Gordon Shield

The Gordon Shield was presented to Scouting towards the end of 1914 by the Gordons Institute as "An Annual Competition against Cape Peninsula Scouts". Since then (the first competition being in 1915) it has been held every year apart from 1936 and 2020, through two World Wars, and today it is still the most popular Western Cape Competition on the Scouting calendar.

History of the Gordon Shield

The Gordon Shield as existing today was donated to the Boy Scouts Association in 1914 by Mr. W.G. Haines of the Gordons Institute as "An Annual Competition against Cape Peninsula Scouts."

Mr. W. G. Haines was deeply interested in training boys who lacked the advantages of good family homes, and he started a boys' club named "The Gordons". He particularly stressed mental, moral, and physical training. He also offered his services as a gym instructor to the boys of the St. Michael's Home, an orphanage in Tamboerskloof.

Feeling that these boys missed contact with boys outside the home, he ran joint training sessions for the Gordons and the boys of St. Michael's.

Both the Gordons Club and St. Michael’s Home grew very rapidly. St. John's Hostel at the top of Kloof Street was established for the older boys, the juniors remaining at St. Michael's. The Gordons became the Gordons Institute and covered a wide field of activities.

The Scout Gordon Shield was first competed for on Saturday 19th September 1915 at the Rifle Range in Clee Road, Observatory. The Competition was for First Aid and open to teams of five each. 2nd Cape Town (Y.M.C.A.) were the first ever winners. The following year the Competition was held covering signaling and shooting. Since then it has been held every year except 1936 and 2020, through two World Wars, and today is still the most popular Western Cape Competition on the Scouting calendar.

In 1917, the Competition became a Patrol Camp, run on very similar lines of Gordon Shield Competitions as it is today, and there have been no fundamental changes to the actual competition to this day. In 1954 with the introduction of the more challenging Rayner Trophy for older Scouts, an upper age limit of 15 years was introduced for participants in the Gordon Shield.

One main change, however, came in the early 1920's. A team who were absolute champions in signaling and signaling methods, lost all the 40 points for that test because of a misunderstanding, yet they still came second in the whole Competition by two points. It was then decided to give every test the same value – 5 points instead of one carrying 5 points and another 40. Thus there remained a fighting chance to win all through the various tests.

The tests, mainly on a Camp craft basis, covered the whole of the work for Tenderfoot, Trekker, Second Class, First Class and any proficiency badges held for the Competition. The unit of competition was a 'Standing Patrol', and except for certain exceptions the allocation of tests and duties were in the hands of the Patrol Leader. We are quite sure that the Gordon Shield is and was always a test of the Patrol System.

Teams have always been eight boys (in more recent years girls) from each Troop. At times, the Troop picked the best 8, even if they were all Patrol Leaders, but their ranks assumed for the Gordon Shield were one PL, one Second, and numbers 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8. All members of the team then wore the same Patrol Colours, and the leader carried the Patrol Flag for those Colours.

The sites of the competitions varied, and some were even real strenuous hikes. In one competition, competitors met judges at the Grand Parade, Botanical Gardens, Kloof Nek, Woodhead Reservoir, Maclear's Beacon, Constantia Nek and Hout Bay. Standing camps have also been held at: The Glen (Camps Bay), The Homestead (Oranjezicht), Gilcape (Diep River), The New Gilcape (Eerste River), Pinelands, Parow and Ramsay Park (now in the middle of the Cape Town International Airport).

From time to time, particular Troops have won the competition for several years in succession, and then in many instances have gone down and never staged a come-back. Others have usually been among the first ten at most times. The competition has always proved a 'base of measurement' for Troops and Patrols against the implementation of their working Patrol System, with skill and Scout knowledge also playing a major role.

History of the Centre Plaque

By J. Lumsden

ONE Sunday in 1909 six boys in Mr. W. Baker's Second Claremont Troop of Scouts took part in two separate incidents which were destined to make Scouting history.

