a special weekend that they’d remember for many years to come.
The summer of 1963 saw the North Downs dotted with groups of Boys attempting their Bronze expeditions. Needless to say no known records exist of exactly where any of them went, or even of how many passed, but enough passed to create a couple of Silver groups the next year.
One group from Gravesend, which included Colin Marshall, set off from Otford one Saturday in bright sunshine and high spirits, but ill-equipped and very unsure of exactly what they were supposed to do other than reach the end. It’s very difficult to realise now just how little good equipment there was around at this time: almost everything in this group was either borrowed or improvised. Several wore ordinary shoes and one wore his wellingtons (well, you said “boots” sir!); raincoats and even a school blazer were in evidence; one boy had a blanket instead of a sleeping bag, and another carried everything in a small suitcase strapped to his back. This first attempt collapsed when the rains came: several sleeping bags got so wet they could not have been safely used. Interestingly though, the long wait at the bus stop home gave time for much discussion on why it had gone so wrong and how it would be done better next time.
A month later the second attempt was much more successful, and not only because the weather was much kinder. This time much effort had gone into borrowing better equipment and, in a few cases, parents had been persuaded to provide key items like boots and anoraks. The group camped at Trottescliffe church and were assessed by Ron Dickinson and Maurice Beeby. If they’d realised just how close Ron’s house was as they drove away, they might have been even more tempted to hitch a lift to comfort and a proper toilet!
One group of slightly older Boys including Martin Harris and Paul Cheney had been put into a direct entry Silver group, and they had problems and adventures of their own. Their expedition was planned for Salisbury Plain over the Whit weekend of 1963. Their planning and preparation went well, and a few days before they set off they posted their route details to Ron at his office. As the Friday dawned they set off for Salisbury Plain a few hours before Ron opened his post, including the long-awaited route details.
As Ron laid their tracing over his map, his heart lurched when he saw it went straight through the area marked in red as “artillery range”. Frantic phone calls were made to the pub from which the group were starting, to local BB officers and even to the Police to try to stop the group setting off, but to no avail as they were already clocking up their first few miles. Ron drove off after them. Eventually the group was found before any harm befell them, but like the Gravesend Bronze group they too now had to plan for a second attempt. Their second attempt later that summer was just as successful as the Bronze one, and there was now a Gold group in waiting for 1964 with the hope of a second batch of Assessors in 1965.
A second Training Weekend was held in March 1964, again at South Street Farm in Meopham and camping in the small field at the corner of Heron Hill Lane. Regrettably only the programme for this event still exists, but it definitely included one Gold, at least two Silver and several Bronze groups. Whilst the previous year’s Bronze expeditions produced many keen and enthusiastic Silver candidates, others realised that the scheme wasn’t for them. Fortunately the enthusiasm must have been contagious as there was no shortage of Bronze candidates to follow in their footsteps. 1963 may have been special as the first Battalion Weekend, but the 1964 one is memorable for many firsts.
This Training Weekend has the doubtful distinction of seeing the first DofE accident, when one of the Silver Boys slipped as he started up the North Downs after a misunderstanding about which hands were helping him. He fell back onto Pilgrims’ Way and broke his wrist. Nothing daunted, not only was the night training walk completed but his Silver expedition was done with his arm in plaster. The determination to overcome all odds started early and has grown as the years roll by.
The Army Youth Team helped out at this weekend, led by Cpl Dave Davis. They provided a minibus for transport, tents for the staff and some cooking equipment for use by the groups. The supplies of Army rations, including tins of chocolate, were very popular, and the label-less tins proved an entertaining source of very strange menus. The smoke canisters on the Downs gave an edge to map reading skills on the night expeditions, and the thunderflashes kept everyone on their toes.
This weekend also saw the first non-BB candidates: George Dunkley and Alan Martin from Maidstone Grammar School joined to do their Silver. The school could handle Silver but not Gold, and as they wanted to go on to Gold they did their Silver with us as well so as to start fitting in to a group.
And last but by no means least, this weekend is the first for which a programme still exists. Unfortunately it lists neither staff nor candidates, but interestingly it does record a short session on “Objects, Reports and general regulations and requirements” – an indication that the candidates’ confusions the previous year were noted and being addressed.
As there was a Gold group this year, a trip to Snowdonia was planned for Easter 1964. The two Silver groups were also taken so they could gain experience of the area. The Army Youth Team again assisted, their minibus transporting much of the equipment and most of the Boys. The vehicle was so full that the last few passengers had to be manhandled into the narrow gap between the top of luggage and the roof: they were so stiff at the end our 9 hour journey that they had to be held upright to recover once they’d been hauled from the bus.
Base
camp was at Dol Gam, between Capel Curig and the Ugly House. The two Silver
expeditions were soon on their way, but the Gold expedition was cancelled as
some of the group members were unable at the last minute to make it. Life at
base camp should have been quite comfortable for the assessors, with all the
equipment provided by the Army. Unfortunately they’d left behind the tent ridge
poles, so much improvisation and squeezing up was needed. The Army did provide
a pair of walkie-talkies for communication between assessors. One heavy,
back-mounted unit was hauled up the steep muddy slope to the Ancient Trackway
by Maurice Beeby, only to discover that its signal wasn’t powerful enough to
reach the valley. That was the end of that good idea!
The two Silver groups completed ok and everyone returned safely home, full of enthusiasm for the next year. The Bronze expeditions were all held locally, on and around the North Downs.
The March 1965 Training Weekend was held at the Wouldham Army camp, with the support and help of the Army Youth Team. Last year’s Silver groups now merged with that year’s aborted Gold to form two new Gold groups, with a good number of Silver and Bronze to follow on. The Assessors had luxury accommodation in the huts and the manicured lawns provided the very best camp site one could dream of. There were halls for lectures, with plenty of room for breaking up into groups, and the army kitchens were well used to coping with so many hungry mouths.
