etween 1924 and 1932, as increasingly more events were being hosted
in the town of Kuala Lumpur (it had been the capital of the Federated
Malay States since 1895), there were increased calls for volunteers
and helpers. While there were other groups like the Cadets, people
were more eager to call on the assistance of the Scouts. Parallel with
this development, it must be noted that the First Selangor Group was,
until 1925, the sole Troop in Selangor. Equally important, it was the
Troop from the premier school of the region. So who else to call upon
other than the V.I. Scouts when help was needed? Thus, the V.I. Scouts
found themselves involved in a myriad of activities that kept them
occupied week after week.
However, it was not just external factors that accounted
for the busy-ness of the V.I. Scouts. The V.I. Scout movement had many
dedicated and committed teachers who voluntarily gave of their time to
instruct and examine the Scouts in different aspects of Scoutcraft.
Teachers like Mr M.A. Akbar and Mr Ganga Singh became Assistant
District Commissioner and District Scout Master respectively. Even the
V.I. Headmasters were actively involved, a tradition continued even
after the Second World War! It was of no surprise then that the V.I.
Scouts were admired far and wide for their abilities.
RECOGNITION OF THE V.I. SCOUT MOVEMENT
The V.I. Scouts and Scout Masters were instrumental in establishing
Troops in other schools such as ACS Klang and Maxwell School. Perhaps the zenith of
this trailblazing occurred on Empire Day, 15 May 1926. Mr Frank C.
Sands, the Chief Scout Commissioner for Malaya, often inspected V.I. Scout
parades, be they ordinary Troop parades or march pasts in major public
events. After the 1926 Empire Day Inspection, there was a Grand Rally at which
Mr Sands addressed the V.I. Scouts and Cubs. With the District Scout Master,
Mr M.A. Akbar beside him, Mr. Sands commended the boys on their good turnout,
reminding them that they were the pioneers of the movement in the State and had
been the only Scouts in the State for a good long time. The V.I. Scouts had kept
up the movement without a break (The Methodist Boys’ School and St John’s
Institution incidentally had started Troops in 1910 just after the V.I., but
those Troops were subsequently disbanded). Such activeness, he said, was due to
Mr M.A. Akbar who had, in sixteen years of service, worked hard for the Troops,
keeping the interest going in spite of all difficulties. There were many times
when Mr Akbar had to manage things single-handedly. Hence the Chief Commissioner
thought it fitting that Mr Akbar should hold a new office, that of Assistant
District Commissioner for Selangor.
That same day, a public meeting was held at the Victoria
Institution, the object of which was the formation of a Selangor Boy Scouts Local
Association. The Honourable Mr H.W. Thomson, the British Resident, was the chair
and those
in attendance included Mr Sands, representatives from the Girl Guides’
Association and the Negri Sembilan Boy Scouts’ Association. The proposal for
forming the Association was passed unanimously and the Resident was asked to
become the Association’s president. Two former V.I. Scout Masters, Mr E.S.
Redfearn and Mr M.A. Akbar were automatically inducted into the committee
because of their roles as Assistant District Commissioners, assisting the
District Commissioner Mr J.R. Kellam. The V.I. Scout movement was, indeed,
‘reaching out’. Thus 15 May 1926 became a red-letter day in Scouting annals.
With his well-merited promotion, Mr Akbar continued to serve the movement
creditably and, in 1930, was awarded the Bar of the Medal of Merit by the
Chief Scout Lord Robert Baden-Powell on the occasion of Mr Akbar’s 20th year
in service.
The V.I. Scouts also established close rapport with the
District Commissioner, Mr Kellam, who contributed a challenge trophy for an
inter-patrol competition between the patrols of all the V.I. Troops. After
Mr Kellam's departure, his successor, Mr Marcus Dukes, barely in office twelve
days, paid a visit to the school on 20 June 1929. He was received
with a general salute and proceeded to inspect the ranks, during which he
questioned the Scouts on the Scout Laws and in the uses of the various knots.
Emergency drill was practised under the command of Mr Dukes and, after this,
a Message Relay Race was run in Patrols. A short practice in jujitsu ended
the programme for the day.
