Our History
Scouting started in 1907, and one of the earliest ‘Troops’ was the 1st Worcester Park, whose enthusiastic young lads met on the same site as our Group now does, although it and it’s later Wolf Cub Pack were disbanded prior to the Second Word War.
The picture above is the original 1st Worcester Park, taken in the early 1920’s, we believe at a camp on the Isle of Wight. Many of these boys would have been conscripted to serve in the armed forces in WW2, some never to return.
St John the Baptist parish church’s clergy founded 1st Old Malden (St John the Baptist) Scout Group in 1950. The Group has been providing scouting activities for the young people of the parish of Old Malden ever since. During the 1950’s it boasted ex-Prime Minister John Major as one of its’ Wolf Cubs!
Ever since the time when the 1st Worcester Park Scouts and Guides erected their ex-World War One army hut in the 1920’s behind the St John’s Church Hall, the Group has always had its’ own Headquarters building to meet in. The present ‘Old Malden Scout Centre’ was built by the Group with the aid of a Community Fund grant and was opened by the UK’s Chief Scout, George Purdy, in November 2002.
Like the Scout Association itself, 1st Old Malden has continually moved with the times so that it remains as successful a Scout Group in the 21st century as it was in the middle of the 20th! Today’s Scout will still be able to tie you a reef knot if you want one, but they will also be able to beat you on their Play Station!
The Scout movement currently boasts over 16 million members world wide in nearly every country of the World. In the UK it is the largest mixed membership youth organisation with around 500,000 people – young and old – actively involved.
A friendly and informal family Group, we nevertheless promote high standards and are really pleased when we win competitions or awards.