Robert Baden-Powell published his Aids to Scouting for the British Army in 1899 and there is little doubt that the germ of the idea of Scouting for Boys came to him during the siege of Mafeking in 1899-1900. During the siege, B-P was most impressed with the actions of the boys who had been formed into a Cadet Corps under their own (patrol) leader, the 13 year-old Sergeant-Major Goodyear.
In 1904, Baden-Powell was challenged to write a boy’s version of Aids to Scouting by the founder of the Boys Brigade, Sir William Smith. Encouraged by the support he received for the idea, Baden-Powell mapped out a scheme and in 1907 held a trial camp at Brownsea Island in Dorset. This experimental Scout Camp proved an unqualified success and Scouting for Boys was published in 1908 in six fortnightly parts at four pence a copy. This approach brought the book to the boys, who purchased 16,000 copies in a fortnight. Spontaneously, small groups of boys formed themselves into a gang (patrol), elected a leader and later took the initiative of asking local men to become Scoutmasters. Scouting had started!
The 1st Glen Iris Scout Group was registered on the 7th August 1916, and was known then as the 1st Glen Iris Troop. It began with an enrollment of fourteen boys. The first meeting place was at St James Church of England Church, originally located close to the Glen Iris railway crossing and High Street. This hall was used until the early 1920′s. Coincidently the first leader was a Mr James, but it is not certain if he was a minister of religion or not. By 1928 the Troop and Cub Pack had moved to the hall of the Methodist Church in Glen Iris Road, next to Glen Iris Primary School.
In 1932 the Scout Troop of 1st Glen Iris was renamed 11th Camberwell, after 20 or so Troops of the municipality were grouped together and given a ‘Camberwell’ affix. The number referred to the order of establishment. By 1933 the Methodist hall venue appears to have been lost for reasons unknown. Up until the Scout hall was built in 1935, the Cub meetings were held at the private home of the warranted Cub Leader Mrs I.M. Harris. Scouts, on the other hand, were meeting at that time in the hall of the Presbyterian Church in High Street, Glen Iris.
The Scout hall at Ferndale Park was built in about 1935 specifically as a Scout hall, but it was in a different position to that of the present hall. About 20 yards in from Glen Iris Road in the south-west corner of the park our new home occupied the gently sloping south bank of what was then an open creek (Back Creek). The upper contours of the creek long since filled in are nevertheless still evident today but give little indication that the bed of the creek at the junction with Glen Iris Road was perhaps ‘up to 25 feet deep and became a raging torrent after heavy rain.’ That Scout hall is also remembered by the boys of the era as being ‘below the level of the roadway.’ The hall was a mere 6 metres x 7.5 metres in dimensions – not much bigger than a double garage!
Under the leadership of Mr Topfer, Cubs flourished in spite of the infantile paralysis epidemic that hit Melbourne in late 1937 and caused the weekly meetings to be held in the open in the nearby Ashburton Forest. This forest was of quite sizeable proportions and occupied all the area now designated as the Holmesglen Housing Estate. At the end of 1938 the 11th Camberwell Scout Group consisted of one Pack of thirty-six Cubs, with four on the waiting list, and twenty Scouts. The Scout section had only been re-formed in November 1937 after being disbanded for about two years. Under the leadership of Jack ‘Skipper’ Nairn the Rover Crew began operation at the end of 1938.
All sections developed well, with a large waiting list for the Cub Pack and usually around 30+ Scouts. The Group Committee was strong, organising many social and fundraising events, including dances, card nights and several large fetes. In 1946 the Scout hall was moved to its present position in Ferndale Park, due to complaints from neighbours, lack of conveniences and the fact that the hall did not comply with building regulations. The new site was regarded to be a better position and allowed for the Group to complete the proposed extensions.
In 1948 with the large numbers waiting to join Cubs, the Group decided to create two Cub Packs, the ‘A’ and ‘B’ Packs. To differentiate between the packs A Pack wore navy jumpers and sock tops, and B Pack green – a distinction stopped when a new uniform appeared in 1973. The Senior Scout section (now Venturers) was started with ten of the older Scouts, when the Scout Troop split on 8th May 1948. Denis Robertson was the leader for the first 7 years.
The John Gardiner Rover Crew was first formed in 1939, but had formed into a District Rover Crew through the years 1943-1949 based at 11th Camberwell, until 1949 when it briefly moved to 1st Hartwell. The Crew restarted at 11th Camberwell in 1951 with four Rovers and Bruce Peggie as Rover Leader.
The Joey Mob was started with 20 Joeys in April 2002.