Three of these Scouts rescued a man from drowning at Fish Hoek on the Sunday afternoon, and for this meritorious deed, they were each awarded the Medal of Merit., the first award of its kind in the country since the Scout Movement started in 1908.

But it is the story of the other three boys that remains fresh, because they were photographed while hiking home after a weekend spent at Kommetje, and the scene inspired a firm of London metalworkers to make a plaque of this picture.

To-day, similar plaques on competition Scout shields are scattered all over the world – but interest locally centres on the fact that this picture is on the Gordon Shield, and awarded each year to the winners of the local Blue Ribbon of Scouting. This year's competition, by the way, is taking place to-day and to-morrow.

Another interesting association with this picture is that it was taken by Arthur Elliott, whose collection of historic negatives were kept for the nation and now form part of the Archives.

Scoutmaster "Bill" Baker was a special friend of Arthur Elliott, and both were interested in photography. Arthur Elliott had a way with children, and several of his famous camera studies involved children. It was natural, therefore, that in a time when the Scout Movement was still young, he should see in three boys an ideal subject for his art.

On the Saturday Mr Baker's son, Joe, with two of his fellow Scouts, Bill Seaton and John Jordan, set out for a week-end hike and camp at Kommetje.

Returning home along the Kommetje road, half-way to Fish Hoek, these boys were hailed by a man carrying a camera, case and tripod. Joe Baker recognized the man as Arthur Elliott, and after taking an individual photograph of each boy, he then took one of the group. These pictures of Scouts on a hike were in all ways authentic, as they had but paused a moment from their active Scouting to oblige a photographer.

They were wearing blue jerseys and shorts with the Scout hat, and they carried a staff. On Joe's pole was flying his flag of rank as a patrol leader.

The pose was a favourite one of Baden-Powell's and Joe Baker must have seen in the Scout magazines.

When prints had been made, Arthur Elliott took them along to his fellow photographer, and asked him whether he liked them. "Bill" Baker had the Scout knowledge, and was asked whether the pictures were a true reflection of Scout boyhood. The result was that Arthur Elliott gave Mr. Baker the negative of the three boys, and a print was sent to the "Scout Magazine" in London, where it was reproduced.

The story of how it came back to South Africa might seem to strain credulity, but it is true and vouched for by Mr. Baker, who is still connected with Scouting.

Evidently the picture reproduced in the "Scout Magazine" attracted the attention of a firm of metal workers, who, at the time, were making trophies for the Boy Scouts. They obtained the print and soon afterwards Joe Baker of the Second Claremont Group appeared in bronze on a Scout trophy.

On day Mr. "Bill" Baker and another Scout leader were talking to the later M. Haines, who was interested in youth work and started the Gordon's Institute. "You're interested in boys," said Mr. Baker's colleague. "Why don't you do something for the Scouts?"

Mr. Haines promptly accepted the challenge. "I will," he replied. "I will give you a trophy."

So an order for a Scout trophy was sent to the London Scout Headquarters and passed on to the regular makers of these things. Thus it happened that Joe Baker, in bronze, came back to South Africa on the Gordon's Shield.

There are other posed pictures and statuettes of a similar type, and I know that the Withinshaw Trophy, for instance, was that of a pose by a Cornish boy. But, although the order merely stated, "a Scout shield," and the makers were given a free hand, the one dispatched turned out to be the one inspired by Arthur Elliott's photo on the Kommetje Road.

The photograph taken in 1909 became a shield for competition in Cape Town in 1915, and when the trophy was first presented Joe Baker received a special invitation to attend and hear the story of his hike over again, as by that time he was over the age for competitive work as a Boy Scout.