The Silver and Gold night expeditions were held in the army’s training quarry, a wild, rough and hilly area that tested map reading skills to the limit. As if that wasn’t enough, the area was filled with smoke, and the walkers were distracted by thunderflashes and confused by soldiers appearing from nowhere to tell them a route was blocked, or that they were going the wrong way even if they weren’t. Four hours in that quarry provided probably the most intensive map-reading training ever given in the whole 50 years of the Group’s existence!
Over Easter 1965 the Silver and Gold groups again headed for Snowdonia. Base Camp was again at Dol Gam. Two Gold groups set off on Thursday evening, walking the same route in opposite directions. One group started at Capel Curig, heading for their first camp at Llyn Ogwen. Their second day took them over the Glyders through the mist and snow to Pen-y-Gwryd, then on to their second camp at Llyn Llyddaw. Here they crossed paths with the other Gold group, and the following excerpt from their log shows their good spirits.
We then assembled in the 3 man tent, squatting three on each side for devotions. We sang ‘Abide with me’, followed by a prayer from Paul. Martin read the Sermon on the Mount, then we sang ‘Will your anchor hold’. We were told afterwards that our singing could be heard on the other side of the lake; they say a Christian can move mountains, and we tried to move Snowdon.
Before turning in, we tied a tea towel to Martin’s walking stick, donned balaclavas and sun glasses and formed ourselves in close formation. We marched off down the track calling left,right,left all the way to the other group’s site some hundred yards away, where we presented our colours with full BB ceremony. After cracking a few jokes and wishing each other well, we marched back to our tents and a good night’s sleep.
The next day’s route took them up the Miners’ Track to the Zigzags, back down the Pyg Track and through the Llanberis Pass to their last camp at Llanberis. Their final day involved a marathon trek across the Snowdon range to the Snowdon Ranger Youth Hostel, then along the old railway track to Beddgelert. The route finished with a perilous crossing of the old railway bridge (no footway then – just the iron girders), through the very dark (disused!) railway tunnel to finish at Nant Mor.
Both groups completed successfully and, during the summer months, most went on to complete their Golds. There was now a second generation pool of assessors waiting to join the ranks and just longing for the next Training weekend to arrive. Another important milestone had been passed.
The 1965-66 season was one of many major changes. The Boys’ Brigade itself had changed. Up till now the local Companies had been organised into the North Kent Group, but in September 1965 this became the North Kent Battalion. This provided much more scope for self-control, organisation, regulation and support – there could be no faulting the local support given to the Expedition Group. The change was celebrated on the 25th September by a marathon relay run round all the churches in the Battalion, and many Assessors and candidates were among the runners that day.
The
most obvious DofE change was that the assessing staff now included five new members
who had just completed their Golds, at last allowing most groups to be taught
by someone who really knew what it was like to be on DofE expedition. These
were Paul Cheney, George Dunkley, Martin Harris, Colin Marshall and Alan Martin.
Prior to this there had been only Maurice Beeby and sometimes Roger Povey, so
passing on their experience was no easy task. This was the point Ron had been
aiming towards for six years; at last his dreams were coming to fruition.
Major changes were also made to the way teaching was done. This season there were two training weekends for the first time, with map reading being taught at the October weekend and camp craft in March, much as is still done today. This was also the first time that most of the teaching was done in groups, making the most of the surge in assessor numbers. Previously, most of the instruction had been done in big lectures, with only practice and follow-up happening in groups. Up to October 1965, weekends had all started on the Saturday morning, but from March 1966 reception was moved to Friday evenings.
The Army Youth Team was now being run down (defence cuts, 60’s style) and was no longer able to help us, so the training weekends were moved to the back garden at Ron Dickinson’s House, Stonewall, at the foot of the North Downs. Fortunately for the Group, Ron’s garden was plenty big enough to hold everyone, although the neighbours may not have shared this view. There were certainly “words” afterwards about the unofficial use being made of boundary bushes for unmentionable purposes!
The most significant change however was one that few noticed at the time. Dave Hollands, the 1st West Malling captain, was brought in as the Administrator. Until now everything had been small and simple enough to run by little more than word of mouth, but numbers were rapidly increasing as the scheme gained in popularity and more and more Companies started running it, also meaning much more money was now involved. Dave applied his firm hand to the tiller and very rapidly brought order out of potential chaos. Without Dave to keep the Group under control, it is very doubtful that it would have prospered so well or for so long. By a strange coincidence, Robert Hardy, who took over admin from David and still does the job today, started his Bronze on this same weekend.
The Easter 1966 expeditions were again held in Snowdonia, with the base camp remaining at Dol Gam. There were very high winds that year and considerable time was spent collecting rocks from the river to weigh down both staff and Boys’ tents. At one evening meal the assessors looked out from their tent to see a frame tent rolling past, followed a few seconds later by a young couple clad in little more than their embarrassment trying to reclaim it. Needless to say, there was no shortage of volunteers to help.
The October 1966 weekend was again held at Stonewall, with two Gold groups, three Silver and six Bronze. The still to this day active Dave Berry was in Gold group A, and there was a staff of 15 to do the teaching. By now though the Group had really outgrown Stonewall so, to the undoubted delight of Ron’s neighbours, the March 1967 weekend was moved to Mount Mead on the opposite edge of Trottescliffe, courtesy of assessor George Dunkley’s parents.
Easter
1967 saw Dave Berry do his Gold expedition. This was memorable for being the
first to include the Carnedds, and for the group and their assessors vying to
be the first to be fooled by the magnetic rock in the area. They went round in
a circle, passing the Mountain rescue hut twice before realising their problem
and continuing using visual clues rather than the compass.
