Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

NOISEMAKER

Date Range From

1925

Date Range To

1935

Materials

METAL

No. Pieces

1

Height

4.5

Length

16.5

Width

5.5

Description

TIN CLAPPER HAND BELL OR NOISEMAKER. THE BELL IS COMPOSED OF A THIN SHEET OF METAL ATTACHED TO A METAL FRAME HANDLE. THERE IS A LONG, THIN STRIP INSERTED AT AN ANGLE INTO THE SHEET WITH A METAL BALL ON THE END OF THE STRIP. WHEN SHAKEN, THE METAL BALL STRIKES AGAINST THE SHEET AND MAKES SOUND. THERE ARE SMALL RUST PATCHES ON THE TOP AND SCRATCHES ON THE BOTTOM OF THE SHEET.

Subjects

SOUND COMMUNICATION T&E

Historical Association

ASSOCIATIONS

LEISURE

History

KENNETH RUSSELL, WHO PASSED AWAY IN 1983, WAS A LETHBRIDGE BOY SCOUT IN HIS YOUTH; A MEMBER OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS; AND LATER BECAME A SCOUT LEADER AND SCHOOL TEACHER. HE WAS ONE OF 150 CANADIAN CONTINGENT BOY SCOUTS TO ATTEND THE 3RD WORLD SCOUT JAMBOREE IN ENGLAND IN 1929, ALSO CALLED THE “COMING-OF-AGE” JAMBOREE DUE TO IT FALLING ON THE 21ST ANNIVERSARY OF THE PUBLICATION OF “SCOUTING FOR BOYS”. ACCORDING TO A MAY 9, 1929 LETHBRIDGE HERALD ARTICLE, KEN RUSSELL WAS SELECTED TO ATTEND THE WORLD JAMBOREE BY THE DISTRICT BOY SCOUT COUNCIL ALONG WITH FELLOW LOCAL KING SCOUT NORMAN MIDDLETON. THE COST OF THE TRIP WAS COVERED THROUGH FUNDRAISING EFFORTS. A SEPTEMBER 7TH, 1929 LETHBRIDGE HERALD ARTICLE MENTIONED THAT THE ATTENDEES FROM CANADA TRAVELLED BY BOAT ABOARD THE ANTONIA TO ENGLAND, THEN CONGREGATED WITH AROUND 50 000 SCOUTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD IN A CAMP IN ARROWE PARK. THE JAMBOREE CONSISTED OF VARIOUS EVENTS AND INCLUDED APPEARANCES FROM FOUNDER OF THE SCOUTING MOVEMENT BADEN-POWELL, THE DUKE OF CONNAUGHT, AND THE PRINCE OF WALES. ON THE 7TH OF AUGUST 2020, KEVIN MACLEAN MET WITH JOYCE ROSS, RICK ROSS, AND RON SHIELDS. THE THREE HAVE ALL BEEN INVOLVED WITH BOY SCOUTS, AND WERE CONSULTED TO PROVIDE INSIGHT INTO THE LATE KENNETH RUSSELL’S BOY SCOUT MATERIALS, WHICH WERE DONATED TO THE MUSEUM BY HIS DAUGHTER, KENNA ASPLUND. THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION HAS BEEN EXTRACTED FROM THEIR DISCUSSION. RON IDENTIFIED THE BELL: “…THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN A CALL BELL OR AN EMERGENCY SOUNDER.” “…IF THEY ARE ON HIKE SOMEWHERE, THEY COULD START CLANGING IT AND SOMEONE WOULD HEAR IT AND FIGURE OUT WHERE THEY ARE AT.” RON CONTINUED: “IF YOU WERE THE FIRST ONE UP IN THE MORNING THAT WAS WHAT WAS USED TO WAKE EVERYONE ELSE UP.” JOYCE SAID: “…THEY COULD PROBABLY SEND [AN] S.O.S…WITH IT TOO.” RICK SUGGESTED THE NOISEMAKER WAS MULTI-PURPOSE: “IT COULD HAVE BEEN A DINNER BELL OR IT COULD HAVE BEEN AN ALARM BELL. IT COULD HAVE BEEN A LOT OF THINGS. SCOUT TROUPES WERE QUITE INVENTIVE.” RON KNEW THE RUSSELL FAMILY, BUT WAS NOT AWARE OF KEN’S INVOLVEMENT WITH BOY SCOUTS: “…THIS [DONATION] ACTUALLY IS A TOTAL SURPRISE TO ME BECAUSE OF ALL