The British Residents for Selangor also had high praise for
the V.I. Troops whenever they saw them in action. Residents like Mr O.F. Stoner,
Mr E.W.F. Gilman and Mr A. Caldecott were reported as being deeply
impressed by the Scouts during the Empire Day celebrations of various
years. As has been mentioned, in 1925, the Selangor royalty had even
offered to present the Royal Colours to the Troop! Truly the Scout
movement was held in such high esteem that when the Selangor Scouts
held a camp in Morib in 1926, the Sultan very kindly lent them a
bungalow. Other Scout associations also regarded the V.I. Scouts
highly, inviting them to their functions. In 1928, the V.I. Scouts
were invited to the first Grand Rally of the newly formed Malay Troops
at the Kampung Baru Padang on July 12, as well as to the Klang Scouts
rally cum ‘White Honey’ Inter-patrol Competition of the Fifth Selangor
Troop of the ACS Klang. It was also reported in Scouting In Malaya,
September 1929 that, during a jamboree in Singapore, the Singapore
Scouts "were very pleased to welcome to our Jamboree the Troop
Leader and one of the Patrol Leaders from the Victoria Institution
Troop, Kuala Lumpur". In effect, the TL and PL were treated as
Guests-of-Honour!
One very momentous sign of recognition occurred on Armistice
Day, 11 November 1930. Before the assembled Scout Troops of Selangor, the
First Selangor Group were presented with a Troop flag by the Chief Justice
W. Elphinstone. The ADC Mr Stowell (who was also the
V.I. Headmaster) addressed the Troop, reminding them that the flag
was their challenge to carry out their threefold promise. They had to
ward off the ‘cunning enemy’ who would tempt them to be too slack to
turn up for patrol meetings, too slack to practise their Morse code,
too slack to do good turns, or too slack to go to camp. If they
yielded, they would be surrendering their flag. The flag was later
escorted in a slow march before the Troop which presented staffs.
SUCCESS DUE TO STRONG FOUNDATIONS AND STRUCTURE
The V.I. Scout movement would have fumbled had it not
been for the continuous service by many stalwarts of Scouting, who were
experts in various fields of Scoutcraft. They had gladly served the Troop
voluntarily, without reward and yet with utmost willingness. In
acknowledgement for their services, the Swastika Badge of Friendship
was presented by the V.I. Troops to those who had contributed
significantly. Those who received the award included Mr W. Towle
(the pioneering leader of the ‘Fire Section’ and the source of reference
for the Fireman’s Badge since 1920), Mr Choong Wan Chan (the first King
Scout and subsequently a Scout Master) and Mr R.J.H. Sidney (the second
V.I. Headmaster on his retirement).
Over the years, the V.I. Scouts continued to undergo
restructuring in order to achieve an efficient organisation framework. In
March 1925, Mr E.S. Redfearn (then the DC for Selangor) reconstituted the
First Selangor Scouts into four Troops. The First Selangor Troop continued
under the charge of Mr Akbar, while the Second, Third and Fourth Selangor
Troops were placed under Mr N. Sundarajalu, Mr Ganga Singh and Mr Choong
Wan Chan. (Note, however, that the Second Selangor Troop is not the
predecessor of the present 2nd Kuala Lumpur group.) Over the next few
years, there were various changes in the Scout Mastership of the Troops:
With the 1928 reconstitution of SM-ships and ASM-ships,
a new post was created that year, namely that of a District Scout Master,
in charge of all four V.I. Troops. Scout Master Mr Ganga Singh was
appointed to the position. However, it seems that this structure was
shortlived because records seem to indicate that, as of 1929, there
was only one Troop in the V.I. namely the First Selangor Troop. In
fact, in the December 1928 edition of The Victorian, it is recorded
that "... these will probably be the last Scout Notes to the
Victorian concerning the First, Second, Third and Fourth Selangor
Boy Scout Troops".
However, this merger was problematic as it meant that
more boys were concentrated into one Troop. In fact, in 1931, there were as
many as ten patrols, namely Tiger, Stag, Fox, Bull, Lion, Elephant,
Rhino, Horse, Owl and Peewit. Enrolments had increased from 40 to 70.
