Boy Scouts

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In Aden the first scout troop was formed in 1927 and by 1932 there were 10 troops. Scout Association camps were held at Hiswa, the first two such camps being in 1930 and 1932. 

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Baden-Powell, Chief Scout of the World, visited Aden in November 1934. Troops were based on schools and at the time of his visit there were only five Troops, with strengths as follows:

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Keith Falconer Mission School 25

Mariat Brothers School 15

King George V Jewish School 30

Sir H C Dinshaw School (for Gujeratis) 18

Government Anglo-Vernacular School 24

 

The troop's quarters were a disused sergeant's mess and the former barrack square. The Arabs and Jews would not serve in the same patrols together yet they interacted quite well at camp-fire singalongs. The Jewish scouts were well-dressed in their smart uniforms and equipped with every possible accessory due to a local merchant benefactor. The other scouts were, unfortunately, less well-equipped. Baden-Powell’s visit must have been good for recruiting as by January 1937 when he visited for a third time there were 179 Scouts in a total of six troops.