Easter 1967 was followed by two more successful weekends at Mount Mead, and yet another Easter at Dol Gam. There was now a regular trickle of new Assessors being invited each year, with a wonderful team spirit developing amongst the staff. Indeed it is quite remarkable how many from this era have maintained a lifelong connection with the Group, and equally how many friendships forged then are still active today.
Easter 1968 was the end of an era, as this was Ron Dickinson’s last Easter as leader of the Group. Work and a young family were occupying an ever growing share of his time, and he felt confident that he’d brought the Group to a point where it could continue to develop using its own home-grown talent, as he’d always intended. With very little fuss or ceremony, the reins were passed to Maurice Beeby, now the only member of that very first Meopham Gold group to still be active with the Group.
Barely had Maurice agreed to the change when tragedy struck two West Malling members of the Group. Mick Barnes (Assessor, Gold 1966) and Clive Beal (Silver 1968) were killed in a motor scooter accident just after Easter whilst on their way to visit another assessor. They were greatly missed by all who knew them.
Barely
had Maurice got into the swing of things as leader when work commitments
prevented him from continuing. Colin Marshall, who did his Gold in 1965 in the
first cohort of Battalion candidates, stood in for Maurice at short notice for
the October 1969 weekend, and was appointed by the Battalion as leader for the
March 1970 one.
This appointment was not made lightly as Colin was living and working in Cambridge, not Kent. To avoid potential problems, Dave Hollands agreed to be the local half of the team, in addition to his Administrator role, to deal with all local matters requiring urgent action or attention. This “team management” approach worked very well, and laid the foundation for even more of the same when the need arose a few years on.
As the first decade drew to a close, so too did the period of rapid growth and massive changes. The precocious infant had grown into a popular and well-loved child, fit for anything, and ready to start maturing towards an adult.
Just as there had been two leaders through the first decade, so another two saw the Group through the next. Colin Marshall took on the role from October 1969 and continued until Easter 1977 when work commitments and ill-health forced a change. Pete Underhill shared the role with Colin for the 1978 season in order to be trained, Pete taking the Bronze weekends and Colin the Silver/Gold. He fully took over in October 1978, continuing until a job change took him away from the area after Easter 1980.
In
1972 Dave Hollands requested to relinquish the role of Administrator in order
to devote more time to his young family and to running the 1st West
Malling Company. In October 1972 the role was taken on by Robert Hardy and, as
the saying goes, the rest is history. Well done Robert for still performing
the role to the same high standards 40 years on.
The most important management change in the Group’s history took place in 1973. Under the auspices of the BB, Colin went with VSO to Nigeria from September 1973 to July 1974, so was unable to lead for that season. Consideration was given to handling over the reins to a new leader, but no-one wanted the job. The problem was discussed at length at the Log Assessment meeting after the Easter 1973 expeditions, and the solution materialised over the evening, almost as if by magic.
Colin’s role was split amongst a group of willing and keen volunteers. Robert Hardy continued as Administrator, but extended that role to include all aspects of planning and arranging the regular events. Dave Thilthorpe took on the responsibility for routes, including the onerous task of getting the Easter expedition routes approved by HQ. Paul Cheney took on the task of Quartermaster for both Training weekends and Easter, and Dave Hollands took on the responsibilities of stand-in leader. The era of “Team Management” had now started.
At the time this was expected to be a temporary measure to cover the year Colin was away. As it turned out, it worked so well that the arrangement has continued to this day. The sharing of the tasks mean that no one person is too overloaded, but even more importantly decisions are never taken alone and the arrangement almost forces discussion on any important issues. Problems too are shared, and hence never seem quite so daunting. When Colin returned for the October 1974 weekend, only Dave relinquished his role. Paul continued as Quartermaster until he moved away in 1981 and the role taken on by Geoff Steel, and Robert and David are both still going strong. Many have felt that this almost accidental change proved to be one of the key factors in allowing the Expedition Group to prosper for so long.
By 1970, non-BB candidates were a regular feature of Training weekends, coming from an ever-increasing variety of organisations. There were also BB candidates from outside the Battalion: from October 1968 there had been Boys from Cambridge, and in 1974 the 12th Thameside (Barking) started their long tradition of sending candidates. In October 1970 the first two girls arrived at a Training weekend from the 5th Milton (Gravesend) Guides, followed by three more from Dartford Ranger Guides for the March 1971 weekend. In October 1973 the Group welcomed its first female assessors.
The
Training Weekends too were changing. After a couple of years at Mount Mead,
they moved to the Sick Quarters at the old West Malling airbase, then to the
Metal Box “tin can” warehouse on the A20 at Addington, then to Hamlet Wood. In
October 1973 training moved to Snodland Youth Club, where it continued until March
1981. By October 1973 the Group had grown too big to train everyone at once,
so Bronze candidates were taught at one weekend and Silver and Gold at a
second, usually a week or two later.
There was a continual drive to improve teaching and assessing standards. A set of teaching notes was prepared at the end of 1971, and these were handed out (well actually, sold!) to assessors from the March 1972 weekend onwards. It is on record that five sets were sold in October 1975, at £2/set. In September 1972 a training day for new Assessors was held one Saturday at Milton Road Methodist Church in Gravesend (home of the 2nd Gravesend). The day included sessions to ensure everyone knew the required topics, as well as others on how to prepare, how to teach and how to assess. The day ended with some assessing role play, with 2nd Gravesend Boys doing sterling work pretending to be groups with problems – perhaps they were working from memory!