So, in early 1932, the First Selangor Group - which had started as one
Troop in 1910, but was reorganised into four Troops in 1925, later to
become one again after 1928 - was reorganised into two sections -
Troop 1A (under DSM Ganga Singh) consisting of boys who joined in
January 1932, and Troop 1B (under SM Goh Keng Kwee) comprising all
of the previous year’s Scouts. Troop 1A consisted of 33 Scouts divided
into four patrols, namely, Raja Udang, Merbok, Gajah and Kuching while
Troop 1B consisted of 36 Scouts divided into five patrols namely Bull,
Tiger, Lion, Fox and Stag.
Together with this change of organisation structure,
there were also changes in rules. Hitherto, a
V.I. boy could be both a Scout and a member of the V.I. Cadet Corps. As
such, there was sharing of resources and training. As previously noted,
Scout Master Wan Chan instructed the cadets in marksmanship, helping them
win the Leslie Shield in 1925. As well, the Scouts had a bugle section.
There is a now-widely used photo of the Drum and Fife section of the V.I.,
posing in front of the old High Street building, where many of the members
are attired in Scout uniform. However, in early 1928, this official
intertwining of cadets and Scouts ceased. A new rule was introduced
which stipulated that no boy who was a member of the V.I. Cadet Corps
would continue as a Scout unless his services were required as Troop
Leader or Patrol Leader.
MORE ACTIVITIES
So what were Scout meetings like? There were frequent
district parades, where all Troops in the district would march from their
gathering place to a pre-determined destination. For instance, on
7 September 1927, the Scouts of all Troops in Kuala Lumpur marched
in the evening to Bungsar Road, with the School Bands leading. Then,
by 1928, district parades were held every Thursday and all Troops
were encouraged to take part. Each Troop also had its own outings
(to destinations such as Kanching or Ampang), and parades (where
the Scouts learned different Scoutcraft and also had marching
practice); each on different days. Discipline was paramount, and Scout
Masters were intolerant of boys who lacked commitment. In 1932,
absentees from normal Monday evening parades had to attend the
Defaulters’ Parade on Wednesday evenings while DSM Ganga Singh asked
uncommitted PL’s to resign. The average attendance of the First
Selangor Troop then was about 75%.
Essentially, by the late 1920’s, there was beginning
to be much regularity in activity schedules for the V.I. Scouts. Definite
times were allocated for certain activities, such as the normal and
Defaulters’ Parades as highlighted above. Indeed, regular schedules
were important especially for badge examinations so that the boys
could plan their intended progress through the badges. In 1928, badge
examinations were held on the third Thursday of every month. To
complement those badge examinations, regular periods were also devoted
to instruction in Scoutcraft. For example, in 1931, every Wednesday,
Saturday and Sunday was given up to Signalling (4-5 p.m.), 2nd Class
tests (8-10 a.m.) and Swimming (9-10 a.m.) respectively. In fact, it
is recorded that the Scouts were out almost every Sunday to the
Swimming Pool, preparing for the Inter-patrol Swimming Competition
at the end of the December term.
Field activities punctuated the V.I. Scouting calendar.
On 20 June 1925, the Troops were led by their respective Scout Masters to
traverse the Petaling Hills and to reach the village of Salak South. They
had to navigate competently through marshy and wet grounds, passing through
places like Dhoby Valley (near the present site of Istana Negara)
and Spion Kop, to reach their destination. Not only that, Mr Akbar,
one of the oldest pathfinders in Kuala Lumpur, gave them a task in
reconnoitring, instructing them to find their way to the destination
on their own accord while he trailed behind. Thus the Scouts had to
plan and inform him as to the direction they were heading. In 1927, a
Field Day was held in the Dhoby Valley, after which DC Kellam held an
Investiture Ceremony for the new Tenderfoot Scouts who had passed all
their tests.
