The campaign hat, or ‘Boss of the Plains’ Stetson hat is widely associated with Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of the worldwide Scout Movement. Usually a broadbrimmed felt hat, with a high crown, pinched symmetrically at the four corners.
As a British Army Officer, Baden-Powell picked up the habit of wearing a campaign hat and neckerchief here in Africa during the Second Matabele War in 1896. He was certainly influenced by the celebrated American scout Frederick Russell Burnham, who also served during this campaign and himself favoured the campaign hat. Following the Siege of Mafeking in 1899, Baden-Powell’s hat became something of a trademark. In 1900, Baden-Powell was appointed to raise and command the South African Constabulary and he included the campaign hat as part of their uniform.
When Baden-Powell published ‘Scouting for Boys’ in 1908, he included sketches of Scouts wearing the campaign hat. He prescribed a campaign hat as part of the Scout uniform, stating that "...the broad brimmed khaki hat is a good protection from sun and rain." Scouting for Boys and the Scout Movement itself quickly spread through the British Empire and then to other countries around the world, so boys wearing broad-brimmed hats with coloured scarves knotted around their necks were commonplace.
Now days, as the world’s largest youth movement, Scouting has moved onto cheaper and more practical forms of headgear. Yet the campaign hat still endures as currently worn by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the New Zealand Army, United States Park Rangers, and still a few Scout Organisations around the world.
The 1st Parkmore Scout Group
The 1st Parkmore Scout Group started in the early 1960's and is located in a suburb of Sandton, next to George Lea Park. Their Scarf is green colour with a Red Fraser Tartan ribbon edging. This is because 1st Parkmore amalgamated with the 1st Benmore Group in 1980, who wore the Fraser Tartan Scarf in honour of a Mr Fraser who originally allowed them to use his premises as a meeting place.
The Cache
Being situated next to the Sandton Sports Club, there is a fair amount of vehicle traffic and muggle pedestrians. Please use stealth and replace the cache container carefully as found. The cache is located in a boomed off suburb and some of the gates are closed at night, which limits access from certain directions.