Richard Gray - Patrol Leader & King's Scout
Following a strange email received on 6th May this year the Group has now come into possession of a Silver Cup which was presented to the group by E.H.C. Briggs, a local jeweller in the town and won by one of our Scouts; Richard Gray in 1938, although we don’t know what it was awarded for!
The cup was seen as part of a lot in an auction by someone, who saw the group’s name on it and thought the Group should know about it being up for sale. Our Group Scout Leader, 'Gaffer' contacted the Auction rooms, and the cup was removed from the auction, and he later went and collected it.
Gaffer then put out an appeal on the Holt Community Facebook page asking if anyone knew about it and was very soon contacted by Richard Gray’s daughter, who told him about her father.
Richard Gray, was born in 1921 in Peacock Lane, Holt and he really loved his home town. He started work when he was fifteen as a Telegram Boy at the Post Office in Holt. He joined the Holt Scout Troop and eventually became a Patrol Leader. He became a Kings Scout, which, just like today, is the highest award a youth member of the Scout movement can achieve.
In 1937, he was lucky enough to attend the fifth World Scout Jamboree, which was held at a place called Vogelenzang, Bloemendal in Holland. It was opened on 31st July 1937 by Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands. There were 28,750 scouts from 54 countries attending and having been given 650 water taps and 120 showers it was considered to be the cleanest jamboree site to date. There were 12 sub-camps on the jamboree site each one of which had its own badge colour; Richard was part of Sub-camp number 2, Troop 58 which was made up of Scouts from the West Riding of Yorkshire and Norfolk. they all wore a green coloured necker to show which sub camp was theirs.
The symbol used for the world jamboree is the Jacob's staff, which was used during the exploration of new territories in the Age of Discovery by Dutch sailors. The ten arms symbolize the ten articles of the Scout Law.
Although girls did not take part in the jamboree (not until 1978 at the 16th world jamboree held in Australia) they were allowed to give a salute to Baden-Powel’s wife, Olave Baden-Powell, who was their Chief Guide. There was also a special Cub Day held during the camp.
At the closure of the event on August 9, 1937, Baden-Powell pointed out the symbol of this jamboree: the Jacob's Staff and announced his retirement. He took his farewell saying.
‘I am nearing the end of my life. Most of you are at the beginning, and I want your lives to be happy and successful. You can make them so by doing your best to carry out the Scout Law all your days, whatever your station and wherever you are. Now goodbye. God bless you all. God bless you.’
The first World Scout Jamboree was held in 1920 at Olympia in London and was attended by 8,000 Scouts from 34 countries. A World Jamboree has been held every four years ever since, except between 1937 and 1947 due to the Second World War, and the 1997 Jamboree, which was due to be held in Iran was cancelled, due to the political unrest in the region at the time. The Jamboree has been held in different countries around the world; the first seven were held in Europe; the eighth was held in North America and then the tradition of moving it among the continents began.
You can read Richard's Jamboree day to day diary from his Log Book here
Richard came back to Holt, and he was posted to India during world War II where he worked repairing airplanes. At the end of the war he came back to the sorting office becoming a higher-grade postman.
He also helped to set up the first Holt Youth Club in the 1960’s with another chap called Brian Hallows who owned the laundry.
Richard became a Magistrate or JP (Justice of the Peace) and eventually became the Chairman of the Bench. He was a keen sportsman and played football for Holt. He also played cricket for the town and for the County.
In the 1970’s he moved with his family to Bury St. Edmunds when he was promoted to run the sorting office there.
There is a bench commemorating Richard Gray outside his old post office building at 1, Cromer Road, Holt, which is now the Vinyl Vault Record Store.
Richard’s daughter Sally has donated his Jamboree Log Book, his Scout Bugle and a pair of decorated Dutch clogs, that he bought as a souvenir when at the Dutch Jamboree, to the Group.
The Richard Gray Cup
