1st East Grinstead Scout Group
Centenary 1908 - 2008
First East Grinstead Boys Scouts Troop in uniform at Littlehampton, 1909. Boys camping, under Major Ford. Tent behind boys. Names of boys: T. Winter, C. Miller, L. Bingham, G. Smith, J. Mitchell, A. Bingham, S. Barden, T. Beard.
The boys were three Forest Row orphans who were boarded out in Railway Approach, East Grinstead; just about that time, Lord Baden-Powell who was to become the beloved founder and chief of the Boy Scout movement had returned from abroad to the Sussex village of Chailey.
Here he found that his nephews and nieces had forgotten how to play games, and as an expert "tracker" he taught them. In fact, he did more, he wrote a book all about tracking for them.
The book was published and began to sell well. A copy of the book fell into the hands of the three boys in Railway Approach, and so intrigued were they that they asked a local builder, whose premises were then on the London Road corner of Railway Approach, to be allowed the use of a room. He agreed and gave permission for the boys to use and meet in the ladder house at the back of his builder's yard. It was about this time that Dr. Walker had, as a young doctor, come to the town and was in practice. One evening for a reason I never knew, these boys called at my house and asked if I Would teach them" tracking," said Dr. Walker.