St Johns Wood, Queensland - St Johns Wood Scout Group

St Johns Wood Scout Group

There has been a “scout” presence in St Johns Wood since before World War II. During the war,the local Red Cross branch would hold their meetings in the “Scout’s hall". However, the 1st St Johns Wood Scout Group did not begin officially until 9 March 1945. “Pop Johnstone was the first Cub Master, and the Cub Pack met in the Igloo in Royal Parade, a 100m or so west of the Gresham Street intersection. In an article on “Australia’s Tiniest Hospital”, Target included a photo of “Pop” Johnstone with two Cubs. He remained Cub Master until 1946, when he became Group Scout Master. He led the Group until June 1947, when he resigned for health reasons.

The Scout section started in August 1945, with four boys from the Ashgrove Troop and six new recruits, meeting at the hall in Laird Street in the grounds of Granite House. The first Scout Master was Jas “Skip” Garland, who came from Baralaba. The Senior Scout section of the Group started in 1954. In his annual report, the Chairman of the Group Committee reported that Cliff Farmer was appointed Senior Scout Master. The ‘Seniors’ met in the Igloo on Friday Nights while the Cubs met there on Saturdays. Senior Scouts are known now as Venturer Scouts. The Rover Scout section started in 1959. “Secondly, during March we began a Rover Crew, thus adding the fourth section to the Group.” The first Rover Leader was Ian “Sailor” Webb who came to us through a fortuitous meeting with the then Group Scout Master “Kernel” Matthews.

By this time the Group had moved to the quarry site west of the Ashgrove State School. Cubs and Scouts met in the main Den; the Senior Den was built in 1959 and the Rovers built their own Den in 1963. The Joey Scout section started in 1991, and was an immediate success. The St Johns Wood Scout Fellowship, open to adult members, had their inaugural meeting on 10 February 1992.

The Group has been, and is, an integral part of the local community. It is responsible for helping shape the physical, intellectual, emotional, social and spiritual development of its members. The Group has been fortunate to have had, over the years, an energetic leadership team; men and women committed to the inculcation of social and moral values in the boys and girls in their charge. In addition to Group activities such as camps and rallies, fetes and fairs, Scouting affords participation in world wide events such as Jamborees, Ventures and Moots, and St Johns Wood has a proud history of active involvement in these pursuits at all levels.