Anyone who uses the Scouts and Guides postal system to send their Christmas cards is insulting Wales.
The Scouts are, in the way they provide this service, advertising to everyone that they are an imperialist, English-based organisation which ignores almost totally that they are operating in Wales, and seems incapable of learning.
This service has been operating for years. When the (now very old) Welsh Language Act was introduced, I looked forward to the Scouts introducing perhaps bilingual stamps – beating the Post Office at their own game.
Did those stamps ever appear ? Of course not. Every year, we see identical English-only posters. We might as well be in England. I once mentioned the issue to some of their Welsh high-ups. They didn’t seem to understand.
The Scouts are supposed to possess some form of Welsh organisation. I think they had a small Welsh office in Roath. Perhaps, no longer. According to the telephone directory, their office is now some high-grade area of East London.
Mention of that area reminds me of a lovely east London joke. [removed by author]
Leaving that aside, perhaps whatever Welsh organisation the Scouts possess is totally powerless; merely form-shufflers.
A letter in the Western Mail last week reminded me of the Scouts’ inglorious history. Was not Baden Powell an army officer mainly interested in killing Boers and occupying by force yet more black land? The letter says the aim was to provide fitter troops to protect the Empire.
This Christmas issue proves that the Scout empire still exists – and it’s still very much “British”, with not much space for colonials.
Comments
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Oh my goodness. Your deeply sexist, and totally unecessary joke is far, far, far worse than the point you are making about Scouts and the extent of their bilingual service. Let me guess – you are a man, probably over 60, most likely voting Tory or a Welsh speaker, and therefore from the conservative wing of Plaid Cymru.
Thankfully, you are far removed from today’s modern Wales.
The joke was picked up from a book being sold in a working class area of the South; if you want to read it, you will now have to buy the book !
Why on earth should the Scouts waste what little money that they have by printing their stamps in Welsh?
They’re trying to raise money, not pander to linguistic intolerance.
Shame on you, you old skinflint.
Clive, you really have lost it this time. Who is next on the anti-imperialist hit-list for goodness sake?
At times the scouts and guides organisation has been used by its officials inWelsh-speaking areas a proselytising body for the English language. Its very good work with youngsters is sometimes spoiled by the colonialist attitudes it possesses.
I believe the organisation issues “badges” for some form of competence in Welsh. A nice little pat on the head for attainers from their English masters and mistresses…
Do any groups work through Welsh. And what would happen to any group which did so, and then corresponded with HQ in Welsh. No doubt the same sort of row which led to Zonia Bowen, of Bala, marching the local branch out of the Women’s Institute oganisation and forming Merched y Wawr.
But then we all know that at the core of the WI is the hymn about Jerusalem and England’s beautiful land. Are the Scouts any different ?
From what I understand of philately collectors go for as much variety as possible and obviously rare stamps are the most valuable. Therefore the Scouts could MAKE MONEY out of Welsh stamps not waste it. This contadicts what “Be Prepared” says above.
As for the philistine OTT comment ‘linguistic intolerance’ – come on, it was a fair point.
Mae rhai ohonom yn cynnal grwpiau Sgowtiaid yn Gymraeg – o’r tu mewn y mae newid pethau, nid trwy feirniadu o’r tu allan.