A Brief History of

1st BREDE SCOUTS

Barely seven years after B-P held his first camp on Brownsea Island, Britain was at war. Scouts all over the country were making themselves useful in the towns and on the land, 'filling in' for the men who were fighting in the mud of Flanders.

In Brede, the pastor of St George's Church, the Reverend Cyril Frewer took it upon himself to become a warranted Scoutmaster so that the village could have its own Troop of 'helpful boys'.

Reverend Frewer's warrant was granted by the Boy Scouts Association in 1916 and in that year, the Troop was founded. It was not, however, until 14th December 1920, that it was officially registered at headquarters as a group 'controlled by the Church' which met in the Old Schoolroom on Brede Hill. It was part of the 'Ewehurst and Robertsbridge Local Association' in the S.E. Sussex Scout District. There was just one 'officer', Rev Frewer, and twelve Boy Scouts.

               

Above are copies of the first registration forms. If you want to see these and other historical papers in a fuller size, they are in a separate section on the 'Gallery' page.

In 1921, the local association changed to 'Rye'. There were three Scout Troops in the area, Capt Cory's Own in Rye with 25 boys,(run, indeed, by a Captain Cory from Rye), 1st Brede with 14 boys and 1st Peasmarsh with 10. Captain Cory had also founded the first Wolf Cub Pack in the area run by his wife and, ever quick to see a good idea, the Rev Frewer did the same and on May 31st 1922, the 1st Brede Wolf Cub Pack was registered with 12 Wolf Cubs and Eva, Rev Frewer's wife, named as 'Cubmaster'!

By September 1928, the Group had grown somewhat. It now had 12 Boy Scouts and 14 Wolf Cubs and both Rev. Frewer and his wife boasted assistants. The Assistant Scout Master was Mr Eric Winch and the Assistant Cub Master was Mr Ernest Long. Both Boy Scouts and Wolf Cubs still met in the Old Schoolroom on Brede Hill.

Left

Boy Scouts

Right

Wolf Cubs

1st Brede 1950s Wolf Cub

Alan Piper was a Wolf Cub in Brede from 1955 -1957.

In those days the group met in the Old Schoolroom on Brede Hill.