Brigade May 2012

The online magazine ofthe Church Lads’ &

Church Girls’ Brigade

Welcome to the new online

edition of The Brigade’s news

magazine. Brigade will be

issued to all whose email

address is lodged at NHQ as

well as being posted on the

CLCGB Facebook page.

For those who require a hard

copy, please make sure that

someone in your company has

the facility print off copies as

needed.

The photo header this time is of

a CLCGB parade in Durham,

which includes Des Carter,

whose tribute appears on

page 2/3.

At the National Band

Competition at

Hinckley, a new Des

Carter Trophy was

awarded to the winner

of the Novices

Competition. Thanks to

Rob Bolton for the

photo.

In a tightly fought competition

which saw an increase in the

number of bands competing,

St. Andrew’s, New Earswick

won the overall trophy.

Videos of theirs and other

performances are being

added to the Facebook page.

Well done to all who took part

- it was a great day.

Thanks to a generous

supporter, we have been able

to commission a Jubilee

Badge to distribute to all

companies free of charge. We

have ordered enough badges

for every member, officer and

helper. We will assume that

your numbers are as for your

last Annual Returns, but if you

have increased your numbers

since then, please let Zoe

know at NHQ. We will be

dispatching them as soon as

they arrive - hopefully at the

end of May.

Have a look at the

photos on page 4 and

the stories behind them.

More photos are in a

gallery on the Facebook

page. Send in your

photos and we will post

them too. Enjoy!

Going Digital

Inside this issue: Tribute to Des Carter - National Band Competition - LeicesterRegimental Parade - Medals for the troops! - And Badges for the Jubilee

Brigade May 2012 Page 2

It was with great sadness that theBrigade received the news thatone of its great stalwarts, DesCarter MBE, had passed away inhospital in the early hours ofMonday 12th April 2012. His familywere at his bedside. Des wasaged 86.

This tribute is largely based uponDes’s own words when asked tointroduce himself in the BrigadeAssociation’s Link Newsletterfollowing his appointment asNational Honorary Chairman ofthe Association in 1999.

Typical of Des’s humour, hebegan “I was born very young: inBenwell on the steep, steep banksof the Tyne on 26th May 1925. Myfather was Charge Electrician atthe L.N.E.R locomotive depot andsidings at Blaydon – hence thephrase “IN LOCO PARENTIS” ...“Does your father work on therailway?” When I was four yearsold, we moved to Blaydon so myfather could be near his work.”Des joined the Junior TrainingCorps at St Cuthbert’s companyof the Church Lads’ Brigade whenhe was ten years old – as he saidhimself ...“I joined FOREVER – Isuppose it has been my life eversince.”

As a teenager at the outbreak ofthe 2nd World War Des became astudent apprentice at the ClarkeChapman engineering works inGateshead and as such wasexempt from military service untilthe end of the war. With manyadult CLB members having joinedthe services he and otherteenagers did their best to carryon the work of the Brigade butthey were also engaged withfire-watching to protect thechurch and the church hall.When aged 17 Des joined the Home Guard.

In 1946, aged 21, Des was calledup for National Service andeventually posted to Palestinewith the Royal Engineers as part ofthe 6th Airborne Division. This musthave been a traumatic

experience for the young Des.Under the old League of Nations,Great Britain had been issued witha Mandate in 1926 to administerPalestine but after the SecondWorld War, Jewish attempts toestablish the State of Israelcreated turmoil with the residentArabs. Terrorist groups such asIrgun Zvai Leumi (IZL); the SternGang and Hagana turned on ourBritish soldiers who were merelytrying to keep the peace. TheBritish Government eventuallypulled the troops out in 1948 butnot before many of Des’s RE palshad been murdered by thewarring factions.

Des served a full three years in thiscampaign, a chapter of his lifethat he would never forget. Yearslater he joined the Palestine PalsAssociation and in 2007 he visitedthe new Armed Forces Memorialin Staffordshire to see listed on thewalls of the memorial the namesof 14 of his RE comrades whonever returned.

Following demob, Des became ajunior draughtsman with VickersArmstrong in Newcastle.Returning to the Brigade hediscovered that the CO of his oldBlaydon Company had retiredand left the area. The rectorinvited Des to take over thecompany and at the same timehe invited Jean, whom he hadknow from school, to take overthe Church Girls’ Brigadecompany. Both sectionsflourished and so apparently didlove between the twocommanding officers. We all

thought that the two Brigadesdidn’t amalgamate until 1978 butit now seems that in Blaydon theymanaged that memorable eventmuch earlier! Jean and Des weremarried in September 1951. Their three children, Dave ,Helenand Alan would all join theBrigade when they were oldenough.

Soon after Dave was born Desjoined Pirelli ConstructionCompany as a draughtsman andbegan working on Power Stationsaround the country. This ofteninvolved working away fromhome but Des said it gave himopportunity to see how theBrigade operated in other parts ofthe UK. In Manchester he metDon Nuttall for the first time andhad a spell helping St. John’s OldTrafford CLB. He later visited Leedsand Driffield where he workedwith St Mary’s Beverley Companyand at Grimsby with LittlecoatsCompany.