After Pete Underhill began to take over as leader in October 1977, Colin took on the task of Assessor Training. The training notes were updated. Further, similar Assessor Training days were held in January 1978, Mar 1980 and February 1981. In addition to these, new Assessors received extra training at their first October and March weekends. Some of this was as a class of Assessors, and some involved working with more experienced Assessors as they taught their group of candidates. Many still fondly speak of the “Rally drive map reading sessions”, and how it improved their navigation skills.
During the 1960s, much effort was expended each year planning and preparing training and actual expedition routes. Over the summer of 1970 two assessors planned a complete set of Bronze, Silver and Gold routes in Snowdonia, then spent two weeks walking, checking and documenting every mile of each of them. Nearly 300 miles was walked in those two weeks, including one spectacular spell in which three full Gold routes were walked in three days (admittedly without packs). These then became the standard routes on which future expeditions would be based. There still exists a 1972 version of this list.
Initially it was impractical to do the same for Training Weekend routes as there was no fixed base from which to start. In 1973 Snodland Youth Club became a near-enough permanent base; one of Dave Thilthorpe’s first tasks as Routes Officer was to produce a standard set of training routes based around the Club. The first issue of these was produced in March 1974 and they were updated in 1976/77. They were revised again 1984 at the same time that the Snowdonia routes were updated and the South Downs routes added. The full set was again updated in 1991.
In 1969 the Snowdonia base camp was still at Dol Gam, near Capel Curig. Although the location was very convenient for all the routes, the site itself was far from ideal. It would flood when the weather was particularly bad, and the main track at times became almost impassable. It was also a public camp site, so some years it was difficult to find an area to accommodate all the tents together. Most of all though, it was a trial for the ladies who willingly came along to cook for the staff, as they had to endure the same rigours of Easter camping in Welsh weather as the assessors, but without their training.
In 1972 a small band of assessors moved to Willies camp site near Llyn Ogwen to try out his barn and bunkhouse. Although hardly The Ritz, it was a great improvement on Dol Gam. It provided a dry stone barn for the assessors, and two small bunkhouses for the cooks to use for cooking and sleeping. The biggest downside was the toilets – none who’d ever used them would forget the horror of a night-time emergency visit!
In 1973 base camp was transferred to Willies, and there we stayed right up to 1979. All was well for the first year or two, but year on year of inadequate maintenance saw comfort and cleanliness steadily fall. By 1976 it was obvious that a move was needed, but it wasn’t until 1980 that a suitable alternative was found.
When
the weather was fine, Willies was quite acceptable: the views were stunning, and
parking and access quite acceptable. There was even a phone box nearby for
“Assessing Control”. Easter 1976 it snowed heavily over Thursday night: in the
morning some tents were so buried they had to be dug out, and the drive down to
the main road was almost impassable for vehicles. In 1979 it rained so hard
one night that the field used for the candidates tents flooded, with some tents
waking to find themselves surrounded by water and others having a stream
flowing through them.
In 1974 the Group was affected by a problem not of its making. During the week before Easter a group of Hertfordshire scouts was on expedition in the Carnedds when bad weather closed in. They became lost in the mist, so camped down as instructed. As their leaders had most of their food and equipment, they camped in a derelict hut, and stayed to await rescue. Ray Colechin met them whilst assessing a Gold group, but neither he nor the Boys were aware of the furore going on elsewhere. They were finally found by Mountain Rescue as they started to move and were air-lifted out. Although the event made front-page news we knew little about it, but parents back home did and were worried in case it was their Boys involved: inevitably many questions were asked about our use of the area.
As a result of this, the Gold routes in the Carnedds were all changed for 1975 to avoid the very worst bits of the area, the revised routes remaining in use for many more years. The incident also served to encourage development of the links with Radio Medway to keep parents informed. See below.
In 1975 the Group had its own contact with Mountain Rescue. A Gold group was late leaving Pen-y-Gwryd to cross the Glyders to Ogwen and thick mist was coming in, so Ray Colechin and James Hamilton followed the group for safety. The mist was thick on the plateau and the light fading, so the group camped down for the night. Although it was assumed that this was why they did not reach Ogwen that evening, Mountain Rescue was told just in case. They decided to send out search parties even though we said there was no need. In the morning the group and the assessors met the search party as they came down past Llyd Bochlwyd. All ended safely and amicably, but much explanation was demanded by BB headquarters.
Assessing itself changed over the years. In the early days a team of assessors would follow a group, sometimes contacting the group at a check and sometimes watching the check from a distance. If at all possible, the group would be watched from afar (“spied on” as the groups called it) whilst actually walking, sometimes leading to great fun as each side tried to hide from the other.
Fuel costs rose rapidly during the decade and mileage had to be reduced (the cost of the Easter coach rose from £130 in 1974 to £320 in 1981). The newer routes crossed each other all over the place, so a vehicle of assessors would be allocated to an area for the day, checking all groups as they passed through. Communications were needed to make this work, and pre mobile phones the best that could be managed was using phone boxes to contact a central point. Throughout the seventies, this central point was a phone box near to base camp, if of course it was actually working. Manning this phone was to be avoided at all costs – it was too hot, too cold, too wet, too dirty, too noisy, too uncomfortable, too lonely and too far from a toilet. There was also the nagging concern of doing the right thing between a problem being phoned in and the next contact from the leader. The search for a new base camp became a search for a usable indoor phone that had some accommodation, cooking and camping facilities included.
Poor communications led to many problems over the years, of which Jim Kelly at Trefriw was a perfect example. Jim was with Colin, the leader at the time, waiting for a group at Trefriw. Whilst waiting for the group Colin phoned control, only to learn that a problem had been reported elsewhere. Colin had to leave Jim, promising he’d return as soon as possible. After sorting out the issue, further problems arose requiring his presence, and he moved on. The day passed in a flash until, at the evening meal, someone asked where Jim was. He was still at Trefriw, patiently waiting for Colin to return: a long but speedy trip was required to rescue him and attempt to repair the friendship. Sorry again Jim!
