English Boy Scout Uniforms: Activities--Fund Raising


Figure 1.--This "Bob a Job" poster from the 1950s advertized the annual camapign to earn a little money for the Scout pogram. Of course "the bob" (shilling) has long since disappeared. The local troop would write how they could be contacted in the blank white box at the bootom.

English Scouts participte in fund raising activities, primarily to find their own operations. One popular fund raiser was "Bob a Job" Week. Bob a Job Week was destinctive to British scouting. Both Cubs and Scouts participated. The idea was to do a job for some one or a business and earn a "bob". For years this was a popular program throughout Britain. The variety of jobs that Scouts manage to get was lengendary. Note that the poster says, "Scouts will tackle nearly any job during ... Bob a Job week." (figure 1). Some of the most common jobs were errands, dog walking, garden work, and car washing. Of course the 'bob' (one shilling) is now obsolete. The Scout Association as a result renamed the campaign Scout Job Week. The funds earned were used for the Scout program. While no longer used in Scouting, the term "Bob a Job" still resonates with many. The phrase and idea was initially used by Scouts, but have since been adopted by other youth institutions like schools and in countries other than England. We noted a recent discussion at Upoddypotpon State School in Australia, for example, as to whether to have a "Bob a Job" day or a sausage sizzle. It is with English Scouting, however that "Bob a Job" is most associated.

Purpose

English Scouts participte in fund raising activities, primarily to find their own operations. The idea for program, however, grew out of an early effort to help the blind ans subsequently to build a new National Headquarters building.

History

One popular fund raiser was "Bob a Job" Week. Bob a Job Week was destinctive to British scouting. This is in part because Lord Baden Powell from the offset of the movement was opposed to using Scouts to "beg" or collect funds for the Scouting movement or charities. A major supporter of Baden Powell and early British Scouting was C. Arthur Pearson (later Sir Arthur Pearson. Parson was the head of an important London publishing house. It was his company that published Baden Powell's landmark book Scouting for Boys. Perason also launched The Scout magazine. Pearson by 1914 had become blind and became interested in programs to help the blind. He wanted to launch a program to print important books in Braille as the avilable numbers of titles was at the time very limited. He lacked the funds for such a venture, but thought the scouts might be able to help. Having worked with Naden Powell, he knew his adversion to using Scouts to sollicit funds. Pearson asked a young staff member working on the The Scout, Haydn Dimmock, if he had any ideas. Dimmock, who was to be the editor of The Scout for nearly 40 years, conceived of the idea of doing odd jobs for pay. Baden Powell approoved the idea and on May 2, 1914 asked the Scouts to Do Mr. Pearson a Good Turn by hiring themselves out for a day. The effort was a great sucess and papers reported on the variety of jobs individual Scouts as well as Scout units managed to get. One troop in Scotland even edited a local newspaper for a day. A London troop served a banquet at the Hotel Metropole. There was no follow-up with the effort. Local Scout groups sponsored similat fund raising efforts, but there was not national effort until after World War II when funds were needed for a new national headquarters building. The first Bob a Job week was launched April 18, 1949. Every Scout from Cub to Chief Scout was asked to earn a schilling ("bob") for the national headquarters. Anything they earned over a schilling could be reatined for the local Scout program. The program was such a success that it became a popular annual even throughout England. [Source: The Scout Association, "Scout Job Week," 1999.]

Destinctive Program

This effort became a destinctive feature of Scouting. Scouts have never been used to sollicit donations for Scouting or charities. Working for the money was a different matter. The same principle has been adopted by Scouts and Guides (Girl Scouts) in other countries. Even today the Girl Scouts in America sell cookies to raise funds. Compare this to the Hitler Youth who were constantly being sent out on the streets with cans solicting money for various NAZI causes.

Cubs and Scouts

Both Cubs and Scouts participated. The idea was to do a job for some one or a business and earn a "bob". In fact all Scouts at every level are susposed to participate, including the adult staff.


Figure 2.--Washing cars and cleaning cars was one of the more popular activities. These Cubs in the 1950s are diligently polishing vintage cars. Notice that the Cub uniform in the 1950s had stripes on the kneesocks.

The Jobs

For years this was a popular program throughout Britain. The variety of jobs that Scouts manage to get was lengendary. Note that the poster says, "Scouts will tackle nearly any job during ... Bob a Job week." (figure 1). Some of the most common jobs were errands, dog walking, garden work, painting, car washing and polishing, shoe polishing, and even Spring house cleaning. One of the more colorful jobs reported was slug catching (gardening is very popular in England). Another was washing down an elephant at the zoo.

Decimilisation

Of course the 'bob' (one shilling) with decimilisation is now obsolete. Of course the problem was not only that the bob had disappeared, but that the bob by the 1960s was worth only a fraction of what it was in 1949. Which meant that the Scouts weren't really being fairly paid and were not earning much for their efforts. Eventually the fee was raised to two bob. With desmilization in 19??, however, the bob was out. The old shilling continued in use as the 5 new pence coin. Only recently was this replaced by a smaller five pence coin. German tourists used to stock up on British shiilings since that were exactly the same size and weight as a German Mark and could be used to buy cigarettes fro#m slot machines back home. It was 20 shillinga to the pound and around four marks, so it was quite profitable.

Scout Job Week

The Scout Association with desmilization renamed the campaign Scout Job Week--not quite as catchy as "Bob a Job". In recent years the program emphasis a\has changed from individual to group jobs.

Other Groups

While no longer used in Scouting, the term "Bob a Job" still resonates with many. The phrase and idea was initially used by Scouts, but have since been adopted by other youth institutions like schools and in countries other than England. We noted a recent discussion at Upoddypotpon State School in Australia, for example, as to whether to have a "Bob a Job" day or a sausage sizzle. It is with English Scouting, however that "Bob a Job" is most associated.

Hitler Youth Methods

The Hitler Youth had a very different approach to fund raising. The NAZIS promoted just the kind of fund raising that Baden Powell was vehemently opposed to. The site of uniformed Hitler Youth members on street corners jingling collection cans was a common site in Germany.






Christopher Wagner






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Created: March 29, 2002
Last updated: March 31, 2002