Besides taking part in Troop-based activities, the
individual patrols also organised their own activities. For instance, on
19 August 1930, two patrols of the First Selangor Group went to Ulu Gombak
for a camp. They camped at the old Power Station - pitching two large tents
for the two patrols, one for the ADC, one store tent and one for the
Troop Leader. On 22 March 1931, PL Leong Hong Teck led his Bull Patrol
for a day out at Dhoby Valley, and the Scouts prepared their own meals
for the day. Then on 17 September 1932, 12 Scouts accompanied the Scout
Master Mr Goh Keng Kwee for a hiking expedition from Ampang to Ulu Langat.
They started from Pudu station by train to Ampang (the fare was only eight
cents per Scout!). From Ampang, they hiked across the Hills, crossing two
Forest Reserves, a Malay Reserve and several rubber estates before finally
coming to the main road. The scribe for the expedition recommended two
things; that unexperienced Scouts, eager to try the trip, ensured that
they had a guide, and that Scout staffs be taken along as the Hills were
rather steep.
IMPROVING SCOUTCRAFT AND GENERAL SKILLS
The importance placed on badge examinations produced
beneficial results as many Scouts became Second Class, First Class and King
Scouts. For instance, in early 1932, there was only one King Scout (who
wore red and white All-Round cords) in Troop 1A, namely, PL Tei Keng
Song, and two King Scouts in Troop 1B, namely, PL Ng Kam Heong and
Ghazally. But by September 1932, three other Scouts had won their
First Class Badges and were closer to gaining the King Scout award,
while three more PL’s had almost completed their First Class. By
December another Scout, Seow Soo Sung from Troop 1B, had won the King
Scout Badge.
One major reason for their success was the support the
Scouts had from the wider community. Old Boys like Dr Chua Boon Teck from
the Chua Dispensary, devoted two to three hours each Saturday morning to
instruct the boys in First Aid. In 1932, the V.I. teachers and members of
the public who served as instructors and examiners were:
The Headmaster, Mr F.L. Shaw (Swimming)
Mr S. Thambiah (Thrift)
Mr Foo Chong Choon (Semaphore and Morse)
ADC Akbar (Judging distance, areas etc)
Mr T.R. Abraham (Cooking)
Mr Chan Hung Chin (Map Reading and Journey)
DC Marcus Dukes (Axemanship)
Dr Chua Boon Teck, the Chua Dispensary (First Aid)
Dr K. Murugasu, the Assistant Health Officer for Kuala Lumpur.
Besides learning skills for the sake of gaining badges, the Scout
Masters also ensured that the boys acquired as many ‘non-badge’ skills
as possible and to expand their fields of expertise. In 1929, the
Scout Master Mr Goh Keng Kwee taught jujitsu to a few enthusiasts. As
well, The Victorian of 1929 notes that the Troop also possessed
"what is probably the best Orchestra in the State"!
General leadership skills were also emphasised. Scout Master Mr Goh
Keng Kwee of the First Selangor Troop 1B held Patrol Leaders’ Training
Camps between 19 to 21 September 1931 on the school grounds and also
between Friday 9 September to Monday 12 September 1932 at Castle Camp.
(See Patrol Leaders and Seconds
Course - 1931).
IMPROVING EFFICIENCY & INTERACTION - COMPETITIONS & JAMBOREES
There were also competitions. At the basic level, there
were inter-patrol competitions within particular Troops. In 1928, Mrs Loke
Yew, wife of one of the School's founders, presented a silver cup for
annual competition among patrols of the Second Troop. The inaugural
competition, held in August 1928, was won by the Foxes under PL Loke Wan
Tho, her own son! (See A Gallery of
Scouting Greats). The patrols were examined in ten categories,
namely, turnout, patrol drill, signalling, tracking, fire-lighting and
cooking, verbal message, first aid, knot tying, observation and map reading.
Out of a possible 100 marks, the Foxes obtained 69. Those judging the
competition included the Headmaster Mr Davies, former and present Scout
Masters and various experts in Scoutcraft.