There were also attempts to improve communications from Snowdonia back to Kent. In the early 70s Martin Harris was an occasional DJ on Radio Medway. During Easter 1973 he was interviewed on another show about DofE, and about the Expedition Group. Interest from this led to arrangements for Martin to phone in from Wales over Easter 1974. This was the year the scouts were lost on the Carnedds: the resulting confusion between an interviewer who knew of the incident but little of our Group, and Martin who knew nothing of the scouts, led to many parents becoming more than a trifle concerned.
It was agreed to continue the arrangement, but for future years the Group provided the studio interviewer as well as the Wales interviewee. What this arrangement lacked in artistic skills was made up for with facts and understanding. Over the years Dave Hollands, Martin Harris, Robert Hardy, Kevin Burbidge, John Young and Martin Baker all did stints at the studios, whilst the Welsh end was normally done by the leader of the day. Finding a working phone at the right time was always a problem, and not all appointments could be kept. On one occasion Colin was phoning in from Bwlch whilst being roped into the phone box by his passengers. The studio kept asking what all the noise was, but were not told the full story.
In 1977 John Young visited Wales, bringing with him a BBC tape recorder. He recorded many interviews and comments, later making them into a short programme that was broadcast a few months later. The “phone-ins” continued until 1984, after which Radio Medway became BBC Radio Kent and ceased to air items of such local interest.
As the Group moved into its third decade it could at last claim to have reached a stable and mature stage of its life. Training Weekends and Expeditions changed little from year to year, with both candidates and Assessors knowing what to do and how it would all fit together. Pete Underhill’s short tenure as leader ended after Easter 1980 when his new job took him away from the area. Ray Colechin agreed to take over.
Unfortunately, during the summer Ray’s work situation changed and his future location was uncertain, so he felt unable to take up the role. Nye Price stood in for him at the October 1980 Training weekends, and officially took on the role before the next weekend came along. Nye had been an Assessor since 1967 and it is believed he was the last Assessor to join the team without having first done his Gold through its ranks. The experience and maturity he brought to the role was just what the Group needed at this stage.
Numbers were ever-increasing, as was the cost of transport, particularly to Wales. One of the first changes that Nye introduced was to take the Bronze expeditions to the South Downs rather than Snowdonia in 1981, with only Silver and Gold still heading to Wales. A full coach and assessing team was still needed in Wales that year, and the Bronze expeditions to the South Downs over the May Bank Holiday weekend were equally well subscribed.
Easter 1980 saw the long-awaited move of the Snowdonia Base Camp, when it left Willies Farm and moved to the Bryn Ddu hostel in Llanberis. Oh the joy of real bunk beds, a proper kitchen and, best of all, clean, working toilets. There was even an office with a phone we could use. The future really had arrived.
In
October 1981, the Training Weekends were moved from Snodland Youth Club, home
since 1973, to The Seekers Trust near Addington. Space and facilities were
limited at Snodland, and it had become increasingly difficult to accommodate
everyone adequately. No-one who ever stayed at Snodland will forget the
“delights” of the washing up bowls on the floor in the Gents!
Barring injury, most candidates get to the end of their Gold expedition one way or another. Some may require encouragement or help from their team, and a few may need a little prodding from assessors, but most make it one way or another. Nye had to deal with an exception to this on his very first Easter when one girl reported feeling unwell and was seriously delaying the group despite their best efforts. At a check Nye had to take her out of the group whilst another assessor helped the rest of the group rearrange their packs to include all necessary food and equipment. They did make it.
Numbers kept increasing: in 1984 two coaches were needed to take 74 Silver and Gold candidates to Wales, and a further 39 later took their Bronze. It was becoming more and more difficult to keep track of all the groups whilst out on expedition as the necessary paper charts were getting bigger and bigger, and the writing on them smaller and smaller. In March 1984 the IT age arrived in the shape of an Acorn Atom computer together with an Expedition program to track all the groups. The program AND its data lived in just 8k of memory – almost unbelievable by today’s standards but quite revolutionary at the time. It even worked (sort of) first time!
The system went to Wales that Easter. It included means to predict future ETAs based on earlier ATAs, and caused much consternation if a group was very late over an early stage by predicting their arrival at their night camp some three days late. By the next year the software had been upgraded to run on a BBC computer and now had a whole 16k of memory to handle improved display and better predictions. The system was used for many more years until changes in numbers and assessing methods made it no longer necessary.
Another minor change was made at Easter 1986 when the start day was changed from Thursday to Wednesday. This followed discussions with BB HQ about allowing sufficient time for acclimatisation before the start of an expedition. By this year the Bryn Ddu Hostel had been bought by Mountain Ventures, and the costs increased even more than the restrictions on its use. There were also problems over a damaged juke box, thus encouraging the move to Jesse James’ bunk house for 1986.
The next few Easters were all based at Jesse James. Numbers remained high, often requiring two coaches for the Wales trip. In 1991 Jesse James managed to double book his bunkhouse, and the Group had to rent the nearby bunkhouse from H&J Watton. In 1991 both places were used again, but the split accommodation was far from ideal.
Nye and Martin Baker were much concerned that Assessors should be well trained, and that they should gain experience outside the Group which could then be passed on to students. To this end they organised several training trips to the Brecon Beacons, the first in November 1998. These proved to be very popular, fostering even more “team bonding” at the same time as providing good wild country training and a great chance to socialise. These outing continued for many years.
