Page 109 - IT'S A RUM LIFE BOOK TWO "BOSTON 1960 TO 1970"

finished. This was a result of prayer, faith and divine
assistance.
The community had been given an “Old Master”; a painting
of huge value. This had been sold and the finances used to
provide professional help with the building work.

CONFRONTATION
Back in Boston at the end of Camp we had to ask our Group
Committee of adult helpers to pay the extra cost of excursions
with the bus. The committee, comprising mainly parents, were
an essential part of ever Scout Unit and there to help with
financial support and general adult back up with the unit.
Group Committees were not involved in the day to day
running or training. Our Group committee were efficient fund
raisers and consequently quite well off.
We did not call on their aid too frequently and certainly
never squandered money they supplied. Their reaction to my
request to pay the additional cost of the bus at camp took me
by surprise. Initially they refused!
It cannot have been a huge amount for the extra trips but
the subject caused a huge ding dong as I “had authorised
spending without their say so”.
It ended with them begrudgingly paying the extra amount
after I told them they would be taking the scouts themselves
the next year.
Some folk easily forgot that we also gave up our spare time
voluntarily and although it was a sort of holiday, every minute
of every 24 hour day, 40 or boys were our total responsibility.

It so happened, that I never did take that particular unit to
Camp again, but left that “pleasure” to John whose father was
Chairman of that committee.

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