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Dr Frank Barry
Smith OBE was Akela with 2nd Bracknell Cubs for over 30
years. He died in February 2005.
Barry worked
tirelessly as Cub Scout Leader with 2nd Bracknell Scout
Group and as a District Cub Scout Leader in South East
Berkshire District. At one time he was also a member of
the County Training Team.
Barry had
a unique style of Leadership bringing the excitement of
Cub Scouting to over 700 youngsters who have been
members of the three Cub Packs which he ran. Following
his "retirement" Barry helped with 1st Binfield Cubs and
continued with organising various Cub activities in the
District and County including the Chess Competition and
Swimming Gala (which are still run today). Barry was
awarded the Silver Acorn for his work in Scouting and an
OBE for his work with the Met Office.
This
picture was taken by Nick Layt at
Cranham in 1991. Nick says "this picture really summed up
Barry for me. His battered old plastic cup came with him
everywhere. Cranham was one of his favourite sites and
it was typical that we arrived there with a minimum of
equipment. He was an inspiration and now that I'm
running my own pack I still look back through my
paperwork from the 1990's with Barry and use his ideas.
I don't think he'd mind."
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Helen ApSimon of Imperial College wrote an
obituary which gives more
information about his life. She says: "I promised to send you a
copy of the obituary I compiled, and want to thank you for
your help. You will see I sent it to Atmospheric Environment
as an international journal. It has also gone to Weather
produced by the Royal Met Soc, and will appear in the May
edition. I have also sent it to the European Association for
the Science of Air Pollution for their newsletter. Barry was
a founder member and the first treasurer.
Barry is someone who has had an enormous influence on my own
work, and was also a very good friend. I did not find it
easy to write to do him justice."
At his funeral
they used a
psalm that
Barry had written.
We put together
a collection of pictures that best sum up
Barry in action. There are more
pictures from the Simpson Cup Winners Camp at
Cranham in 1991
via our past events page.
If you were a Cub in 2nd Bracknell we'd be
delighted to hear from you and find out what you are doing
now. You may like to enter your details at Scouts
Reunited.
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