By
the late 80s Nye was beginning to feel he’d done his bit, and that it was time
for someone younger to take the reins. Martin Baker accepted the job, and took
over as leader in October 1989. Martin had completed his Gold in 1978, and had
been assessing most years since then.
Martin’s Bronze was the first year that the new 1:50000 OS maps were used. His group’s route ended at Penmachno, which was just on the old 1” maps but just off the edge of the 1:50000 ones. At the Training weekend they’d planned on the old maps, but had all bought new ones for Snowdon. Confusion reigned supreme as they walked off the map and into the unknown, but they survived to tell the tale. Needless to say the routes were altered by the next year, and Penmachno became a distant memory.
Martin tells the tale of his Silver, where one boy had been lent the company primus with the instruction to not dismantle it too often. He took this to extreme, keeping it fully assembled for the whole 30 miles, ending up with paraffin-soaked clothing and a very interesting extra taste to the food.
Their Gold expedition was also memorable for the sleet and heavy frost on their first night’s camp at Dolwydellan Castle. By morning the flysheets were frozen so solid that they refused to be folded, and for the first few miles had to be carried across the tops of their packs. At least the cold had also frozen the Ancient Trackway, so they were spared that quagmire, but they did have to negotiate knee deep snow around Drum, and such heavy rain on Snowdon that the assessors, including Jim Kelly, were waiting for them on the Pyg Track under huge umbrellas.
Everyone
has their own memories of EMERGENCY RATIONS, the sugar rush of concentrated
calories that can be the difference between pass and fail, and maybe between
life and death. Often chosen more for their size, weight and cost rather than
their dietary value, they are tightly wrapped in a sealed plastic bag, nursed
round the whole expedition and presented for inspection as the final line is
crossed. A few are accidentally torn open whilst walking, requiring quick
thinking and imagination to find an adequate excuse. A few might suffer the
same fate but without accidental cause, requiring even more imagination and
even more holding of breath. When it’s all over, some bags are ripped open and
consumed on the spot, often reappearing a little later on the floor of their
transport back to base, much to the disapproval of the other occupants. Many
more are eaten more gradually over the next few hours and days, and more than a
few are kept safe and sound for the next year, making the most of their long
Use-By. Now what I really want to know is who possesses the oldest intact
Emergency Rations, if the owner dare admit it?
One of Martin’s first tasks as an assessor was to be in charge of the Wales coach. It left from Gravesend at 6am on a very wet morning. Many candidates had brought extra base camp clothes and gear, wrapped in bin bags for convenience and protection. Just before they left Martin spotted a bag on the pavement, so helpfully brought it into the coach as they set off. By Birmingham the warmth of the coach made it quite obvious that the bag was actually one left out for the bin men, and was left behind at the Shamrock Café much to the relief of the passengers.
His first task as leader proved much more serious and
important. In 1989 BB HQ announced that by 1st Sep 1990 all
expedition assessors would have to be qualified by them. Nye Price suggested
many changes to the proposals to make them more practical, and queried many
details of how it would work and how it could be introduced in time, but no
response was ever received. In the end Robert and Nye managed to receive
“grandfathered qualifications” on the basis of their long service, but others
had to pass a test. Training sessions were run in Wales and the Lake District,
and initial candidates were assessed by Dave 
Mayo from
Birmingham.
Early in 1992 a small group of assessors made a special trip to Wales to look for better accommodation. The Old School at Rhyd-Ddu offered excellent facilities although it was rather a long way out from our normal area. They looked at the old chapel in Capel Curig (where we went for our Easter service for the first few years), but this proved to be unavailable over Easter weekends. They looked at the Ogwen bunkhouse, which would have been almost perfect except that the owners wouldn’t let it. They also looked at Dolawen, but couldn’t get any access or speak to anyone. In the end they left a deposit for the Old School for Easter 1992. However, they later managed to make contact with the owner of Dolawen and booked that instead. It was first used for Easter 1992, and is still used by the Group today.
Dolawen has proved an excellent base in Wales since 1992, although it’s not been without occasional problems. One year the water inlet from the river was blocked, leaving the tanks empty upon arrival. Much wading in freezing water was required to clear the weeds from the intake, to say nothing of an evening of water-carrying until the tanks had refilled. Another year it was the drains that were blocked – “this evenings activity will be to lift all the manhole covers through the bunkhouse and flush out the pipes with a hose”. Never a dull moment.
The Training weekends also moved in 1992. In March 1989 they had moved from the Seekers Trust back to Holmesdale school in Snodland, home to the Snodland Youth Club used for most of the 1970s. In October 1992 the Weekends were moved again, this time to the Hope Hill Scout site just outside Meopham, only a few hundred yards from South Street Farm, the site of the very first Training Weekends. Hope Hill has proved so suitable and convenient that it is still being used today.
In 1996 Martin proposed the move to using 1:25000 maps exclusively, a move made practical by the recent introduction of the OS Explorer series maps covering larger areas. This was agreed, as was including the cost of new maps in the course fees, partly to gain the savings of bulk buying but, more importantly, to ensure that everyone had the right map of adequate quality. If nothing else, this move avoided a possible repeat of the classic photo of a Snowdonia group map reading at a checkpoint with the word “Maidstone” clearly visible on the cover of their map! (This photo is NOT included in the archive in order to protect the guilty).
During
the 1990s amendments were made to the training weekends to satisfy the current
BB and DofE regulations. In particular, the training expeditions were made a
much more central part of the programme, and groups cooked most of their own
meals – just like the very first training weekends! An agreement was also
reached with HQ with regard to the area in which we held these training
expeditions, trying as best we could to replicate wild country conditions
without having to travel 300 miles.
