Hello everyone. I hope that you are all safe. It has been a while since we were able to meet; hopefully, that will change in the near future.
As a group we have always tried to take part in significant public occasions. It is an important component of our heritage that we want to pass on to our younger members. This year saw the 75th anniversary of VE Day and Covid-19 severely restricted what we were able to do, but lockdown does not mean bowed down!
There are only 2 scouts in our house, but luckily, we had the flags, which we proudly displayed on the front of our house.
Older scouts, Rovers especially, may recognise the union flag. It has been on the table at every major investiture during the existence of 1st Midland. The same flag was used at my investiture in 1956.
You may be more puzzled by the presence of the troop flag. We thought it might represent all the scouts who could not be together. It was presented before 11.00am and lowered during the 2-minute silence, before being attached to the car. There is a further significance in that flag. In our early days we could not afford a flag or a pole. The flag was hand sewn for us by Helen Wood, wife of the first chairman of our group. We had no idea that she had terminal cancer, but she was determined to finish that flag.
The pole was given to the group by the area secretary Eric Esher. It had belonged to his former troop (St Johns Ladywood). In its heyday the troop had been one of the biggest and most successful groups in Birmingham. It ceased to operate when post-war redevelopment swept away the housing and the community. It had been well used before we got it; the inscriptions are nearly worn away with handling.
All of the scouts at St. Johns would have completed National Service. Many of them would have fought during World war II, some would have died. Our flag was there for them and their memory.
We should never forget our heroes or what they have done for us.
Stay safe until we meet again. John
I tried but only managed this....
Teanah
