St George's Day is always a proud day in the Scouting calendar, writes Eva Emendoerfer.

This picture shows the Scouts and their leaders taking part in the parade through Oxford in 1961.

It, and another on Page 36, come from the archives of George Springall, of Staunton Road, Headington, who led the parade that year as the city's Deputy Scout Commissioner.

The photograph, above, shows the marchers, with banners flying, in St Aldate's, having passed the Town Hall and approaching Christ Church.

Soon after it was taken, they did a right turn and filed into St Aldate's Church for the annual St George's Day service.

The church was packed, with between 600 and 700 Scouts, as well as many members of the public.

The Oxford Mail reported: "The service followed a parade which began outside St John's College in St Giles and went via Cornmarket Street to the church."

Extra police were drafted in to hold back traffic which, in the early 1960s, was able to use all the city centre's streets - there were no pedestrian-only streets then.

The service was conducted by the Rector of St Aldate's, the Rev O K de Berry, the Scouts' Church of England chaplain, and the Rev H Trevor Hughes, Principal of Westminster College, and Scout chaplain for the Free Churches.

We known the lesson was read by a Scout of the 9th Oxford troop and the Scout law by a member of the 15th Oxford, but we don't know either of their names.

Among the VIPs present were the Mayor and Mayoress of Oxford, Alderman and Mrs AH Kinchin.

A service for Roman Catholic Scouts was held at the same time at Campion Hall.

A separate service was also arranged for Wolf Cubs, although we are not sure where that was held.

After the three services, the Scouts and Cubs combined for a march past, which was much admired by the crowds who thronged the streets.

As they dispersed in Broad Street at the end of the parade, there was much satisfaction that the Scouting movement had again paid a successful tribute to England's patron saint.

5:21pm Monday 21st April 2008

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