OF THE YEARS THAT I GREW UP WITH [KEN RUSSELL’S] FAMILY, I NEVER…HEARD HIM SPEAK OF ANY SCOUTING EXPERIENCE, SO I WAS KIND OF SHOCKED WHEN I SAW THIS. HE OBVIOUSLY HAD A VERY VAST EXPERIENCE IN SCOUTING, BUT HE NEVER SHARED IT WITH ANYBODY THAT I AM AWARE OF." ON SEPTEMBER 8TH, 2020 COLLECTIONS TECHNICIAN KEVIN MACLEAN MET WITH SIBLINGS KENNA ASPLUND, DALE RUSSELL, GRAEME RUSSELL, AND CHRISTOPHER (KIT) RUSSELL TO DISCUSS THEIR LATE FATHER KENNETH RUSSELL’S BOY SCOUT ITEMS THAT KENNA DONATED TO THE MUSEUM. THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS DERIVED FROM THEIR MEETING. KENNA SAID HER MOM BRIEFLY SPOKE ABOUT THE SCOUT MATERIALS BEFORE HER PASSING: “…[MY MOM TOLD ME] THAT IT WAS [DAD’S] STUFF FROM THE WORLD JAMBOREE. SOMEHOW I KNEW BEFORE THAT HE HAD ATTENDED IT… THERE WASN'T ANYTHING SPECIFIC SHE SAID ABOUT ANY SPECIFIC ITEMS, BUT SHE SEEMED VERY AWARE WHAT ALL THE STUFF WAS.” KENNA EXPLAINED WHY SHE DECIDED TO DONATE THE ITEMS TO THE MUSEUM: “…ALTHOUGH MY MOTHER PASSED AWAY, HER HOUSE WAS NOT TOTALLY CLEANED OUT. SO WHEN GOING THROUGH ALL OF THE THINGS, SOME OF WHICH I HAD AT MY HOUSE…AND REALIZING THIS WAS SOMETHING VERY COOL…I JUST THOUGHT IT WOULD BE [VALUABLE] TO SOUTHERN ALBERTA BECAUSE IT ORIGINATED HERE. IT ALL HAD TO DEAL WITH BEING A CANADIAN SCOUT AND BEING ABLE TO GO TAKE PART IN THIS [JAMBOREE]. THERE WAS ONLY [A RELATIVELY SMALL NUMBER OF] SCOUTS FROM CANADA. I FOUND A BOOK THAT TOLD ME…OUT OF ALL OF ALBERTA THERE WERE ONLY SIX THAT WERE ALLOWED TO GO.” KENNA EXPLAINED HOW SHE WAS ACQUAINTED WITH A TRUNK THAT HOUSED THE SCOUT ITEMS: “…AS A CHILD I REMEMBER THE TRUNK IN…MY FIRST HOUSE IN DIAMOND CITY DOWN IN THE BASEMENT BY THOSE STEEL CABINETS… I KNEW IT WAS A TRUNK OF DAD’S STUFF, BUT NOBODY EVER SHOWED ME AT THAT TIME WHAT WAS IN IT. IT WASN’T UNTIL LATER AT THE SECOND HOUSE WHEN WE TOOK IT OUT AND PUT IT INTO A ROUGH TOTE, THAT MOM EXPLAINED WHAT ALL OF THE STUFF WAS AND I HAD PINNED ON THINGS SO THAT I KNEW WHERE THEY WERE FROM.” WHEN ASKED IF THE OTHER SIBLINGS REMEMBERED SEEING THEIR FATHER’S SCOUT ITEMS AS KIDS, GRAEME RESPONDED: “I REMEMBER SEEING THEM BUT THEY WERE PACKED AWAY IN THE TRUNK. HE HAD A SPECIAL TRUNK THAT WAS HIS SCOUT TRUNK, AND THIS [DONATED] STUFF WAS IN THERE.” DALE ALSO REMEMBERED THE TRUNK OF SCOUT MATERIALS BEING IN HIS GRANDPARENT’S HOME AT AN EARLIER TIME: “I REMEMBER THE TRUNK WHEN IT WAS IN OUR GRANDFATHER’S HOME UPSTAIRS… DAD TOOK ME UP THERE TO LOOK AT IT. HE WAS PULLING STUFF OUT...” DALE CONTINUED: “HE DID NOT TALK ABOUT IT, HE JUST PULLED IT OUT AND SHOWED ME SOME OF IT. I WAS A BOY SCOUT AT THE TIME...” DALE REMEMBERED ANOTHER ITEM BEING IN THE TRUNK AT SOME POINT IN TIME: “…THERE USED TO BE A ROPE IN THAT BOX ALSO, BUT I DO NOT KNOW WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO IT. HE WAS DOING ROPE TRICKS WHEN HE WAS OVER IN ENGLAND AS A DEMONSTRATION.” DALE PROVIDED MORE DETAILS AND THE TEACHING HIS DAD SHARED ALONG WITH THE ROPE: “…[IT WAS] A WHITE BRAIDED COTTON ROPE. HE TOLD ME THE STORY THAT HE WAS ON A STREET CORNER IN LONDON DOING ROPE TRICKS AS PART OF THEIR ASSIGNMENT, AND A MAN CAME UP AND STARTED TALKING TO HIM WHO ACTUALLY HAPPENED TO BE FROM LETHBRIDGE. HE SAID THE…LESSON HE WAS TRYING TO EMPHASIZE TO ME AT THE TIME WAS, ‘NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE PEOPLE PROBABLY KNOW YOU [SO] ACT ACCORDINGLY.’ I DON’T KNOW WHERE THE ROPE IS, I HAVEN’T SEEN IT FOR YEARS, BUT I DID SEE IT ONE TIME IN THAT BOX.” DALE ADDED: “I WAS PROBABLY A SCOUT, ABOUT TWELVE [OR] THIRTEEN YEARS OLD [WHEN HE TOLD ME THE STORY].” KIT RECOLLECTED WHAT HIS FATHER SHARED ABOUT THE WORLD BOY SCOUT JAMBOREE: “…WHEN I WAS IN SIXTH GRADE [MY DAD] TAUGHT ME IN COALHURST, AND HE TOLD THE WHOLE CLASS ABOUT BEING IN ENGLAND AND…BEING SHOWN AROUND SHERWOOD FOREST. I CAN’T REMEMBER WHO HE SAID THE OWNER OF THE PLACE WAS, SOME DUKE OR EARL, BUT HE SAID THE GUY TOOK GREAT PLEASURE IN TAKING [THE SCOUTS] AROUND AND SHOWING THEM HOW IN SHERWOOD FOREST, THERE WERE CAVES THAT WERE COVERED IN VINES, WHICH ADDED TO THE MYSTIQUE OF ROBIN HOOD, SO TO SPEAK... [THOSE ARE THE MEMORIES] I HAVE.” KENNA ALSO REMEMBERED SOME FRAGMENTS HER DAD HAD TOLD HER ABOUT THE JAMBOREE: “…HE TOLD ME ABOUT RUNNING AROUND THE TENT AND RUNNING INTO THE PRINCE OF WALES, AND HOW EMBARRASSED HE WAS AND HOW ‘UN-SCOUT-LIKE’ HIS CONDUCT WAS… I DO REMEMBER HIM QUITE OFTEN MESSING AROUND AND PRETENDING TO DO THE SWORD DANCE USING STICKS AND THE STUFF HE HAD BEEN TAUGHT WHEN HE WAS IN ENGLAND. IT IS INTERESTING, BECAUSE I AM READING THIS ONE BOOK; IT IS WRITTEN BY LORD BADEN-POWELL BUT IT IS A SUMMARY OR A REPORT ON THE CANADIANS TO HIS EXCELLENCY COUNT WELLINGTON WHO WAS THE CHIEF SCOUT FOR CANADA. HE [TALKED ABOUT]...THE CANADIAN SCOUTS AND THE VISITORS THEY HAD TO THEIR CAMP AND…ABOUT HOW THE SCOTTISH CONTINGENT CAME OVER AND TAUGHT THEM ALL THEIR FOLK DANCING. I AM WONDERING IF THAT IS WHERE THAT CAME FROM, [HOWEVER MY DAD] NEVER ACTUALLY SAID THAT.” DALE SHARED ANOTHER OUTING HIS FATHER WENT ON WITH BOY SCOUTS: “…HE SPENT I THINK A SUMMER...IN GLACIER PARK WITH THE AMERICANS AND HE WAS SHORT HIS SWIMMING [BADGE] TO GET HIS EAGLE SCOUT ON THE U.S. SIDE. THE REASON HE COULD NOT DO THAT WAS BECAUSE HE SAID THE WATER WAS TOO COLD AND HE KEPT LOSING HIS BREATH WHEN HE WAS DIVING IN THE WATER TRYING TO PASS THEIR SWIMMING REQUIREMENTS. OTHERWISE, HE WOULD HAVE BEEN AN EAGLE SCOUT IN ADDITION TO A QUEEN SCOUT…OR KING SCOUT, WHATEVER IT WAS AT THAT TIME. HE ALSO TALKED ABOUT THAT CAMP. THEY HAD A CUB COME INTO THE CAMP, SO THE BOYS FORMED A CIRCLE AROUND IT, THEY WERE GOING TO CATCH IT. SO THESE SCOUTS ALL GOT IN A CIRCLE AND WENT AROUND THIS CUB, THINKING THEY WERE GOING TO CORRAL [AROUND] IT, AND HE SAID THE CUB TOOK OFF AND IT JUST KNOCKED THE BOYS OVER. HE SAID, ‘NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE STRENGTH OF A BEAR’… I