District History
Please see the Cambridge District ARchive website too
Robert Baden Powell, founder and father of the Scout Movement, visited Cambridge in March of 1908 and gave a talk at the Perse School which was then on the corner of Hills Road opposite the Catholic Church and near Parker's Piece. Many groups were inspired to start up. At a meeting held on February 15th 1909 an age limit was adopted "from 10 years upwards and no maximum age."
BP walking down Free School Lane in the 1930's
BP at a rally on Sheep's Green by Fen Causeway in 1917
Hit train was three hours late on account of a bomb dropped by the Germans
in front of his train at Liverpool Street Station
BP on the steps of the university Senate House having been awarded an Honorary
Law Degree in 1931
The scouts all chanted "B.P., B.P., Hon. LL.D. CA-A-AM-BRI-DGE"
to the chimes of Great St Mary's
Many groups started up on the strength of that first visit and many other formed over the coming years. A fantastic history of Cambridge Scouting is available here, written by Ken North who ran the Scout Shop on Perne Road for many years. Collated from that site, and others, is a table of the Cambridge District Scout Groups, when they were formed if known, who ran it and where and when in the 1950's and whether they are still going strong.
| click to enlarge | Group | Scarf |
Founded |
Scouter In Charge in 1950's | Section |
Meetings in 1950's | Meetings now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
1st CAMBRIDGE |
Originally: Light Blue Now: Navy, Green/Purple border |
1908 Reformed 2010 |
L . F. Hamilton, St. Faith's School |
Beavers |
Orchard Park Community Centre, 5:30 |
|
Cubs |
7 p.m. | ||||||
Sea Scouts |
St. Faith's School, Friday, 7 p.m. |
||||||
 |
2nd CAMBRIDGE |
Brown |
1908 |
Mrs. Woodward, 3 Malcolm Place |
Cubs |
St. Mark's Parish Room, Newnham, Tuesday 6.15 p.m. | |
 |
3rd CAMBRIDGE |
Purple |
1908 |
Scouts |
Closed by the 1950's | No | |
 |
4th CAMBRIDGE |
Navy, Gold Border |
1908 Reformed 1949 |
R. Henderson, 138 Coleridge Road |
Cubs |
Cherry Hinton Road Congregational Church Hall, Hartington Grove, Friday 6.0 p.m. | |
|
5th CAMBRIDGE |
Purple |
1908 |
M. D. Brown, 35 Sedley Taylor Road |
Cubs |
Perse Prep. School, Wednesday. 2.0 p.m. | No |
Scouts |
Perse School, Friday, 6.15 p.m. |
No | |||||
Seniors |
Perse School, Wednesday, 7.0 p.m. | No | |||||
 |
7th CAMBRIDGE |
Blue and Green |
about 1915 |
W. J. Lowey, 318 Cherry Hinton Road | Scouts |
Cambs. High School for Boys, Hills Road, Friday 6.0 P.m. | |
Seniors |
Friday 6.30 p.m. | ||||||
 |
8th CAMBRIDGE |
Green/Orange Stripe |
1950 |
F. H. Keating, 156 Hills Road |
Cubs |
Methodist Church Hall, Norwich Street, Monday, 6.0 p.m. | |
 |
9th CAMBRIDGE |
Green |
1910 |
Rev. C, T. Wood, Queens' College | Scouts |
University Running Club. Granta Place, Wednesday, 6.0 p.m. | Newnham School Scout Hut, jointly as the 11/9th from 1960 on |
 |
10th CAMBRIDGE |
Chocolate and White |
about 1910 |
Rev. A. V. Valentine Richard, Christ's C | Scouts |
Closed by the 1950's | No |
 |
11th CAMBRIDGE |
Orange |
about 1910 |
F. A. J. McKenzie, 44 Rathmore Road | Scouts |
11 West Road, Friday 7.0 p.m. | Newnham School Scout Hut, jointly as the 11/9th from 1960 on |
Seniors |
Friday, 8.30 p.m. | ||||||
 |
12th CAMBRIDGE |
