Some notable dates in Scouting and District history:
Year Event Additional notes
1907 August – Baden-Powell holds an experimental camp on Brownsea Island.
1908 January – ‘Scouting for Boys’ starts publication in fortnightly parts.
April – ‘The Scout’ weekly paper is launched.
Scouting activity known to be underway in Finchley.
See article ‘In the Beginning’
1909 September – First National Scout Rally, at Crystal Palace.
1910 August – Girl Guide Movement founded by Baden-Powell and his sister Agnes.
1912 January – Royal Charter of Incorporation for the Boy Scouts.
1914 August – The Great War starts. See article –‘The War Years’
1916 Wolf Cubs officially launches.
1917 Rover Scout scheme starts.
1919 Gilwell Park officially opens.
1920 July – First World Jamboree held at London’s Olympia and Baden-Powell declared Chief Scout of the World.
1921 District Census. The first year’s data we have found. See all of our Census records in ‘In the Beginning’.
1924 2nd World Jamboree held at Ermelunden, Denmark.
1929 July – ‘Coming of Age’ Jamboree (3rd) held at Arrow Park, Birkenhead.
1933 4th World Jamboree held at Gödöllő Hungary.
1934 The District leases land for use as a Camping Ground. See article ‘Frith Grange’.
1936 May – Official opening of the District Camping Ground (Frith Grange) See article ‘Frith Grange’.
1937 5th World Jamboree held at Bloemendaal, Netherland.
1938 Good Turn Rally
1939 September – World War II starts. See article –‘The War Years’
1941 January – Baden-Powell dies.
Air Scouts branch launches.
Our District Grieves.
Finchley’s Air Scouts.
1942 March – Lord Somers (Arthur Somers-Cocks) becomes Chief Scout
1944 Finchley Scout and Guide Week
1945 April – Lord Rowallan (Thomas Corbett) becomes Chief Scout.
May – Finchley Lodge, the District HQ opens.
See article ‘Finchley Lodge’.
1946 Senior Scouts starts.
1947 40 Years of Scouting
6th World Jamboree held at Moisson, France.
1949 Bob-a-Job fundraising scheme starts.
1951 7th World Jamboree held at Bad Ischi, Austria.
1955 8th World Jamboree held at Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada.
1957 50th Anniversary of Scouting.
9th World Jamboree held at Sutton Park, Sutton Coldfield.
See article ‘1957 – Finchley Scouting – A year to remember’.
1959 10th World Jamboree held at Los Baños Laguna, Philippines.
September – Sir Charles Maclean (later Lord) becomes Chief Scout.
Finchley’s representative is Victor Courtice.
1960 Finchley Lodge, the District HQ, is sold. See article ‘Finchley Lodge’.
1961 July – Baden-Powell House opened by HM The Queen.
1962 The National Trust purchases Brownsea Island for the public.
1963 11th World Jamboree held at Marathon, Greece
1964 April – Five North London Groups join Finchley to form the District “Finchley and Friern Barnet”. They are joined later by the 6th East Barnet from Hertfordshire District. See article ‘Our Groups’.
1965 March – The new Finchley Lodge opens. See article ‘Finchley Lodge’.
1966 June – The Chief Scout’s ‘Advance Party Report’ published: major changes in uniform, terminology and training programme.
1967 12th World Jamboree held at Farragut State Park, Idaho, USA
1976 Cub Scout Jubilee See how our District celebrated.
1971 Groups from Golders Green merge and the District became “Finchley, Friern Barnet and Golders Green”.
13th World Jamboree held at Fujinomiya, Shizouka, Japan
See article ‘Our Groups’
1972 July – Sir William Gladstone becomes Chief Scout.
1975 14th World Jamboree held at Lillehammer, Norway.
1982 February – Major-General Michael J H Walsh becomes Chief Scout.
New younger section, ‘Beavers’ introduced.
1983 15th World Jamboree held at Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada.
1987 16th World Jamboree held at Sydney, Australia.
1988 May – Sir Garth Morrison becomes Chief Scout.
1996 March – George Purdy becomes Chief Scout
1990 Girls are permitted to join the younger Scout sections if Groups wished.
Finchley Lodge sold and Frith Grange becomes the District HQ.
See article ‘Finchley Lodge’.
1991 17th World Jamboree held at Seoraksan National Park, South Korea.
1995 18th World Jamboree held at Dronten, Netherlands.
1998 19th World Jamboree held at Picarquin, Chile.
2002 Launch of new uniforms, sections and training programmes.
September – Peter Duncan (former Blue Peter presenter) becomes 9th Chief Scout.
20th World Jamboree held at Sattahip, Thailand.
2007 World Centenary Jamboree (21st) at Hylands Park, Chelmsford.
2008 The District merges with Barnet and Hendon & Edgware, to form the new “Barnet Borough District”.
Look up your local Scout Group, because you’ve got a safe, practical community who will encourage and support you.'
Bear Grylls, Chief Scout Bear Grylls