Mr. Baker is still in our midst, as young in spirit as he looks on the Gordon's Shield, which is being competed for again this weekend. ^[1]

Gordon Shield Winners

Year	Venue	Chief Judge	Winners	Photo
2024	Hawequas	Melissa Rijs	3rd Pinelands
2023	Hawequas	Joseph Hansen	3rd Pinelands
2022	Hawequas	Monét van Antwerpen	6th Rondebosch
2021	Held simultaneously at Hawequas and Glencairn due to Covid-19 rules	Michael Ketterer (Hawequas) Jason Raad (Glencairn)	6th Rondebosch
2020	Not held due to Covid-19
2019	Hawequas	Simon Grantham	1st Claremont
2018	Hawequas	Conrad Thomas	1st Claremont
2017	Hawequas	Nimmy Abrahams	1st Bergvliet
2016	Hawequas	John Fraser	1st Monte Vista
2015	Hawequas	Charles Prince	2nd Fish Hoek
2014	Hawequas	Richard Storey	1st Monte Vista
2013	Hawequas	Nimmy Abrahams	1st Pinelands
2012	Hawequas	Ingrid Webster	2nd Somerset West
2011	Hawequas	Ubayd Bapoo	2nd Somerset West
2010	Chrysalis Academy Tokai	Mario Penso	2nd Fish Hoek
2009	Hawequas	Nimmy Abrahams	2nd Fish Hoek
2008	Hawequas	Ingrid Webster	2nd Fish Hoek
2007	Hawequas		2nd Fish Hoek
2006	Hawequas	Peter Meyer	2nd Fish Hoek
2005	Hawequas	Nimmy Abrahams	2nd Fish Hoek
2004	Hawequas	Jeremy Cheney	2nd Fish Hoek
2003	Hawequas	Andre Foot	2nd Fish Hoek
2002	Hawequas	Buzz Macey & Denzil Roberts	1st Durbanville
2001	Hawequas	Nigel Forshaw	2nd Bergvliet
2000	Hawequas	Rex Koning	2nd Bergvliet
1999	Hawequas	Denzil Roberts	1st Pinelands
1998	Hawequas	Errol Kotze	1st Pinelands
1997	Hawequas	David van Eck	1st Pinelands
1996	Hawequas	Buzz Macey	2nd Bergvliet
1995	Hawequas	Craig Mullett	2nd Bergvliet
1994		Errol Kotze	3rd Pinelands
1993	Hawequas	Albert Snyman	1st Durbanville
1992	Hawequas	Buzz Macey	1st Durbanville
1991		Errol Kotze	2nd Hout Bay
1990		Buzz Macey	1st Durbanville
1989		Errol Kotze	1st Durbanville
1988	Stellenbosch	Errol Kotze	1st Durbanville
1987	Gilcape, Eerste River	Jerry Wilding	1st Durbanville/2nd Somerset West
1986	Gilcape, Eerste River	Errol Kotze	1st Pinelands
1985			1st Durbanville
1984	Gilcape, Eerste River	Richard Goldschmidt	1st Monte Vista
1983	Gilcape, Eerste River	Lionel Cohen	4th Rondebosch
1982	Gilcape, Eerste River	Brian Figaji	1st Somerset West
1981	Gilcape, Eerste River		1st Somerset West
1980	Gilcape, Eerste River	Lionel Cohen	2nd Somerset West
1979	Gilcape, Eerste River	Lionel Cohen	1st Pinelands
1978	Gilcape, Eerste River	Lionel Cohen	1st Pinelands
1977	Gilcape, Eerste River	Lionel Cohen	1st Somerset West
1976	Gilcape, Eerste River	Lionel Cohen	2nd Rondebosch/1st Pinelands
1975	Gilcape, Eerste River	Lionel Cohen	2nd Rondebosch
1974	Gilcape, Eerste River	Lionel Cohen	1st Durbanville
1973	Gilcape, Eerste River	E J 'Impie' Bryant	1st Pinelands
1972	Gilcape, Eerste River	E 'Fatty' Rutter	1st Claremont
1971	Gilcape, Eerste River	E 'Fatty' Rutter	1st Claremont/1st Parow
1970	Gilcape, Eerste River	E 'Fatty' Rutter	2nd Pinelands/1st Claremont
1969	Gilcape, Eerste River	E 'Fatty' Rutter	5th Observatory