THINK THAT [STORY] AND BUILDING THE TRAIL ARE ABOUT ALL I CAN REMEMBER OF WHAT HE SAID…” WHEN ASKED TO SPEAK ABOUT THEIR DAD’S INVOLVEMENT IN BOY SCOUTS, KIT SAID: “…WHEN I BECAME A SCOUT LEADER, HE WAS TOTALLY SUPPORTIVE OF ME DOING IT ALL. HE REALLY LIKED THE SCOUT PROGRAM.” KIT WENT ON: “I THINK BECAUSE [SCOUTING] GAVE KIDS DIRECTION… IT GAVE PARTICULARILY CITY KIDS SOMETHING TO KEEP THEM OUT OF TROUBLE. IT GAVE THEM SOMETHING TO BE DOING THAT WAS WORTHWHILE. IT IS A WORTHWHILE PROGRAM.” DALE ALSO INTERPRETED THE IMPORTANCE OF THE SCOUTS TO HIS DAD: “…HE WAS A VERY SMALL INDIVIDUAL. WHEN HE WENT TO UNIVERSITY HE WAS NINETY-EIGHT POUNDS. IN THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD THERE ARE MANY REFERENCES TO HIS AWARDS IN TRACK-AND-FIELD, SO HE WAS VERY ATHLETIC, BUT HE WAS VERY TINY. THE SCOUTING PROGRAM GAVE HIM SELF-CONFIDENCE. THERE ARE MANY ARTICLES WHEN HE WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL IN…THE PAPER…AT THE TIME, ACKNOWLEDGING HIS AWARDS IN TRACK-AND-FIELD.” DALE CONTINUED: “…I NEVER WENT VERY FAR IN SCOUTING. I ENJOYED IT, BUT I DID NOT ACCOMPLISH [EVEN CLOSE TO] WHAT HE DID...” DALE SPOKE ON HOW HIS DAD USED THE LESSONS HE LEARNT THROUGH SCOUTS IN HIS PARENTING: “…HE WAS VERY RETICENT TO PUSH HIMSELF FORWARD; HE PREFERRED TO BE ON THE BACK SEAT OF THINGS. HE HAD A LOT OF PRIDE IN [THESE OBJECTS] OBVIOUSLY BY KEEPING [THEM], BUT HE NEVER REALLY DEMONSTRATED IT… HE ONLY TALKED ABOUT IT IN PASSING WHEN THERE WAS A TOPIC THAT IT WAS RELEVANT TO. OTHER THAN THAT, HE DID NOT. FOR EXAMPLE, GIVING ME A LECTURE ON MY CONDUCT, EVEN WHEN I WAS AWAY FROM HOME, AND WITH THAT REFERENCE, THE ROPE TRICK. THAT WAS HIS STYLE, IT WASN’T TO TELL US HOW HE WAS ON THE CORNER DOING ROPE TRICKS, IT WAS TO TELL ME TO PAY ATTENTION.” KENNA ADDED: “AND I THINK THAT IS THE SAME REASON WHY I HEARD ABOUT HIM RUNNING AROUND THE TENT, WAS BECAUSE SOMETIMES I WOULD RUN TO THINGS OR PEOPLE HEAD-LONG.” KENNA CONTINUED TO SPEAK ABOUT GROWING UP WITH THEIR DAD UTILIZING LESSONS LEARNED THROUGH BEING A SCOUT: “…I JUST REMEMBER BEING REALLY JEALOUS THAT MY BROTHERS HAD THESE COOL [SCOUT] HATS… [I WAS] READING HIS JOURNAL…LAST NIGHT AND THEN I FOUND THIS NOTEBOOK THAT HE HAS HANDWRITTEN ALL THAT IS REQUIRED OF A SCOUT LEADER AND THE TRAINING COURSE... AS I WAS READING THROUGH IT, I REALIZED THAT THE TRAINING AND KNOWLEDGE THAT HE HAD, HE DID USE THROUGHOUT HIS LIFE. IT WAS LITTLE THINGS, JUST IN TEACHING YOU HOW TO WALK DOWN THE COULEE AND CHECK FOR RATTLESNAKES. A LOT IT WAS HIS KNOWLEDGE THAT HE HAD LEARNED AS A SCOUT AND AS A SCOUT LEADER. HE WAS JUST CALMLY PASSING ON, LIKE DALE SAID, AS THE MOMENT [WARRANTED] IT, NOT NECESSARILY AS A BIG THING.” FOR MORE INFORMATION, OR TO ACCESS THE FULL INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTS, PLEASE SEE THE DONATION’S PERMANENT FILE.

Catalogue Number

P20200029003

Acquisition Date

2020-07

Collection

Museum

Less detail