31st Aug we received a very important Union Jack at Frylands Wood Scout Outdoor Centre.
A founding Master of The Scout Lodge M.M.M. No. 1907, Tony, of the Freemasons, supplied the Union Flag to fly from the flagpole at Brownsea Island and arranged to supply replacement flags every year.
Brownsea agreed to retire each flag at the end of the camping season and to return old flags to Tony.
The first flag is displayed on Tony’s office wall, subsequent ones have been donated to various good causes. Today we have been lucky enough to receive last year’s flag.
A true piece of home scouting which will be available to see in our museum area in the providore. Thanks to the 9th Sydenham Scouts for helping show off this flag.
On 19th June 2010, the newly consecrated The Scout Lodge of Mark Master Masons No. 1907 held its first traveling meeting in Poole, Dorset, so that members could visit Brownsea Island. Establishing what has become the custom of the Lodge, it invited a Scout dignitary to deliver a talk to the host Provincial Grand Master, Lodge members, and their guests on developments in Scouting locally.
The speaker on this occasion was Kevin Phillips, the Island Commissioner. At the conclusion of Kevin’s talk, the Founding Master of the Lodge, the then W.Bro. Tony Harvey, asked him if there was a particular project that the Lodge could support.
Kevin explained that there had never been a permanent marker on Baden-Powell’s original campsite and that the Brownsea team would like to erect a high flagpole for this purpose. The estimated cost was around £1,800, including filling in a cesspit, landscaping, and a base with plaque.
Before we had left the room, I had received £500 in cash and further pledges totalling £1,500 from the Lodge, its members and visitors. The Kindred Lodges Association made an additional donation taking us to the total amount needed.
On 23rd July 2011, a ceremony was held to formally present the flagpole to Brownsea Island Scout & Guide Management Committee, in the presence of a number of Scouting and Freemasonry dignitaries (see appendix one).
As founding Master of The Scout Lodge M.M.M. No. 1907, Tony supplied the Union Flag to fly from the flagpole and arranged to supply replacement flags every year. Brownsea agreed to retire each flag at the end of the camping season and to return old flags to Tony.
The first flag is displayed on Tony’s office wall. Subsequent ones have been donated to or auctioned off for, various good causes.
Tony Harvey, 19th August 2021