1968	Gilcape, Eerste River	E 'Fatty' Rutter	1st Pinelands
1967	Gilcape, Eerste River	E 'Fatty' Rutter	1st Claremont
1966	Gilcape, Eerste River	E J 'Impie' Bryant	(No info available)
1965	Gilcape, Eerste River	E J 'Impie' Bryant	1st Claremont
1964	Gilcape, Eerste River	E J 'Impie' Bryant	1st Pinelands/1st Strand
1963	Gilcape, Eerste River	E J 'Impie' Bryant	2nd GASP
1962	Gilcape, Eerste River	E J 'Impie' Bryant	7th GASP	Standing: Huck Endersby, Graham Paulson, Andrew Farlam, Vic Morris, John Linklater. Front: Redvers Robb, Tom de Roo, Michael Benedict.
1961	Gilcape, Eerste River	E J 'Impie' Bryant	2nd Kenilworth
1960	Gilcape, Eerste River	E J 'Impie' Bryant	20th Cape Town
1959	Gilcape, Eerste River		2nd Rondebosch
1958	Gilcape, Eerste River	E 'Fatty' Rutter	10th GASP
1957	Gilcape, Eerste River		6th Rondebosch
1956	Gilcape, Eerste River		4th Rondebosch
1955	Gilcape, Eerste River	A Maspero	2nd GASP/7thGASP
1954	Gilcape, Eerste River With the introduction of the more challenging Rayner Trophy for older Scouts, an upper age limit of 15 years was introduced for participants in the Gordon Shield.	A Maspero	4thRondebosch/2nd Muizenberg
1953	Gilcape, Eerste River	A Maspero	7th GASP
1952	Gilcape, Eerste River	Carl "Serpent" Rayner	2nd GASP
1951	Maynardville, Wynberg	Carl "Serpent" Rayner	7th GASP
1950	Maynardville, Wynberg	H L 'Sandpiper' Stern	7th GASP
1949	Gilcape, Diep River	H L 'Sandpiper' Stern	4th Rondebosch/7th GASP
1948	Gilcape, Diep River	H L 'Sandpiper' Stern	2nd GASP
1947	The Glen, Camps Bay	H L 'Sandpiper' Stern	2nd GASP
1946	The Glen, Camps Bay		2nd Rondebosch
1945	Gilcape, Diep River	Frank 'Kudu' Quinn	2nd GASP
1944	Gilcape, Diep River	Carl "Serpent" Rayner	2nd Muizenberg
1943			2nd Muizenberg
1942	Gilcape, Diep River	Frank 'Kudu' Quinn	2nd Muizenberg
1941	Gilcape, Diep River	Carl "Serpent" Rayner	2nd Muizenberg
1940	Gilcape, Diep River	J H Johnson	1st Mowbray
1939			2nd Muizenberg
1938	Retreat		4th Rondebosch
1937			2nd Muizenberg
1936	No competition
1935			4th Rondebosch
1934			1st Claremont
1933			2nd Muizenberg
1932	Pinelands		2nd Muizenberg
1931	Pinelands		2nd Muizenberg
1930	Pinelands		7th Cape Town
1929	Pinelands		4th Rondebosch
1928	Pinelands		7th Cape Town
1927			4th Rondebosch
1926	1st Claremont grounds
1925			4th Rondebosch/1st GASP
1924			2nd Woodstock
1923	Ramsay Park, Bellville	P O Wathes	4th Rondebosch
1922			1st Woodstock
1921			2nd GASP
1920	The Homestead, Oranjezicht		1st GASP
1919	Due to the Spanish Flu Epidemic and various other causes, the competition was not held. The Shield was, however, awarded on the results of the recently completed Scout Exhibition		7th Cape Town
1918			7th Cape Town
1917	The Homestead, Oranjezicht		1st GASP
1916	Groote Schuur Estate	Capt. J. J. Walsh, District Signalling Officer	3rd Claremont
1915	Belmont Estate Rondebosch	Dr. Bennie Hewat, M.P.C., and Major St. Leger	2nd Cape Town YMCA