Alec J. Spalding MBE (9 August 1923 – 2 October 2007) was a prominent figure in the UK

Scout Association The Scout Association is the largest organisation in the Scout Movement in the Scouting in the United Kingdom, United Kingdom. Following the rapid development of the Scouting, Scout Movement from 1907, The Scout Association was formed in 1910 ...

, serving in the 24th Glasgow (Bearsden) Scout Group for over fifty years. In recognition of his service to Scouting, he received the Silver Wolf and was appointed a

Member of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

. He died of cancer at age 84.

History

Education

Spalding attended

Glasgow Academy The Glasgow Academy is a coeducational private day school for pupils aged 3–18 in Glasgow, Scotland. In 2016, it had the third-best Higher level exam results in Scotland. Founded in 1845, it is the oldest continuously fully private school in ...

, and went on to study Agriculture at the

University of Glasgow The University of Glasgow (abbreviated as ''Glas.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals; ) is a Public university, public research university in Glasgow, Scotland. Founded by papal bull in , it is the List of oldest universities in continuous ...

. His studies were interrupted by his military service, but were resumed after the war. He graduated with a BSc in 1948.

Military service

Spalding volunteered to join the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

in the early 1940s and served as a radar operator in the North Atlantic and Pacific Oceans through the rest of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

until being

demobilized Demobilization or demobilisation (see spelling differences) is the process of standing down a nation's armed forces from combat-ready status. This may be as a result of victory in war, or because a crisis has been peacefully resolved and militar ...

in 1946.

Career

After graduation, Spalding worked as an agricultural economist at the West of Scotland Agricultural College from 1948 to about 1954. He went on to work at Scottish Agricultural Industries until taking early retirement in 1981.

Involvement with Scouting

Spalding was a Boy Scout with the 24th Glasgow (Bearsden) Scout Group, and in 1939 he was awarded the King Scout Badge. He returned after military service in 1946, and took up a series of leadership positions over the course of more than fifty years, including Scout Leader (leading "A" Troop), Scouter in Charge (acting Group Scout Leader of the 24th), and District Commissioner. After visiting

Kandersteg Kandersteg is a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the Frutigen-Niedersimmental (administrative district), Frutigen-Niedersimmental administrative district in the Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Bern (canton), Bern in Switzerland. ...

, Switzerland in 1947, he took a party of 36 Scouts and leaders to the Kandersteg International Scout Centre in 1949. This commenced a tradition of biennial visits to Kandersteg by Scouts from the 24th Glasgow (Bearsden) Scout Group. Notable features of these camps during the golden years of the group in the 1960s included serious mountain expeditions. Excursions over the Gemmi and Lotschen Passes were regularly undertaken. On top of this was a high level expedition involving an overnight stay in a mountain chalet allowing access to a number of Bernese Oberland peaks including the Rinderhorn and the Balmhorn above 11,000'. Spalding also organised numerous other expeditions across Europe and North America. Spalding's Scouting activities also included running the group's biennial

jumble sale A jumble sale (UK), bring and buy sale (Australia, also UK) or rummage sale (US and Canada) is an event at which second hand goods are sold, usually by an institution such as a local Boys' Brigade, Boys' Brigade Company, Scouting, Scout group, ...

. He was also a keen photographer, and often contributed pictures and text about scout activities to the local paper. Spalding was also known for his enthusiastic rendition of songs like ''

Three Blind Mice "Three Blind Mice" is an English nursery rhyme and musical round.I. Opie and P. Opie, ''The Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes'' (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1951, 2nd edn., 1997), p. 306. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 3753. ...

'', '' Sing a Song of Sixpence'', '' Ging Gang Goolie'', '' Green Grow the Rushes, O'', and ''

The Wild Rover "The Wild Rover" (Roud Folk Song Index, Roud 1173) is a very popular and well-travelled Folk music, folk song. Many territories have laid claim to having the original version. History In the English Folk Song and Dance periodical "Folk Music Jou ...

'' at camp fires.

List of works

* ''The 24th 1908–1988: a history of the 24th Glasgow (Bearsden) Scout Group'', May 1988, * ''Activities and Expeditions for Youth Groups'', 2007 * ''Games and Activities for Scouts'', 1985 (reprinted 1996),

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Spalding, Alec People associated with Scouting Members of the Order of the British Empire The Scout Association 1923 births 2007 deaths People educated at the Glasgow Academy Alumni of the University of Glasgow Royal Navy personnel of World War II Deaths from cancer in Scotland