Rover Bulletin No. 57

NUMBER FIFTY SEVEN 31st May, 1946

Dear Lads,

Here we are again at the end of another month and time for the Bulletin to go to press. We are pleased to say the spring cleaning of “Love’s Abode” is being tackled with great enthusiasm and the garden is looking very fresh and soon, with the help of some warmer weather, the flowers will bloom – we hope! For the benefit of our lads in the warm climes the usual cold East wind which Auld Reekie is famous for, has been blowing without break for over a month and we are hoping it will change soon and give us real summer weather.

Still they come! We refer to the latest demobs – Chortie (Turnbull) and John (Thomson), and we welcome them back to the trials of Civvy street and hope they will soon settle down. Chortie is on holiday in the meantime and we understand his home will be in Aberdour. He will be going back to his job with the North British & Mercantile Insurance Co. John too is on holiday and will be going back to the Bank.

We have to record another engagement. JOHN (Thomson) is engaged to a lassie from Yorkshire and her name is Mary Ward, and on behalf of you all we extend our heartiest congratulations to them both.

We had a farewell visit from James (Suttie) to tell us that he was leaving Edinburgh with his family and going to Peterborough to take up a Clerk of Works job with the Ministry, and we wish him all the best of luck in his new surroundings.

On the 5th May the crew was well represented at the Annual Church Parade and March Past along Princes Street. The crew acted as markers for the districts. The service was held in St. Cuthbert’s Church, West End, and the salute and March Past was taken by Sir Ernest Wedderburn (County President).

The next event to record was the Grand Rally held at Murrayfield in honour of the Chief Scout, Lord Rowallan. The crew was asked to steward on this occasion. Jim (Frier) was delegated to look out for the arrival of the Chief Scout at the entrance to the stand. Perhaps Jim was looking for a man dressed in silk braid and maybe a sword dangling at his side, because he failed to notice his arrival. What happened in our Rover Mate’s own words was as follows: –

“I had an idea the Chief Scout had arrived and I entered the room at the back of the stand and asked the first person I met if the Chief were here, I received the reply “I am the Chief” and he extended his left hand to me. Later on when he was leaving he again shook my hand and congratulated me on my fine job of work, and I must say he is a real gentleman”.

We have pleasure in reporting that at the Scout Five-a-sides held in the field at Clark Road, the troop have won the Shield. They defeated the 20th Leith by 2-0 in the final and thus avenged last year’s defeat. Great stuff!

The Sports are due to take place on the 30th and 31st of this month and we hope the boys will put up a good show and bring more Shields to keep the Football Shield company. The Tug of War Shield should be in the bag says Sergeant Bilke who was at the cottage last Friday.

In last month’s Bulletin we promised to let you know the result of the Rover Leaders’ meeting to discuss the new Rover plan, and Mr. M. Howie, Rover Commissioner for Scotland, said that it was not intended that the plan be universally adopted by all crews. In fact they admitted that the 4th Leith Rovers were unique and had carried on well and could be relied on to back the County in all their functions. The primary purpose of Rovering is, of course, service to the community and while we know that this transition period after the war is difficult for everyone, We hope to resume some form of service in the winter months.

In this connection at a discussion round the table recently the possibility of there being a Victory Show is quite hopeful and the general feeling is that it should be held in February of next year. That is about all that can be said about it in the meantime.

With regard to the vacancy at St. Serf’s for a new minister, we can tell you that the Committee appointed the Rev. Frank Findlay to be sole nominee. He preached on Sunday 26th inst. in St. Serf’s and the congregation voted on Tuesday 28th to decide if he would be the successor to Mr Wright

Next month the following Rover Squires, who have served three months probationary period and more, will be invested into full membership of the crew. Their names are Bobby Finlay, Murray Cullan, Gibson Mahaffy, George Walker, Robert Campbell and Jimmy Balcarres.

Ian (Moffat) was last heard of at Doolali near Bombay. He expects to be posted or come home on a month’s leave soon. Not much difference! His mother has not heard from him for a week or two so we may join in her hopes that he is Blighty bound, as, Ian those chips are. ” thaig hai” (OK)

David (Gosman) is more than sorry he missed you in Calcutta, He was only 5 miles from Barrackpore but blames the R.A.F. for not passing on any message.

We hear that Hugh (Clark) has been demobbed under Class 3, and is book to his old trade – plumbing.

Will(Taylor), who writes fromTain says that he had the honour to play for Scotland at a local international football match when Scotland beat England 5-4.

Campbell (MacKellar) is still on the N.W. frontier but hopes to go further East as he has done over 9 months at Bazmak.

Ian(Thomson) writes saying that he is on a grim station in Ceylon called Trincomabo and the only good thing about the place is the bathing in the sea and even that was disturbed recently by a whale which entered the harbour and refused to leave. It finally had to be driven out by 2 tugs.

Ian is group 62 and he hopes to be out soon. Good Luck Ian!

Joey (Stewart) is now back to the Central Med. after a short 14 days at home. He now writes saying he has prospects of visits to Vienna, Rome and Naples and hopes to take some good photographs on his travels.

Cheerio, fellas, keep your funny side up, and all the very, very best,