NUMBER 4

With Grey Brother’s passing Cyril Pegg was called upon for the second time to follow a deceased Group Scout Leader into the warrant holding role of GSL. Again he carried his responsibilities with assurance, charm and wisdom sprinkled with a mischievous sense of humour. It is easy to forget that Cyril started his long scouting career before the First World War, and continued the connection right up to the end of his life, apart from several years during the Second World War when he served with the army at home and in the Middle East. He stepped down as the GSL of 1st Cheam in May 1971 under the rules of the new image of scouting when a retirement age had been fixed though Cyril had already been granted by special dispensation an extension of twelve months.However he was not lost to the Group as he continued as an instructor and later became our President.

Number 5

On Cyril’s retirement as GSL in 1971, Lol Sergeant, who had been Scout Leader of the Troop from 1949 was invited by the Group Council to take on the role of GSL – a position he graciously accepted. He confessed at the time that he had been in the Group all its 43 years having been one of the four lads at the very first meeting in 1928. “A fair apprenticeship” he wrote. Along with others of his generation Lol had served in the war and when peace came in 1945 he returned to 1st Cheam and became an Assistant Scoutmaster working under the legendary Bill King. A year later Mr. King retired as Scoutmaster retaining the role of GSM and Lol took over the Troop and shortly switched the weekly Saturday evening troop parade to a Tuesday night where it remains today.

Lol’s services to scouting were rightly recognised. In 1958 he was awarded the Medal of Merit, a bar was added in 1966. Eleven years later he was to receive from the Chief Scout the Silver Acorn. His time as Group Scout Leader was for seven years, resignation came in 1978 during the Group’s Golden Jubilee Year, In total Lol had been in the Group of 1st Cheam fifty years, forty of them as a Scouter. He was immediately appointed Vice-President and in 1983 following the death of Cyril Pegg, became the Group President.
After a long battle against illness Lol‘s dear wife Joyce died on 16 November 1989. Eleven days later on 27th November Lol died peacefully in St. Helier Hospital, aged 74. It was a desperately sad time for all, for Nick, Sue, Christopher and Stuart. and those of us, and there were many, who had been fortunate and privileged to be regarded as friends.