A Brief History
44th Nottingham Scouts - A Brief History by Ztan Zmith
Published: Basford Bystander issue 130
On his return from military service in Africa in 1903, Lieutenant General Robert Baden-Powell found that his military training manual "Aids to Scouting" had become a best seller, and was being used by teachers and youth organisations. Following his involvement in the Boys Brigade as Brigade Secretary and Officer in Charge of its scouting section, he decided to rewrite the manual to suit a younger readership. "Scouting for Boys" was subsequently published in six instalments. This together with a camp held on Brownsea Island in August 1907 led to the establishment of the World Wide Scouting Movement.
Mr George Stocken, a local man, was inspired to establish a Scout Group on the lines drawn up by Lord Baden-Powell, for the boys of the area. He started off in a small way, acting as scout master to a few youngsters, holding meetings in various halls in and around Basford town.
The idea caught on so well that George was able to register the expanding group with the Boy Scouts Association in 1916 and they officially became known as the 44th Nottingham Baden-Powell Scout Group.
With no permanent base for their meetings George found it increasingly difficult to store equipment and run meetings efficiently and he began to ask around for support from the local community. One man responded magnificently. This was Noah Hopewell.
Noah was running a thriving business of joiners and builders in Lincoln Street established by his father George and the firm "G Hopewell & Son" was going from strength to strength.
It helped that Noah was a family man with children of his own, a number of employees and a great interest in their welfare. On discovering the plight of George Stocken he was keen to help.
Consequently, Noah bought the old chapel at the top of Cowley Street which had become a wicker work factory. His own firm renovated the whole building providing a fitted kitchen complete with crockery bearing the insignia of the scout group.
Going a step further he also installed a fitted bath for use by the local lads who had no such luxury at home.
In order to sustain the building he also gave the group two cottages (no 55 & 57 Cowley Street) so that the rents would provide a regular income to maintain the new headquarters.
No doubt Noah's generosity was also a fitting tribute to his oldest son, Robert George Hopewell, a captain in the Sherwood Foresters who was killed in action on the Somme in 1916 - the very year that the 44th Nottingham group was registered with th Boy Scout Association.
Having endowed the group, Noah Hopewell continued to keep a fatherly eye on them, becoming Vice President and Chairman of the Scout committee.
Before World War II the group thrived. The hall was used most nights by the Rovers, Scouts and Wolf Cubs.
There was also an old Scouts association that met periodically and a successful cricket team.
A drum and bugle band was established and many a camp was held, especially on land owned by Sir Harold Bowden of Raleigh Cycles, at Blidworth Dale, the home of Jessie Spencer (the daughter of Noah Hopewell) and also at Matlock near the river.
In June 1936, the group was plunged into mourning for the death of their benefactor and Vice President Noah Hopewell. He had died at the age of 82 at his home on Lincoln Street.
The funeral service was held at Mansfield Road Baptist Church and burial took place at Old Basford Cemetery on Nottingham Road. A fitting memorial service was held a week or so later in the Cowley Street Scout H.Q.
During this time and until his death in 1964 the finances were looked after by the Hon Treasurer, Mr T W Godber of Bagnall Road.
George Stocken had handed over the running of the scouts to a new Group Scout Master who in the 1930's was Mr W A Miller. However during the 1939 - 1945 war, when the younger men had all been called to the Front, George Stocken was recalled to take control of the Scout Group once again.
At the end of the war the Scouts, Cubs and Rovers went from strength to strength and the Old Scouts held regular reunion suppers. Also the 44th Company of Guide and Brownies was formed with friends by Edith Marshall, sister of a former Scout and Auditor to the Group - John Marshall.
In the 1970's change was in the air. Many of the streets of terraced houses in Basford Town and also the Cowley Street Scout H.Q. were swept away and tower blocks of flats were built to replace them.
Th City Council provided the present H.Q. on Lincoln Street for a peppercorn rent and this was officially opened on the 7th May 1972 by Mrs Jessie Spencer, the daughter of Noah Hopewell, and her brother, Solicitor Mr Donald Gardener Hopewell.
In 1985 the Basford Flats were demolished and Basford Town was rebuilt with modern maisonettes.
In 1986 Group Scout Leader Kath Ward died after 40 years service to the 44th Nottingham and a muffled peal of bells run at Saint Leodegarius Church in her honour.
