Francis Gidney

Francis "Skipper" Gidney (1890–1928) was an early leader of the Scouting movement in the United Kingdom. He was appointed the first Camp Chief of Gilwell Park in May 1919, and organized the first Wood Badge adult leader training course there in September 1919. He served in the Scouting organization until 1923, and was honored by having the Gidney Cabin at Gilwell, a training centre, named for him.

Biography

Gidney started one of the first Scout troops in 1908, when he was only 17 years old. Gidney then served in World War I. He was seriously wounded and invalided out of the army before the Armistice. His position in Scouting led to financial and marital difficulties: he himself complained that he was underpaid, and his wife did not care much for Scouting. The marriage eventually "foundered".

Disputes over how Gilwell Park should be managed led to Gidney resigning in 1923, which greatly upset the founder of the Scouting movement, Robert Baden-Powell. Gidney then worked as a Master at a preparatory school in Bournemouth. Gidney was very influential to Scouting especially in the areas of camp management, training, and Wood Badge. It was his idea to start the 1st Gilwell Scout troop for all Wood Badge holders, with its distinctive neckerchief and he successfully established the pattern still used for modern-day Gilwell reunions.