Leatherhead War Memorials: The Church Lads Brigade

Dorking and Leatherhead Advertiser, Epsom District Times and County Post
Saturday, November 13, 1915

CADETS AND SCOUTS.
ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION.

An excellent agency for the welfare of the lads of Leatherhead is the Church Lads' Brigade and Scout movement, which had been carried on so energetically for many years by Capt. Bernard C. Stenning, and the twenty-third anniversary of the formation of the Brigade, which has been celebrated this week, finds the movement as popular and as well supported as ever. It is worth recording that nearly 100 old or present members of the local company are now serving in the Forces or have laid down their lives for their country during the present war, and from the way the old members get quickly promoted in the Army it is clear that, apart from the religious teaching, the drill and discipline taught in the Cadet Corps is of immense value to the lads after they leave the Corps, especially if they join the Army.

The anniversary celebration started on Sunday evening with a church parade at the Parish Church, when a detachment from Dorking and members of the Oxshott B.P. Scouts also attended. There were upwards of ninety on parade, under the command of Capt. B. C. Stenning, and an appropriate sermon was preached by the Rev. A. Downes, headmaster of St. John's School, who pointed out to his congregation the equipment it was necessary to have to be able to fight the fight of Christian warfare properly.

On Wednesday evening Mrs Lindsay Young very kindly entertained the mothers of the present members to tea at East Lodge, and later in the evening the first inspection since the corps had khaki uniform was held at the Drill Hall. The inspecting officer was Surgeon B.H. Pain R.N., who has recently returned from active service in the Dardanelles. He was accompanied by the Vicar (Rev. T. F. Hobson), who is chaplain of the corps, and there was a large attendance of the public to witness the proceedings. Dr. Pain was received with the general salute, and after he had made a close inspection of those on parade various drills and physical movements were carried out by the lads, under orders from Capt. B. C. Stenning and Lieut. C. B. Young, the work being of a very high standard and eliciting general commendation.

The Vicar said he would like to tell the Cadets and the Scouts what a pleasure it was to him to meet them year after year and see the improvement which they made in their drill. Every year there was more and more smartness in their drill, and he thought the Cadets could hold their own for drill with any company of cadets he had seen (applause). He could only hope that they would carry the same smartness which they showed in their drill into their moral life (applause).

Dr. Pain said he would like to thank Capt. Stenning for giving him the opportunity of meeting the Cadets and Scouts once more. He would like to congratulate the Cadets on, appearing in khaki, as he believed that was the first inspection at which they had appeared at their annual inspection in khaki. It certainly added to their smartness on parade, and it also added to their smartness in file ranks. An inspecting officer always examined them from head to foot, and he impressed on them the need of appearing on parade in good boots.

The squad drill by the Cadets was very good, especially so as they had no sergeants. He thought it spoke volumes for the Cadets that none of the sergeants were there that evening, as they had all enlisted (applause). During the time he had been away he had seen about a quarter of a million men but be, had seen no drill whatever. The drill of the soldier at the Front was over, as they had sterner business on hand; but no man could have taken the field unless he had gone through drill such as they had been doing that evening. By drill they learnt discipline and how to obey orders promptly. He congratulated them on their drill that evening, and he was not surprised that the Cadets did so well in the Army. He always went to Mr. Stenning when he wanted a boy, and he always found him a good boy. Of the boys Mr. Stenning had sent him one had been wounded in France and the other was in the North Sea (applause).

Mr A.T. Maw proposed a vote of thanks to Dr. Pain, for whom hearty cheers were given by the Cadets and Scouts.

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