Campaigners
Campaigners are a uniformed, evangelical and interdenominational youth organisation. It seeks by means of it’s various activities to develop a personal faith in Jesus Christ as Saviour and emphasises the need for Christian witness and example in all aspects of life. The Campaigner motto is ‘UNTO HIM’. Campaigners are taught to apply this motto in every part of their
lives.
lives.
What happens on a Campaigner evening
Obviously activities vary according to the age group, but each clan will have:
Inspection: (Checking uniforms and tidiness) & ccollecting subs.
Roll Call:
Clan 'C': is the most important part of the evening in which a 5– 10 minute Bible talk is given by one of the leaders or occasionally a guest speaker
Badge Work: Some of the senior clans operate The Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme
Games: ie. football, volleyball, unihoc
Refreshments & tuckshop
Inspection: (Checking uniforms and tidiness) & ccollecting subs.
Roll Call:
Clan 'C': is the most important part of the evening in which a 5– 10 minute Bible talk is given by one of the leaders or occasionally a guest speaker
Badge Work: Some of the senior clans operate The Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme
Games: ie. football, volleyball, unihoc
Refreshments & tuckshop
Revd. Colin Kerr
Colin Kerr, founder of Campaigners, was ordained in 1911.
He joined the Staff of Cambridge University Mission in 1919 where he ran the Scout Troop.
Although he enjoyed Scouting was, Colin was convinced that the Churches needed a youth ministry that was evangelistic. In 1922 while working late in his office God gave him a vision of youth work. Colin immediately committed to paper his concept of Campaigners.
Many over the years, have worn the badge with its motto "Unto Him" which speaks of commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ and to his service.
He joined the Staff of Cambridge University Mission in 1919 where he ran the Scout Troop.
Although he enjoyed Scouting was, Colin was convinced that the Churches needed a youth ministry that was evangelistic. In 1922 while working late in his office God gave him a vision of youth work. Colin immediately committed to paper his concept of Campaigners.
Many over the years, have worn the badge with its motto "Unto Him" which speaks of commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ and to his service.
Campaigners at St. Peter's
Yvonne Downs
Yvonne joined Campaigners as a teenager during the war (WW2) years, becoming a member of the Girl Craftsmen at St.Andrew’s Edgware.
At the end of the war she married and started a family, when she was out of Campaigners for a short time. However, during the early 1950’s Joan Fenner asked her to take the Craftsmen clan for a few weeks while she had an operation.
Those few weeks continued into months and then years while she became a Chief in the
Craftsmen clan.
During the early 1960’s at the request of the Rector she moved to another Church within the Parish at Edgware and started Girl Junos and Inters at St Peter’s.
During her years there she was involved in running all groups from mixed Junos to mixed Craftsmen, encouraging many to work for their Duke of Edinburgh Award.
While in Campaigners she also started running girl’s camps. For many years she acted
as Adjutant to Joan Fenner at Craftsmen Camps and as CO at Inters Camps.
Yvonne joined Campaigners as a teenager during the war (WW2) years, becoming a member of the Girl Craftsmen at St.Andrew’s Edgware.
At the end of the war she married and started a family, when she was out of Campaigners for a short time. However, during the early 1950’s Joan Fenner asked her to take the Craftsmen clan for a few weeks while she had an operation.
Those few weeks continued into months and then years while she became a Chief in the
Craftsmen clan.
During the early 1960’s at the request of the Rector she moved to another Church within the Parish at Edgware and started Girl Junos and Inters at St Peter’s.
During her years there she was involved in running all groups from mixed Junos to mixed Craftsmen, encouraging many to work for their Duke of Edinburgh Award.
While in Campaigners she also started running girl’s camps. For many years she acted
as Adjutant to Joan Fenner at Craftsmen Camps and as CO at Inters Camps.
In addition to all of this Yvonne has held a number of other roles within Campaigners.
She was the District Chief in North West London for many years.
And she has been Award Officer for the D of E Award on behalf of Campaigners, a position that she has just relinquished.
During the 1990’s she moved across London to Harold Wood, leaving St Peter’s Edgware to become a member of St Peter’s Church in Harold Wood. Here she continued with her involvement with Campaigners and helped in the Inters and Craftsmen Clans until 2003.
She was the District Chief in North West London for many years.