As the century drew to a close Martin’s job took him away from Kent making it impractical for him to continue his leadership of the Group. Dave Morse agreed to take on the role, and his first event as Leader was the October 1998 Training weekend.
Everything had been remarkably stable for the last 20 years. The bases for Training weekends and expeditions had remained the same since 1992, and by now everyone knew the routines well enough to follow them in their sleep. Middle-age was becoming a habit; however the new century put an end to all that, throwing Dave in at the deep end.
Amendments to training plans and methods were more and more frequently needed with regard to Wild Country training to satisfy both BB and DofE requirements, occupying much of Dave’s time. In 1997 and again in 2002 Easter fell in March, just before the start of the accepted “Wild Country Season”, and handling this also required Dave’s input.
For a number of reasons a decision was made in 2003 to change Operating Authority to the Kent County Council. Dave had a number of meetings with the Kent D of E coordinator Norrie Barber to arrange the details, and with the Battalion to ensure their agreement. The Group continues to operate under the Kent licence.
2001 was the year of Foot and Mouth, unfortunately making it necessary to cancel all Silver and Gold expeditions. Bronze expeditions were deferred until September, by which time the South Downs were no longer in the Restricted Area. This did at least provide a continued flow of Silver candidates for the next season.
Silver and Gold expeditions were cancelled again in 2010, this time because of snow. Heavy snow started to fall during the Tuesday night just before departure for Wales. The official Assessors phoned Dave Morse from Wales just as he was about to leave his house on the Wednesday morning to say that the snow was too deep and the weather too bad to allow the expeditions to take place. The coach was already on its way to Kent and the candidates were beginning to arrive at the pick-up point. The coach was stopped just the other side of the Thames and sent back, and the frustrated candidates sent back to their confused parents.
Many of the Assessors decided to head for Wales anyway. They were packed and ready, with the accommodation booked and waiting so, as the saying goes, a great time was had by all. The expeditions were rerun later in the year, with the assessors staying in a dormitory at the Swallow Falls Youth Hostel.
Traditionally, staff in the Group have always been called “Assessors” even though they have never officially been allowed to assess a group’s performance and determine pass or fail. For many years only the Leader could do this, and then only by virtue of authority delegated from DEA officials. For many years Dennis Hoare oversaw our assessing, providing much useful advice and support. By and large, he trusted the Group’s standards and methods, making just occasional checks at Easter to ensure these were maintained.
For many, many years the group received helpful support, advice and encouragement from DofE officials in Snowdonia. In 1999 external assessment became obligatory for all Snowdonia expeditions, and an excellent working relationship was built with those we had come to know.
In 2009 assessment charges were introduced. £65 was charged for assessing a Gold group and £45 for Silver. The prices increased each year and in 2012 had risen to £80 and £60 respectively, placing yet more financial burden on the candidates and raising the concern that some candidates may be put off by the costs involved. Yet another headache for Dave.
2009 also saw a change in the expedition rules. The maximum altitude on a wild country route was lowered (to 700m), the very wildest and most rugged areas were to be avoided, and all camp sites were required to be official ones with full “facilities” and insurance. No more wild country camping. Many routes had to be changed to handle this.
2006 was the 50th anniversary of the start of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme, and the Group celebrated it twice. The first was at Easter. A formal dinner was held on the first night at Dolawen, and all Assessors were requested to dress formally. The meal was a great success; the dining area a real picture with everyone resplendent in their finery. The only problem was that many had forgotten to bring posh shoes to go with their posh frocks, so more than a few sported walking boots with their suits!
The
second event was the Reunion Dinner held in September 2006 at the Ramada Jarvis
Hotel near Leeds Castle, Maidstone, so ably organised by Penny Mancktelow.
Well over 100 past and present assessors and partners attended this magnificent
event, representing every age of the Group. Almost every leader was there,
only Pete Underhill failing to make it from South Africa. Half of the first
Battalion Gold group was there, as were many of the names that have cropped up
through this history. Many were the friendships renewed that evening, once the
“I’m sure I ought to know you, but I can’t remember the name” barriers had been
overcome. Thank you Penny.
The Group had its own 50th Anniversary in 1960 (the first record books having been issued in December 1960). This was celebrated with another dinner at the same venue, again so ably organised by Penny. There may not have been quite so many at this event, but the scale and quantity of the anecdotes more than made up for this. It was in this convivial atmosphere that I was ambushed in an unguarded moment, my arm being firmly twisted to write this history. It seemed a good idea on the night, but rather daunting in the cold light of the next morning. However, it has proved a wonderful excuse to meet again so many friends from over the years, to spend many happy hours reliving the old stories, and to make me feel prouder than ever to have been just a small part of this long and proud history. There have been too many inputs to name everyone, so I will say one very big thank you to everyone who has helped make this possible, but with a special thank you to Robert Hardy for his unstinting help finding and interpreting the archives and encouraging me every step of the way.
March 2013 will see the next milestone, the 50th anniversary of the first Battalion Training weekend at South Street Farm, Meopham. Maybe a paragraph will require adding to describe any celebrations on that date, and maybe in another 50 years our grandchildren will be adding their own chapters to the story. Watch this space.
The Group is proud of, and immensely grateful for, the help and support it has received over all its 50 years from a veritable army of willing helpers and supporters. A whole generation of early candidates will remember Dr Murray’s Mountain Safety lectures, usually given to a sleepy hall on a Sunday morning: “What happens if you get too cold and hungry? – You DIE. Now listen and I’ll tell you how to stay alive”. Vic Roberts was Group Secretary in the very early days, supporting the Group at Battalion level as well as encouraging everyone at the Weekends. Dr Alf Furniss, the first Battalion President, was if anything even more active and vocal with his support, even accompanying the Group to Wales on more than one Easter and making a point of visiting each Gold group at least once.