Royal/Sky Border with Gold Fleur-de-lis |
1912 |
W. A. Mackrow, 21 Holland Street | Cubs |
Milton Road School: Winter Saturday 2:30pm Summer, Friday 6.30 | Yes |
Scouts |
129, Chesterton Road, Thursday. 7.30 p.m. | Yes | |||||
Seniors and Rovers |
129 Chesterton Road, Friday 7.30p.m. (or Boathouse) | ||||||
 |
13th CAMBRIDGE |
Scarlet/Grey |
1910 Scout hut built in 1930, paid for by the Nott brothers Since rebuilt |
C. E. Palmer, 90 Cavendish Road | Cubs |
Marmora Road, Monday. 6.30 p.m. | Monday |
Scouts |
Tuesday 7.15 p.m. | Monday | |||||
Rovers |
alt Thursday, 8.0 p.m. | Explorers, Thursday | |||||
 |
14th CAMBRIDGE |
Black/Red Border |
About 1910 as St Columba's Reformed as St Luke's 1953 |
Rev. G. K. Tibbatts, St. Luke's Vicarage | Cubs |
St. Augustine's, Richmond Road, Tuesday, 6.30p.m. | Yes |
Scouts |
St. Luke's Infants' School. Victoria Road. Monday. 6.0 p.m. | Yes | |||||
 |
15th CAMBRIDGE |
Light Grey |
About 1920 |
J. Norris, Rolyat Hale Avenue | Scounts & Cubs |
Closed by the 1950's | No |
 |
16th CAMBRIDGE |
Originally Green Now Scarlet/Sky Border |
1956 |
Rev. N. J. Cotgrove, 49 Godwin Way | Cubs |
St. James' Church. Wulfstan Way, Monday, 6.30p.m. | Yes |
 |
17th CAMBRIDGE |
Navy/Scarlet Border |
1953 |
P. A. Marsh, King's College. (Vacations: A. W. O. Page, Westacre. Barton, Cambridge) | Cubs |
The School, Haslingfield, Monday, 6.0 U. | Yes |
Scouts |
The School, Haslingfield, Wednesday, 7.15 p.m. | Yes | |||||
 |
18th CAMBRIDGE |
Sky/Navy Border |
Cubs |
Good Shepherd Church Yes |
|||
Scouts |
Yes | ||||||
 |
19th CAMBRIDGE |
Maroon |
1914; Reformed 1944 |
I. K. Drake, 32 Lovell Road | Cubs |
Wesley Schoolroom. Christ's Pieces, Thursday, 5.30 p.m. | |
Scouts |
Wesley Schoolroom, Christ's Pieces, Wednesday. 7.0 p.m. | ||||||
|
22nd CAMBRIDGE |
Maroon |
About 1915 |
C. J. Walker, Quintin Green End Road | Closed by the 1950's | No | |
 |
23rd CAMBRIDGE |
Purple/White Stripe |
1917 |
F. W. T. Feary, 13 Milford Street | Cubs |
St. Matthew's Institute, Tuesday. 6.00 P.M. | |
Scouts |
St. Matthew's Institute, Monday, 7.10 p.m. | ||||||
Seniors |
St. Matthew's Institute, Friday, 7,30 p.m. | ||||||
 |
26th CAMBRIDGE |
Royal Blue |
1928 |
H. G. Cann, 8 Elm Street | Cubs |
Brunswick School, Monday 6.0 p.m. | Yes |
Scouts |
Brunswick School, Tuesday and Thursday 7p.m. | Yes | |||||
 |
27th CAMBRIDGE |
Scarlet |
1948 |
W. C. Ward 71 Braybrook Road | Cubs |
School Hall, Cherry Hinton, Monday and Thursday, 6.0 p.m. | Yes |
Scouts |
School Hall, Cherry Hinton, Thursday, 7.15 p.m. | Yes | |||||
 |
28th CAMBRIDGE |
Black/Green |
1928 |
A. R. McGlashan, 133 Perne Road | Cubs |
St. John's Parish Hall, Blinco Grove, Monday, 6.0 P.M. | Scout Hut, Flamsteed Road, Tuesday 6:10pm |
Scouts |
St. John's Parish Hall, Blinco Grove, Tuesday, 7.15 p.m. | Tuesday 7:40pm | |||||
 |
29th CAMBRIDGE |
Royal/Grey Border |
1928 |
R. F. Robinson, 49 Keynes Road | Cubs |
East Barnwell Community Centre, Wednesday, 6:00 p.m. | Yes |
Scouts |
Friday, 6.00 p.m. | Yes | |||||
Seniors |
Friday, 6:30 p.m. | ||||||
 |
31st CAMBRIDGE |
Cambridge Blue/Leopard Emblem |
1920 |
A. L. Percival Jesus College and 5 Howes Place | For Meetings see fixture card | ||
 |
32nd CAMBRIDGE |
Green |
1928 |
E. Lord, Sandbank. Waterbeach Road, Landbeach | Beavers |
Monday | |
