My Woodcraft Folk shirt
This is my Woodcraft Folk shirt, which I wore as a member of the Waveney Valley Woodcraft Folk group, Suffolk during the 1980′s. The Woodcraft Folk is a registered educational charity for children and young people, founded in 1924 in South London by former Scout and Kibbo Kift Kindred member Leslie Paul, who wanted to distance local youth groups from the gender segregation, religious aspirations, imperialism and militarism of the Scout movement at the time.
The Woodcraft Folk has been part of the cooperative movement since its foundation, and nationally, the groups have always been organised on democratic principles, emphasising activities that foster peace, co-operation and equality. The term ‘Woodcraft’ was used by the writer and naturalist Ernest Thompson Seton at the turn of the twentieth century when setting up the American proto-scouting organisation Woodcraft Indians, and referred to the skill of living outdoors, rather than crafting things out of wood.
My parents were Woodcraft Folk group leaders during the 1980′s and my younger sister was an Elfin, whilst I was a Pioneer. Children from across the Waveney Valley in Norfolk and Suffolk took part in the weekly activities – singing, cooperative games, crafts, pen pal correspondence with Young Pioneers in the Soviet Union, long walks and regular camping trips – with the “Woodies”. My Russian pen-pal was called Lena Sherapanova and we swapped glittery stickers and tales of pets, Pioneers and school work.
The green shirt was not a uniform, and was optional. We were forbidden to sew more than five badges on our sleeves, to discourage competition. My badges were awarded for eagerness, attendance, craftwork, being “supple of limb”, a world citizen and for my love of nature. The shirt is one of my most prized possessions.
Thanks to a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Woodcraft Folk has been able to collate papers and memorabilia from the formation of the first groups in 1925. A website, the Woodcraft Folk Heritage Site contains the highlights of this archive material, which is deposited at the London School of Economics Library.
The Woodcraft Folk continues to work for equality and cooperation, and fulfill its motto, “span the world with friendship” with thousands of children and young people – with the Woodchips for under-sixes to District Fellows for young people up to twenty – at over 400 group meetings across the UK today. You can find out more about the Woodcraft Folk here.
