Boys' club that was 'better than Scouts'

MEMORIES of High Wycombe's Kangaroo Club came bouncing back for its founder after a picture appeared in last week's Midweek.

Jean Smithson, now 62, contacted the Bucks Free Press after seeing the picture of herself and the boys, aged six to eight, from the club.

Mrs Smithson, of Green Hill, High Wycombe, set up the club in the 1970s and held weekly meetings at St Francis of Assissi Church Hall in Amersham Road, Terriers, for 11 years.

She said: 'I decided to set up the club because there was nothing for boys of that age group to do. The name the Kangaroo Club came around because all the activities and games we did involved jumping about, like leap frog and all the streets around there were named after Australian places.'

Meetings were held every Monday from 6 to 7pm and on a Saturday morning for football. Kangaroo members would do team activities and had the chance to gain achievement badges, which were old brownie star badges.

'I went to see Mr Woods at Woods Outfitters, near the market place in High Wycombe,' said Mrs Smithson, previously Akela for Booker Cubs group.

She added: 'I asked him if there were any badges that I could use for the club and he suggested the old star badges that the brownies used to use.'

When Mrs Smithson gave up the club she tried to find somebody else to run it but no one was willing to give up their time, so the club folded.

'I really enjoyed running the club, the boys were no trouble they always did what they were told and many of their parents told me how much they enjoyed themselves at the club. One even said out of his days of the Kangaroos, Cubs and Scouts, the Kangaroo club was by far the best,' she added.

If you were a member of the club and want to share memories should call Kelly Clayton on 01494 755087