Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

BOY SCOUTS, “QUEEN’S SCOUT”

Date Range From

1963

Date Range To

1964

Materials

SILVER, ENAMEL

No. Pieces

1

Height

1.5

Diameter

2

Description

SILVER RING WITH FACE TAPERED TO A POINT ALONG TOP EDGE. GRAPHIC OF A CROWN ON FACE IN GREEN, YELLOW AND RED ENAMEL, WITH TEXT READING “QUEEN’S SCOUT”. FACE DESIGN IS FLANKED ON BOTH SIDES BY THREE MAPLE LEAVES ALONG THE BAND. BACK OF BAND IS WORN THROUGH AND SPLIT. TARNISHED, SOME LOSS OF ENAMEL; OVERALL GOOD CONDITION.

Subjects

ADORNMENT

PERSONAL SYMBOL

Historical Association

ASSOCIATIONS

History

THIS RING BELONGED TO THE DONOR, DON CHAPMAN. THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION ON THE CHAPMAN FAMILY WAS PROVIDED BY THE DONOR AT THE TIME OF DONATION. THE CHAPMANS RESIDED IN LETHBRIDGE FROM 1958 TO 1963. THEY MOVED TO LETHBRIDGE FROM LACOMBE, ALBERTA, AFTER DON’S FATHER STUART ACCEPTED THE POSITION OF ADMINISTRATOR OF THE GALT REHABILITATION CENTRE, LOCATED IN THE OLD GALT HOSPITAL BUILDING. IN 1963 THE FAMILY MOVED TO LANGLEY, B.C. WHERE STUART BECAME THE ADMINISTRATOR OF THE LANGLEY MEMORIAL HOSPITAL. WHILE IN LETHBRIDGE, DON WAS ACTIVE IN BOY SCOUTS, ATTAINING QUEEN’S SCOUT STATUS AND BEING CHOSEN AS ONE OF TWO LETHBRIDGE SCOUTS TO TRAVEL TO NEW MEXICO ON AN “ADVENTURE TRIP” IN 1963. ON SEPTEMBER 16, 2014, COLLECTIONS TECHNICIAN KEVIN MACLEAN INTERVIEWED DON CHAPMAN ABOUT HIS FAMILY’S TIME IN LETHBRIDGE AND MEMORIES RELATED TO THE SPECIFIC DONATED OBJECTS. CHAPMAN SAID: “I WAS BORN IN 1947 AND WE CAME [TO LETHBRIDGE] BECAUSE MY FATHER GOT A JOB HERE… IT WAS EXCITING. WE HAD NO IDEA WHERE LETHBRIDGE WAS… IT WAS KIND OF LIKE, FINALLY THE FAMILY IS GETTING A FINANCIAL FOOTING AND THERE WAS A CAREER PATH AHEAD… THE MOVE TO LETHBRIDGE WAS KIND OF LIKE A NEW START… CERTAINLY FOR ME, LETHBRIDGE WAS FORMATIVE YEARS… SCOUTING WAS A SIGNIFICANT UNDERTAKING IN MY LIFE, I WAS QUITE COMMITTED TO IT… IT WAS A WAY TO LEARN FUNDAMENTAL LIFE SKILLS AND MEMBERSHIP… YOU WOULD LEARN WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BE IN A GROUP, WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BE ON A TEAM… I BELONGED TO THE 14TH LETHBRIDGE SCOUT TROOP AND IT WAS CENTERED IN THE MCKILLOP UNITED CHURCH… A LOT OF IT WAS CENTERED AROUND AN ANNUAL CAMP. WE WOULD GO OUT FOR AT LEAST A WEEK… INTO THE EASTERN SLOPE OF THE ROCKIES… YOU HAD TO LEARN HOW TO COOK… YOU HAD TO LEARN SURVIVAL SKILLS, YOU HAD TO LEARN HOW TO TIE KNOTS, SINGING AROUND THE CAMPFIRE AT MEETINGS… IT WAS KIND OF A FRATERNAL ORGANIZATION FOR YOUNG PEOPLE.” OF THIS SPECIFIC OBJECT, CHAPMAN SAID: “THIS WAS MY QUEEN’S SCOUT RING… THAT’S SILVER, AND I WORE IT FOREVER UNTIL I WORE IT OUT. I ACTUALLY HAD TO PURCHASE THAT AND I THINK YOU PROBABLY COULDN’T PURCHASE IT UNLESS YOU WERE A QUEEN’S SCOUT... I GOT MY QUEEN'S SCOUT IN VICTORIA ALTHOUGH I ACTUALLY EARNED IT [IN LETHBRIDGE], AND WE MOVED BEFORE I COULD GO TO THE CEREMONY... THE PRESENTATION OF THE QUEEN'S SCOUT [BADGE] WAS DONE BY THE LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR OF BRITISH COLUMBIA [IN 1964]... IT WAS SIGNIFICANT IN MY LIFE BECAUSE IT REPRESENTED A CERTAIN LEVEL OF ATTAINMENT WITHIN THE BOY SCOUTS OF CANADA. NOT EVERYBODY BECAME A QUEEN'S SCOUT.” SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR HARDCOPIES OF FULL INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT AND NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS REPORTING ON CHAPMAN’S NEW MEXICO TRIP.

Catalogue Number

P20140034013

Acquisition Date

2014-09

Collection

Museum

Less detail