There were also inter-patrol competitions among the four
V.I. Troops for the Cup presented by DC Kellam for this purpose. The patrols
were assessed over a few days of intense competition in First Aid, Signalling,
Knots, Tent-pitching, Patrol Drill, Cooking, Map-reading, Message Bearing,
General Turnout, Laws, Flags and Scout staff uses among other things. The
event was judged by various experts in Scoutcraft. In its first year in
1927, judges included the V.I. Headmaster Mr G.C. Davies, the Maxwell
School Headmaster Mr C. Beamish, the DC for Perak Mr H.R. Hertslet, the DC
for Selangor Mr J.R. Kellam, Cubmaster Mr Chan Hung Chin, several teachers
and Rovers. The Fox patrol of the First Troop won the cup with 534 marks.
The Kellam Cup was then presented to Lee Choon Yin, PL of Fox, during
Sports Day by Mrs J. Lornie, wife of the British Resident. Other winners
in later years included the Wolves of the Fourth Troop under PL Haidzir Mohd
Isa in 1928 (604 marks out of 800) and Bull patrol under PL Leong Hong Teck
in 1931 (616 marks out of 800).
Besides inter-patrol competitions, there was also the Tuck
Shop competition which pitted the four V.I. Troops against each other. The
competition, held in conjunction with the Kellam Cup on 5 and 6 July
1928, was won by the First Troop under SM Mr A.L. Foenander. The Third
Troop was second in the competition while the Second Troop secured the
wooden spoon. Those who judged the competition were the Headmaster, DC
Kellam, ADC’s Akbar and M.J. Dowty, SM Peethamparam, Cubmaster Hung Chin,
two former Scout Masters Mr Redfearn and Mr Choong Wan Chan, and Mr
Choon Wing Hong, a V.I. teacher and 1916 Rodger Medallist.
One may pause here to consider the very significant role
of the V.I. Headmasters in Scouting. For instance, Mr G.C. Davies often judged
at Scout competitions while Mr E. de la M. Stowell served as an Assistant
District Commissioner. His successor, Mr F. L. Shaw rewarded the Scouts
with gifts such as little Scout knives when they gained their First Class
Badges and helped procure camp sites such as Dusun Tua for them. It is
also interesting to note that during Mr F.L. Shaw’s tenure, the Scouts
were NOT allowed to cancel meetings unless he gave them permission! In
other words, having Troop meetings, in today's parlance, was the ‘default
option’ - assume held unless otherwise told so!
At a broader level, there was another kind of inter-Troop
competition, namely that which pitted the V.I. Troops not just against themselves,
but also against Troops from other schools. This was the Beamish Cup, named
after the Maxwell School headmaster who presented that trophy in 1928. In
that inaugural year, the Beamish Cup competition was held in connection
with the Selangor Jamboree at the V.I. field on 6 August. Ten Troops
competed, with the First Selangor Troop playing second fiddle to the
triumphant Sixth Selangor Troop of Maxwell Road School. The Fourth and
Third Troops were third and fourth respectively. In the 1931 Beamish Cup
competition, however, after an inspection by ADC Mr Davidson, the First
Selangor Group were sufficiently inspired to emerge first.
Jamborees are perhaps the best places where Scouts get to
socialise with each other. Existing records indicate that the dates 6 to 17
August 1927 go down in Scouting history as the first time that the V.I.
Scouts participated in a jamboree. The occasion was the All-Malayan Scout
Jamboree, held in Penang. Most of the V.I. representatives were drawn
from the First Selangor Troop. They were TL Lee Choon Yin, PL Mohd
Hussein, PL Ramly, PL Abul Manan, PS Harun and PS Mohd Tahir
(See All-Malayan Scout Camp - 1927
). Two years later, the first Jamboree of the Boy Scouts in
Selangor was held on the new V.I. field on 6 August 1929.
TROOP FACILITIES
Scouting in those years was, of course, very spartan,
and boys frequently had to march or hike to their intended out of school
activities, or thumb lifts from lorries. For greater distances, they
travelled simply; whether on trains or steamships. The bicycle was a
popular mode of transport. For instance, on 11 September 1931, the
Scout Master and 22 Scouts set out on their bicycles at 8 a.m. and reached
Ulu Kanching at about 10.30 a.m. for a day out at the water-fall. On
29 October of the same year, the PL and PS of Elephant patrol, together
with the Scout Master, bicycled to Port Dickson, staying two nights at
Sunnytide Bungalow under canvas. Occasionally they would be lucky
enough as some Scout with a more affluent parent would share his
luxuries with the Troop. One such family whose generosity was well-known
was the Loke family. Loke Wan Tho, the son of the philantropist Towkay
Loke Yew, was a PL in the Second Selangor Troop, and later in 1929,
when the V.I. only had one Troop, became a PL in the First Selangor
Troop. On 3 April 1929, the First Selangor Troop had a picnic at Klang
Gates, where they spent an enjoyable time swimming, mountaineering,
cooking and singing. This trip was made possible as PL Loke Wan Tho and
Scout Chu Kah Yoon provided four large cars for the party.