And she has been Award Officer for the D of E Award on behalf of Campaigners, a position that she has just relinquished.
During the 1990’s she moved across London to Harold Wood, leaving St Peter’s Edgware to become a member of St Peter’s Church in Harold Wood. Here she continued with her involvement with Campaigners and helped in the Inters and Craftsmen Clans until 2003.
My memories of st. peter's campaigners
My memories of St. Peter's go back to 1959 when we marched, as a clan, from St. Andrew's Church, Broadfields, with the Campaigner Band and met up with the 2nd. Edgware Scout Band to go to the site of the new church on Stonegrove. Where the Rector of Edgware, The Revd. Melville Scutt held a Dedication Service. He asked me if I would start a Campaigners Clan at St. Peter's. Alma Armstrong and I started girl Junos and Inters in the Community Centre on the estate. We later transferred to St. Peter's Church Hall (wooden shed). When my daughter returned from college she started boy Junos.
However she took the Junos to camp where she her future husband then moved from Edgware. We continued with boy Junos, Inters and Craftsmen with the help of Dave Franklin and then Pete Legate.
During this time we continued with the Campaigner Awards and the Duke of Edinburgh's Awards.
Over the years 20 girls and 5 boys achieved the Bronze Award - 6 girls and 5 boys achieved Silver Awards and 6 girls achieved the Gold Awards and went to Buckingham Palace to receive their awards from HRH Prince Phillip the Duke of Edinburgh.
However she took the Junos to camp where she her future husband then moved from Edgware. We continued with boy Junos, Inters and Craftsmen with the help of Dave Franklin and then Pete Legate.
During this time we continued with the Campaigner Awards and the Duke of Edinburgh's Awards.
Over the years 20 girls and 5 boys achieved the Bronze Award - 6 girls and 5 boys achieved Silver Awards and 6 girls achieved the Gold Awards and went to Buckingham Palace to receive their awards from HRH Prince Phillip the Duke of Edinburgh.
A visit to the Boy Junos by the Bishop of London the Revd. David Hope.
Memories of being a Clan Chief by Dave Franklin.
It was early in the 1980’s I hadn’t been a Christian for long, about 2 or 3 years, when Yvonne Downes asked if I wouldn’t mind helping out at Campaigners. I felt a calling at the time to help young people so I agreed. Tony Etherington was the Inters leader at the time but he was about to get married and leave so I worked with Tony for a while.
When Tony left I took over the boy Junos and Inters Yvonne took charge of the girls. Shortly after Pete(chesea) Legate joined us. I had started my training as a Campaigner Chief.
I was commissioned on the 9th. October 1989. This meant that I now had to wear a uniform, the blazer, shirt and tie were ok but I just couldn’t get comfortable wearing a berry ( I always felt like Frank Spencer from ‘Some mother’s do ‘ave em!’). If you don’t know who that was ask your mum or look it up on 'You Tube.'
I now had to lead Parade Day on one Sunday which involves wearing full uniform and trying to arrange restless children into their correct groups.
There was often tantrums and tears when children were chosen to parade the flags.
The flags also presented their own unique problems.
What you have to remember here is that there were about 5 flags none of these could be raised until we entered the church because the flag poles were too long and each one had a lethal pointed thing on the top. Luckily we never had a Campaigner of Chief skewered on the end of a flagpole although there were some close calls and on more than one occasion a Campaigner’s berry was speared and paraded to the front of the church dangling from a flagpole (usually the boy Inters one).
Being a Chief I also went to the annual sports day. This often meant coercing, bribing or threatening children into doing something they didn’t really want to do. (usually boy Inters).
We tried to instil in them that it wasn’t about winning it was the taking part that mattered. This worked with most (Except the boy Inters whose motto was ‘win no matter what it takes’).
Badge day was another hard one. Whilst the kids loved to collect badges they didn’t like working for them. (It was poor old mum who had to sew them on in just the right place!) My four kids were just the same each one got a collectors badge for a first day issue stamp collection which was passed from one to the other without any additions to it. It was one of the last times the album was used and one of the examiners said, “Haven’t I seen this before?” (Ooops! foiled again!)
When Tony left I took over the boy Junos and Inters Yvonne took charge of the girls. Shortly after Pete(chesea) Legate joined us. I had started my training as a Campaigner Chief.