Cubs |
R.A.F. Gymnasium, Waterbeach, Friday 6.30 p.m. | Thursday | |||||
Scouts |
R.A.F. Gymnasium. Waterbeach, Thursday, 7.0 p.m. | Tuesday | |||||
Explorers |
Tuesday | ||||||
 |
36th CAMBRIDGE |
Navy/White Border |
1929 |
Miss V. IL Pratt, 12 Park Terrace | Cubs |
St. Andrew's the Great Parish Hall, .4 Emmanuel Road, Thursday. 5.45 p.m. | |
 |
37th CAMBRIDGE |
Orange |
1956 |
A. L. Lee, Post Office, Swavesey. | Cubs |
Taylors Lane, Swavesey. Cambs. Monday. 6.30 | |
Scouts |
Taylors Lane, Swavesey, Cambs. Wednesday. 7:30 p.m. | ||||||
 |
42nd CAMBRIDGE |
Royal/ Gold Border |
1930 |
Miss L. G. Long. 10 Gwydir Street | Cubs |
Trinity Church Hall, King Street, Saturday, 2.30 p.m. | |
 |
44th CAMBRIDGE |
Sky Blue/Gold |
1930; Reformed 1945 Reformed 2005 |
A. J. Carter, 64 Bishops Road, Trumpington | Cubs |
Rear of Village Hall, Trumpington. Friday, 6.45 p.m. | Not any more |
Scouts |
Tuesday,.7.0 p.m., Thursday, 7.30 p.m. | ||||||
Seniors |
Monday, 7 p.m. |
||||||
 |
50th CAMBRIDGE |
Red/Gold Border |
Beavers |
Monday. 6.15 p.m. | |||
Cubs |
Friday. 6.15 p.m. |
||||||
Scouts |
Friday. 7.45 p.m. |
||||||
Explorers |
Friday. 7.45 p.m. |
||||||
 |
51st CAMBRIDGE |
Green/Gold Border |
1948 |
Cubs |
Village College Grounds, New Road, Histon. Thursday. 6.45 p.m. | ||
Scouts |
Friday. 7.0 p.m. | ||||||
 |
52nd CAMBRIDGE |
Green |
1918 |
T J, Corkill, Corpus Christi College | Special Pack |
For Meetings consult Mr. Corkill | |
 |
54th CAMBRIDGE |
Red/White Border |
1932 |
W. K. Ferguson, 289 Milton Road | Cubs |
St. George's Church Hall, Tuesday, 6.0 p.m. | Yes |
Scouts |
St. George's Church Hall, Thursday, 7.0 p.m. | Yes | |||||
 |
56th CAMBRIDGE |
Royal Blue |
1954 |
Cubs |
Longstanton School Hall, Wednesday 5.30 p.m. | ||
Scouts |
Wednesday. 7.0 p.m. | ||||||
 |
57th CAMBRIDGE |
Emerald |
1956 |
L. Pearce, Fleam Dyke Pumping Station, Fulbourn | Cubs |
Church Room, School Lane, Fulbourn, Thursday, 6.30 p.m. | Yes |
Scouts |
Church Room School Lane, Fulbourn, Thursday, 7.30 p.m. | Yes | |||||
 |
60th CAMBRIDGE |
Royal/Light Blue |
1933 |
Scouts |
Leys School Grounds, Wednesday, 2.0 p.m. | ||
Seniors |
Friday, 8.30 p.m. | ||||||
Rovers |
Thursday, 8,30 p.m. | ||||||
|
68th CAMBRIDGE |
Green |
About 1933 |
Closed by 1934 | No |
The 28th have a Cub Scout Standard dating from just one year after cub scouting begin in 1916, making it around a hundred years old. It has the outline of a wolf, as Cub Scouts were originally known as Wolf Cubs, with wooden discs hanging from it that mark the winning pack, one for each year (although some are now missing). The first holders of the Standard were the 14th Cambridge, in 1917. The last name on it is the 28th in 1950, which is presumably why it is still in the 28th's posession.
 |
1st Place 1917 14th Cambridge Wolf Cub Pack Second place |
|
The District opened Abington Campsite on the 4th of June 1932. New buildings were erected in 1976 and Sir WIlliam Gladstone officially opened them in June 1976. Somewhere along the line, possibly when the district was split into seperate North and South Cambridge, County took control of this much loved campsite from the District and decided ultimately to sell it as they felt it didn't fit with the County's needs. Many scouters from the District were very sorry to see it go.