In 1929, in the spanking new, spacious V.I. premises on
Petaling Hill, the Scouts finally had a room to call their own. While austere
in its layout, it must certainly have been cherished deeply, as any Scout would
treasure and take care of his belongings. There was a ping-pong table in
the room. Corners were allotted to patrols, and the Scouts added decorations
to the room. By December 1930, it was noted that the room had truly become
very congenial as a Scout den. It was equipped with a carpenter’s bench,
tools and wood, a library of Scout craft books with a first rate double
four Gilwell Tent and all necessary pots, pans, kitbags and other apparatus
for camping.
CONTINUING TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY
As members of the pioneer Scout movement and as pupils
of the premier school of the region, the V.I. Scouts were called on to perform
many community services. In School, they would often act as orderlies
during School functions such as Sports Days. To get a feel of how active
the Scouts were in their public duty, the table below lists those
functions recorded as in The Victorian of that epoch.
These extraordinary contributions by the V.I. Scouts did
not go unnoticed. For instance, after the Shantung Relief Fund bazaar, the
press published the compliments of the Chinese Young Men’s Association
President. Occasionally, there was a reward, too, though the Scouts never
sought it in the first place. For example, after serving at the 1929 KL
Stadium football match, the MAHA promised the use of this ground as
Headquarters and permanent camping site for the Selangor Boy Scouts
Association. Indeed, the wider community recognised the importance of
the Scouts and tried to help them in performing their public duty. In
one instance, during the 1931 Census of Kuala Lumpur, the V.I. Headmaster,
Mr F.L. Shaw granted the Scouts leave from afternoon classes to carry
out their duty.
However, praise was not the primary reason that kept the
Scouts in the service of the community. It was the pride of being available.
One of the important events for which the Scouts availed themselves, and
certainly very visibly, was the ceremony for the laying of the foundation
stone of the new Victoria Institution. Wednesday 21 September 1927 saw
the auspicious occasion unfold on Petaling Hill, newly cleared of the
Chinese graves that once dotted the terrain. Just after 4.00 p.m.,
the whole school marched from High Street to Petaling Street, led by
the Cadet Corps, Band and Scouts. At the Petaling Hill site, hundreds of
guests watched as the V.I. Scouts, together with the Cadet Corps, formed
the Guard of Honour which was inspected by the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan
Alauddin Sulaiman Shah. Accompanying His Highness was the V.I. Headmaster
Mr G.C. Davies and the eminent Malay Scholar and then Director of Education
(and compiler of the famous Malay-English dictionary), Dr Richard O.
Windstedt. Other dignitaries present included Mr J. Watson (Chief Inspector
of Schools), Mr H.W. Thomson (Acting Chief Secretary to Government) and the
British Resident, Mr J. Lornie. Besides giving the general salute, the Scouts
must have served and attended to the guests with great pride throughout the
evening's proceedings. After the ceremony, the Scouts and the Cadet Corps
marched back to High Street to be dismissed.
THE WOLF CUBS
The Wolf Cubs under two officers, Cub Master Mr Chan Hung
Chin and Assistant Cub Master Mr Lim Eng Kah, were also thriving. In December
1925, there were 90 Wolf cubs. The V.I. Tuck Shop Committee generously
contributed towards half the cost of their uniforms which included
smart green jerseys, neckerchiefs and caps, white trousers and black
or brown shoes. The Cubs met regularly for an hour on Saturdays during
Terms 1 and 3, and on Thursdays during Term 2.
