27th April 2012

SOUTH SOMERSET: Record turnout for St Georges Day Parade

By Marion Draper

ABOUT 300 members of the South Somerset Scouting Group and family met at the church of St Bartholomew in Crewkerne for this year’s St George’s Day Parade.

The record turn-out required extra chairs in the aisles to sqeeze everyone in.

The annual service which gathers Explorers, Scouts, Cubs and Beavers from the Chard, Crewkerne and Ilminster area, is held in different churches each year, although last year an alfresco event was held on the lawn of Barrington Court when St George’s Day clashed with Easter.

Part of the tradition of the service is the renewal of the children’s promises and this year assistant Cub Scout Leader, Alice Wines, and Roly Cox from the Explorer Unit, were presented with their wood beads. There were also various other awards to Scout leaders.

The Reverend Michael Gallagher spoke to the young people about the importance of tolerance and how it made us special as a nation.

He led prayers and the National Anthem, then joined the Deputy County Commissioner, Colina Hine, and her husband Terry, outside for the parade inspection. There was a retiring collection for St Margaret’s Hospice.

Top of the parade were the 1st Ilton and Broadway Scouts, who took the South Somerset Scouts District Commissioner’s Trophy for best turned-out, much to their delight.

The other groups present were the Explorer Unit, 1st Ilminster, 1st Crewkerne, 1st Hinton St George and Manor Court from Chard.

PICTURE 1: 1ST Crewkerne Scouts

PICTURE 2: CHAMPION TROOP - 1st Ilton and Broadway Scouts took the shield for best on parade