Two men, who have worked with the 2nd Saltash scout group for the past 30 years, were presented with one of the highest Scouting awards – the Silver Acorn – on Friday evening at Saltash Guildhall. Len Maddock became a wolf cub in Devonport in 1950, where he then lived and continued in the movement as scout, sea scout, assistant scoutmaster in Devonport. In 1979, having moved to Saltash, he was asked to start a new scout troop in the town – the 2nd Saltash scout group. In 1989, he became group scout leader, a position he has occupied ever since, and continues to help the group in many ways, including taking the troop to Switzerland and Austria. John White started running a football team in 1974 when his son, Nick, was in the cubs, and John has been helping the 2nd Saltash scout group ever since. He was group treasurer from 1977 to 1981, and then became group chairman in 1983, as well as helping to run the green cub pack. John was the instigator of Saltash town quiz in 1988, which has helped raise funds for the group and is still held each year. He received the scout medal of merit in 1992, and in 2002 was awarded the bar and became Saltash citizen of the year. He is a member of the group's executive committee and has been very active in helping to get the new scout headquarters at Latchbrook, which it is hoped will be open next year. The mayor of Saltash, Bob Austin, who attended with his wife Jackie, the mayoress, presented the certificates, and the county commissioner, Bob Ellis, presented them with their Silver Acorn award.