Occasionally they would join the older Scouts in certain
activities. For instance, on Empire Day 1925, the Pack gave an interesting
display entitled ‘Robin Hood’; the Resident complimented the cheerful way
in which the Cubs carried out their work. During the School’s
Conversazione Day that year, they lived up to their motto of We’ll
Do Our Best by performing a ‘Jungle Dance’ which aroused great
appreciation among the spectators. In 1926, the Cubs attended the V.I.
Scout rally on 5 February. The Pack contributed a ‘grand howl’ to that
Rally. In a parade later that year, in the presence of the Scout
Commissioner for Malaya, the First Selangor Pack (the V.I. Cubs)
paraded under their officers. The V.I. Cubs also took part in
competitions such as the 1928 Selangor Scout Jamboree, where they
were the youngest of the seven packs competing in the inter-pack
competition, but still won third place. During the same year, the
District Cub Commissioner, Mr McDougall, visited the pack and
expressed great pleasure at the general appearance and bearing of
the Cubs. The Pack also took part in the 1929 Armistice Day Jamboree.
From 1929 onwards when V.I. completely became a secondary school,
the Cub Pack ceased to exist in the V.I. (though just after the War,
there was in the Batu Road School, for a few years, a First KL Pack
which was an offshoot of the V.I. First KL Troop. But the Pack
remained separate from the V.I. of course).
TRAGEDY AND SADNESS
Yet, not everything was fun and games. There were sad episodes
which clouded the lives of V.I. Scouts from time to time. In those
days when the life expectancy rate was much lower than say, of the
1990’s, the Scouts were occasionally hit by sad news of the deaths
of fellow Scouts or Scouters. On 24 September 1925, the Scouts learned
of the death, in England, of Mr W. Towle who was so instrumental in
setting up the ‘Fire Section’ of the First Selangor Troop. Then sometime
at the end of 1925, the Scouts were shocked by the untimely death of Mr
Hugh John who was Assistant Scout Master of the First Troop between 1915
and 1918. He was also one of the scouts in Mr Shaw's first list of V.I.
(and Malayan!) scouts in the First Selangor Troop in 1910. Besides
mourning the deaths of former Scouts, the V.I. Troops also shared in the
grief of Scouts who had lost their relatives. For instance, The
Victorian of 1928 recorded condolences to ADC Akbar on the untimely
death of his sister Afzah.
Those were the days when technology was vastly underdeveloped,
and being a colonial outpost, Malaya’s access to Western medicines was far
from easy. Coupled with the low household incomes, and possibly some
ethno-cultural suspicion for Western medicine, Western health treatment
would have been enjoyed by only a few patients. As a result, frail
health, illness and even death ensued. Yet, even in death, the Scouting
spirit could not be broken. For instance, when Mr Lee Mun See, an old
Scout, died in September 1925, the V.I. Scouts rallied and attended the
funeral. As the coffin was lowered into the graves, the Troop buglers
sounded The Last Post. In 1930 and 1931, The Victorian
recorded the deaths of Scouts A. Murugiah and S. Vythlingam, respectively.
At Murugiah’s funeral, the whole Troop was present and six Scouts, in a
show of solidarity, acted as pall bearers. Meanwhile, even camps were not
spared from the tragedy of death. In the 1927 All-Malayan Camp, a certain
Scout from the Fifth Troop of Singapore was stricken with illness and
died some weeks later.
A less tragic but still depressing scenario was faced by
the Scouts in late 1925, when there seemed to be a sudden standstill in
Scouting activity in the school. The Victorian of December 1925 lamented
that not only had activities been suspended because of holidays, but
efforts to organise Troop meetings outside those holidays were mere
‘spasmodic spurts (which) are worse than useless for any good to be
derived’. As well, the ‘crying need of the moment is "ASM’s
and more ASMs" ’. In order to stem this inertia, the reporter
suggested that Old Scouts enroll as Rover Scouts, and thus be able to
contribute to their old Troops. Truly this second epoch, though
characterised by many accomplishments, still showed that the V.I.
Scouting movement was experimenting with many ideas and changes to
ensure its preservation and success. And one very major change was to
occur in 1933.
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