The Group has always received excellent support from the Battalion, with so many of its officials walking the extra mile, often literally, to support the Group. Particular mention is due to John Young, in the roles of both Battalion Secretary and later President. On so many occasions his advice has helped avoid or fix expedition problems, and more than once has been equally helpful with personal problems. Alan Fishwick was Battalion DEA Convenor for many years. In 1976 he joined the Easter Expeditions to investigate the rumours of “beer and fags” that had reached the Battalion. Although never afraid to express a view, he was always fair, positive, helpful and supportive. He continued to visit most Training weekends and expeditions, and before long was treated as an honorary assessor.
An army is said to march on its stomach, and the Group has been most fortunate to be supported by the team of cooks that have looked after all its many stomachs over the years. On the first Training weekends at The Stonewall, Margaret Dickinson (Ron’s wife) used her kitchen from dawn to dusk and beyond to ensure the Assessors were kept fed and watered – but woe betide anyone who forgot to take off their boots before going in! With the move to Mount Mead she was joined by Jill Hollands (Dave’s wife), and their role expanded to feed the candidates as well as Assessors. Early Assessors cannot fail to remember the treat of a break in Ron’s camper-van as the tea urn arrived during night expeditions. It wasn’t only the Training Weekends – they also travelled to Wales and “enjoyed” the delights of the mud, wind, rain and cold at Dol Gam. Bless them all.
Since then the Group has been well served and supported by a steady stream of cooks. A few Assessors have taken on the role, often with the support of their girlfriends or wives. Paul Cheney started this trend, followed by Geoff Steel then Graham Melrose, and many more since. Most cooks have not been Assessors: they have either been wives or girlfriends of Assessors, or just supporters willing to give their time and effort to help. This unsung army has always been there when needed, never failing or complaining, and grateful thanks are given now to each and every one of them.
Over
the years some Assessors have become cooks, but only two cooks have ever gone
on to become Assessors. Sandra Cheney and Jean Underhill were cooks through
much of the early 1970s, watching with envy as the assessors got out and about
whilst they sat by their stoves. During Easter 1976 they said to each other
“We could do that, then we can go out like the Assessors”. And so it came to
pass, doing direct-entry Gold the following year with two other “full route”
candidates. Despite being bitten by a dog and walking many extra miles after
being accused of trespassing and turned back, they completed successfully and
achieved their objective.
Perhaps the greatest support of all has been from the thousands of parents of the candidates. They’ve encouraged and financed their children through at least three years of training and expeditions, washing dirty and smelly clothes, dealing with worn feet and torn knees, all the while encouraging tired and weary candidates on to the next stage. Their most remarkable support however has been for the way the Group pushes their children right to the limits of their abilities. Even when things have gone a little wrong, their support remains strong, and without that the Group could not function.
The friendships that are forged through six Training Weekends and three expeditions tend to be something quite special. Twenty one days are spent together working in just a small group. Each member is pushed hard, often extending their limits far more than they’d thought possible. Hardships and challenges are shared and overcome together. Success is achieved only with close teamwork; teamwork that requires each candidate to know the strengths and weaknesses of every other team member. As the final Gold checkpoint comes into view, the shared relief, excitement and joy knows no bounds. It is little wonder that friendships forged through such trials tend to be stronger than most.
For so many, the next stage is to become part of the assessing team. The challenges are different but can still be hard. When assessing as a team, there is much shared waiting time to get to know your partners; when dealing with a group problem, assessors must be seen to act as one. Friendships forged as candidates are strengthened as assessors, and the shared ideals build many new bonds. Such friendships last a lifetime, and as many found at the reunion dinners, they are strong enough that a gap of 40 years is forgotten before the end of the first sentence.
For more than a few, friendships forged or developed during DofE have become life-changing, as friends pair up and then get married. The Group is rightly proud of its matchmaker role over the years, and hopes that the resulting couples are equally pleased with the outcome. So, the interesting question is whether there have been any children of a couple who met as Assessors who have themselves been through the Group to become assessors? And if not, who will be first?.........
So how come the Group is still running in much the same form fifty years after it started, when so much else has changed beyond recognition? Each and every candidate who has stayed the course and joined the Assessor Family will have their own theory for its success, but two features stand out from all the others.
The first is the tremendous sense of belonging and being a meaningful part of the team. Initially this may be just a building of team spirit within an expedition group; a feeling of shared trials and hardships, joys and successes. As the end of Gold approaches however, for many there is a growing excitement at the prospect of being invited to join the Assessing team, and once there the shared aims build even stronger and wider friendships. During the research for this history many have said that their DofE friendships are by far and away the strongest and longest-lasting in their lives, and are certainly the most valued.
The second is the way the Group encourages each and every candidate to push the limits of what they think they can achieve, so they end each level doing more than they believed possible when they started. The extensions may be physical, social, academic or psychological, but all who complete feel they have grown in stature, maturity and self-confidence. Because groups are taught almost exclusively by those who have survived the challenges, the limits are pushed by the candidates themselves, because they want to.
Each year there seems to be less opportunity for ordinary youngsters to meet, understand and overcome risk and danger, but this Group continues to provide the opportunity to do so, and the training to do so safely. The Expedition section was included in the Award to allow for adventure and managed risk, and the Group has always been proud to demand the highest possible standards of all its candidates.
Perhaps the most amazing thing is that these key aspects have been present in the Group right from the very beginning. All credit is due to Ron Dickinson for ensuring this was so: great forethought if it was conscious planning, or showing great character if it just happened that way.
Becoming a member of this Group can only be earned by hard graft: there are no short cuts and no exceptions. For those who achieve it, it is their most-prized qualification.
Colin Marshall
July 2012