THE January meeting of Shobrooke Friendly Club took place at Shobrooke Village Hall on Wednesday, January 17.

As the chairman, Jack Fey, was not present due to illness, Clifford Webber, vice-chairman took charge of the proceedings.

He welcomed the members of the club attending, and also extended a warm welcome to this month’s speaker, George Davey BEM, the Assistant District Commissioner of the Scouting Movement for the Mid Devon District, and who had been awarded the British Empire Medal for services to Young People in Crediton, through the Scout Movement, in the Queen’s Birthday Honours of 2015.

Mr Davey explained that although he was the Assistant District Commissioner for Mid Devon, this did not follow the Local Authority boundaries.

He went on to give a brief history of the Scouting Movement from the time it was set up by Lord Baden Powell, and the first experimental camp on Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour, to the present.

Although originally an organisation for boys, in recent years girls had been allowed to join the movement, besides having their own youth movement, The Girl Guides.

It was interesting to see a photograph of a very young George Davey taken soon after he had joined the movement in the late 1940’s, early 1950’s.

He explained that he had attended various camps and Jamborees practically all over the UK, and in doing so had met Scouts from many other districts, counties and countries.

This had started him collecting the badges of the various districts and groups, and also from many countries as well where there is a Scouting movement.

In fact he brought with him several albums and folders in which he had displayed the many badges in his collection.

It was explained that this was only a small part of his collection of badges and Scouting memorabilia, as he estimated that he had more than 3,000 badges alone.

Mr Webber thanked Mr Davey for an interesting talk, which was then followed by the usual business meeting of the club.

This, in turn, was followed by tea and biscuits, prepared and served as usual by Clifford Webber and Dave Lee.

The next club meeting is on February 21, when Peter Harvey of Devon Freewheelers will give a talk entitled “Supporting the NHS”.

Further information regarding the club can be obtained from either Eileen James on 01392 851218 or Margaret Gale on 01363 773282.

Norman Gale