I was commissioned on the 9th. October 1989. This meant that I now had to wear a uniform, the blazer, shirt and tie were ok but I just couldn’t get comfortable wearing a berry ( I always felt like Frank Spencer from ‘Some mother’s do ‘ave em!’). If you don’t know who that was ask your mum or look it up on 'You Tube.'
I now had to lead Parade Day on one Sunday which involves wearing full uniform and trying to arrange restless children into their correct groups.
There was often tantrums and tears when children were chosen to parade the flags.
The flags also presented their own unique problems.
What you have to remember here is that there were about 5 flags none of these could be raised until we entered the church because the flag poles were too long and each one had a lethal pointed thing on the top. Luckily we never had a Campaigner of Chief skewered on the end of a flagpole although there were some close calls and on more than one occasion a Campaigner’s berry was speared and paraded to the front of the church dangling from a flagpole (usually the boy Inters one).
Being a Chief I also went to the annual sports day. This often meant coercing, bribing or threatening children into doing something they didn’t really want to do. (usually boy Inters).
We tried to instil in them that it wasn’t about winning it was the taking part that mattered. This worked with most (Except the boy Inters whose motto was ‘win no matter what it takes’).
Badge day was another hard one. Whilst the kids loved to collect badges they didn’t like working for them. (It was poor old mum who had to sew them on in just the right place!) My four kids were just the same each one got a collectors badge for a first day issue stamp collection which was passed from one to the other without any additions to it. It was one of the last times the album was used and one of the examiners said, “Haven’t I seen this before?” (Ooops! foiled again!)
That's me in the middle.
Another exciting event (Yeah right) was the Campaigner Camps held usually in the middle of nowhere.
Where the Chiefs (no rest for the wicked) were put in charge of various activities it even involved helping out in the kitchen and washing up.
We were also assigned to guard duty, not to stop escapes but to stop boys sneaking into girls dormitories and visa versa.
Mornings involved making sure our clan were up, dressed, washed and beds made ready for morning inspection.
As well as overseeing the various activities we were expected to take part. So some of my natural skills were enhanced through archery, rock climbing (I hate heights) an assault course and abseiling (I hate heights) and go-karting.
Where the Chiefs (no rest for the wicked) were put in charge of various activities it even involved helping out in the kitchen and washing up.
We were also assigned to guard duty, not to stop escapes but to stop boys sneaking into girls dormitories and visa versa.
Mornings involved making sure our clan were up, dressed, washed and beds made ready for morning inspection.
As well as overseeing the various activities we were expected to take part. So some of my natural skills were enhanced through archery, rock climbing (I hate heights) an assault course and abseiling (I hate heights) and go-karting.
Go -Karting
Ican only remember one near disaster it was at Fort
Rocky in Stafford. A boy (George) from another clan was on a go-kart when he panicked and instead of taking his foot off the pedals to stop he pressed the pedals even harder.
I and another Chief were on the assault course when were heard the go-kart suddenly rev up followed by a scream when we looked up toward the go-kart track we saw this kart leave the track and head towards the assault course at a great rate of knots he smashed through a wooden boundary fence and went through the centre of the assault course with people running everywhere to avoid the oncoming kart. We were all shouting for him to take his feet off the pedals and after smashing through a second fence the kart came to a stop. Although the boy had severe bruising around the face and a broken nose he was very lucky that it wasn’t even worse.
Eventually Campaigners at St. Peters came to an end, the kids didn’t want to wear uniforms and the numbers attending got less and less so we turned our attention to running a youth club but that’s another story.
Rocky in Stafford. A boy (George) from another clan was on a go-kart when he panicked and instead of taking his foot off the pedals to stop he pressed the pedals even harder.
I and another Chief were on the assault course when were heard the go-kart suddenly rev up followed by a scream when we looked up toward the go-kart track we saw this kart leave the track and head towards the assault course at a great rate of knots he smashed through a wooden boundary fence and went through the centre of the assault course with people running everywhere to avoid the oncoming kart. We were all shouting for him to take his feet off the pedals and after smashing through a second fence the kart came to a stop. Although the boy had severe bruising around the face and a broken nose he was very lucky that it wasn’t even worse.
Eventually Campaigners at St. Peters came to an end, the kids didn’t want to wear uniforms and the numbers attending got less and less so we turned our attention to running a youth club but that’s another story.