When Pirelli offered him promotionas an area engineer in SouthWales Des accepted the offer.The Family had to leave theirmuch loved company in Blaydonbut about the time they moved toTintern in the mid 1960s theBrigade had published the Bishopof Exeter’s Report with a view toimproving the Brigade.Subsequent to that the Brigadecreated a new post – that of aNational Director of Training andappointed the late Ken Mathers,a professional youth worker withfar reaching ideas. Shortlyafterwards Ken enlisted Des as his

Regional Assistant tocover Bristol, the SouthWest and South Wales.Des learnt a great dealabout Youth Work fromKen Mathers and sodid his son Dave whoby this time was oldenough to train as aJunior Leader.

Des Carter MBE 1925 - 2012: A Tribute by Maynard Scott

In 1971 Ken appointed Des incharge of the JTC and to theSpring School Staff at Avon Tyrrel.When Ken Mathers resigned asDirector of Training in 1973 thismore or less coincided with thenews that Pirelli were closing theiroperations in South Wales andthat Des would be caught up inthe wave of redundancy thatfollowed. Facing the inevitable,Des had no hesitation in applyingfor the role that his friend Ken hadjust vacated and in January 1974the Brigade Council subsequentlyappointed Des as the newNational Director of Training.

Ken Mathers was a hard act tofollow but Des did a magnificentjob for the next seven years. As amember of NHQ staff in 1978, Desplayed a full part in the historicamalgamation of the ChurchLads’ Brigade with the ChurchGirls’ Brigade and helped toorganise the Royal Review by HMthe Queen at Windsor Great Parkin 1980.

Des’s other son, Alan, alsocompleted his training as aBrigade Junior Leader while hisfather was Director of Training.

Des’s appointment as Director ofTraining became redundantshortly after the Royal Review in1980 but having acquired awealth of experience in YouthWork generally he quickly found anew job in London as a parishYouth Worker. The bonus was thatthis role was combined with beingCO of the local Brigade

Company at Roxeth and Harrowso Des was delighted. He wasassisted by Jean and he felt thattogether they did a good jobthere for the next ten years. 1990

brought an end to his professionalcareer and it was soon afterwardsthat Des was awarded an M.B.E.for his work with the Church Lads’and Church Girls’ Brigade.

Des returned to Tintern lookingforward to what he called “boneidle retirement” but instead wassoon advising all within earshotthat retirement was a fallacy, apipe dream, there would be nobone idle retirement for him.Outside Brigade, Des began bydirecting his considerableenergies towards the localcommunity. Before long he hadbecome Church Warden andeven a member and clerk to theTintern Community Council. He

created time to become a schoolgovernor at Llandogo PrimarySchool and as a Lay Reader wasoften happy to take schoolassemblies. If that weren’t enough

Des took on addedresponsibility as localMeals on Wheelscoordinator oftendelivering meals topeople younger thanhimself.

Despite his wonderfulwork with the localcommunity Des hadjoined the BrigadeFOREVER. That was hisfirst love – and so heformed the MonmouthBranch of the BrigadeAssociation. Before long,he had become amember of its nationalcommittee and in 1999,

when he offered to host the AGMat Tintern he was appointed theNational Honorary Chairman ofthe Brigade Association. Probablythe most significant decision thathe made during his term of officewas to encourage the committeein its move towards creating theBrigade Memorial Garden at theNational Memorial Arboretum.This was created under hischairmanship in 2002.

At his funeral the vicar said thatDes “was an ambassador for theChurch and the Brigade” - and sohe was. Des made us all laugh.He will be sadly missed.

Maynard Scott (Deputy Governor)

Tribute to Des Carter Page 3

Our Latest MBECongratulations to Ann Sankey who was awardedthe MBE last year for her services to the Brigadeover many years. Ann currently runs the Companyat St. David’s in Leicester Regiment as well asbeing the Training Officer for the Regiment. Ann isalso on Brigade Council and is helping with thenew online training scheme.In the picture, Ann is showing her medal toBaroness Byford at the Leicester RegimentalParade. Well done Ann, you’re in good company!

(Ann shows her ‘gong’ to Baroness Byford)

Jeff’s Action Saves a Life!

At the Leicester Regimental Service, MartynBedder (Regimental CO) presented JeffHolder, CO at Hinckley, with the Brigade’sAward for Courage. Jeff acted quickly onemorning when passers by spotted a house onfire. Being an action man, Jeff put his boot inthe door and managed to bring out an agedoccupant from the smoking building. Fireofficers later commented that in another tenminutes, they would have been bringing out abody, had Jeff not acted so swiftly andunselfishly. Well done Jeff - you’re a hero!

Photo Gallery

An All-Weather Band at the National

Band Competition!

Winners All

The Mayor of Hinckley andBosworth chats with membersat the picnic following theLeicester Regimental Parade

Go to

www.facebook.com/groups/148321178729/

for more pictures and videos