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Betty Clay

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The Honourable
Betty Clay
CBE
Born(1917-04-16)16 April 1917
Died24 April 2004(2004-04-24) (aged 87)
NationalityBritish
Other namesBetty St Clair Baden-Powell
EducationWestonbirt School
Known forGuiding and Scouting
Spouse
Gervas Charles Robert Clay
​
​
(m. 1936)​
Children4
Parent(s)Robert Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell
Olave Baden-Powell
FamilyBaden-Powell

Betty St Clair Clay CBE (née Baden-Powell; 16 April 1917 – 24 April 2004) was the younger daughter of Olave Baden-Powell, the first Chief Guide and Robert Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell, the founder of Scouting.

Career

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Clay enrolled in the Brownies as soon as she was old enough. She was educated at Westonbirt School, Gloucestershire and St James' School in Malvern, Worcestershire.[1] While boarding at St James' School, she joined the school's Girl Guide company.[2]

Clay accompanied her parents on many official tours including some overseas,[citation needed] the first of which was the maiden cruise of the SS Duchess of Richmond round the Mediterranean and down the West Coast of Africa from 26 January to 8 March 1929; she was 11. Other tours were to Switzerland in 1931, and again in 1932 for the opening of "Our Chalet"; to South Africa, and also the first two "Peace Cruises" - on the SS Calgaric in 1933 and on the RMS Adriatic in 1934 - as well as a round-the-world tour which included the first Australian Pan Pacific Scout Jamboree held in Frankston, Australia from 27 December 1934 to 13 January 1935. They also did a tour of Africa in 1935–36, where she met her husband-to-be on the homeward voyage from Cape Town to England.[2]

Upon her marriage in 1936, Clay moved to Northern Rhodesia,[2] where she became a Cub leader for the pack of which her youngest son was a member, when the leader left. She was an active Guider in Northern Rhodesia, eventually becoming Colony Commissioner for Guides.[2] When the Clays returned to England in 1964, Betty continued her involvement. She was President of the South West Region for the Guide Association from 1970–91.[citation needed] In 1978 she was appointed a vice-president of the Guide Association. In 1985 she became a vice-president of the Scout Association.[2]

Clay received from both the Scout and Guide Associations their highest awards for good service: The Silver Wolf from the Scouts in 1984 and a Silver Fish Award from the Guides in 1995. In 1993, she became only the second person ever to be awarded an honorary Gilwell Wood Badge.[2]

Personal life

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Clay was the sister of Peter Baden-Powell, 2nd Baron Baden-Powell; the aunt of Robert Baden-Powell, 3rd Baron Baden-Powell, and Michael Baden-Powell, 4th Baron Baden-Powell; the grandmother of murderer, Gerard Baden-Clay; the niece of Agnes Baden-Powell and Baden Baden-Powell; niece and goddaughter of Warington Baden-Powell; and granddaughter of the Rev. Prof. Baden Powell.

In 1936, on board ship returning from Africa, Betty met Gervas Clay (16 April 1907 – 18 April 2009),[3] a District Commissioner in Her Majesty's Colonial Service in Northern Rhodesia[2] (present-day Zambia), who was returning to England on leave; they married on 24 September 1936. Gervas Clay later became Her Majesty's Resident Commissioner of the Barotseland Protectorate,[2] in which capacity, in 1960, he and Betty entertained Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother.[citation needed] Gervas and Betty Clay had four children.[4] They lived in Northern Rhodesia until they retired to Somerset in 1964.[2]

Honours

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She was the holder of the Bronze Wolf from the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) and a gold Silver Fish in the form of a brooch from the Guide Association.[2]

In 1997 she was made a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE). She attended many Jamborees, including the 4th World Scout Jamboree and 16th World Scout Jamboree and others between.[2]

Death

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She died, aged 87, on 24 April 2004, in Elliscombe House Nursing Home, where she was recovering following a fall at home.[5] She was cremated in Yeovil Crematorium, and on Wednesday, 5 May 2004, her ashes (and five years later those of her husband Gervas) were buried in the Churchyard of the Parish Church of St John the Baptist,[6] North Cheriton. A memorial service was held at Wells Cathedral, Somerset, on Monday, 12 July 2004[7] and was well-attended.[8]

Legacy

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The Scout Association's Betty Clay Library is located in Gilwell Park.[9][10]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Celebrating a Guiding Life: The Hon. Mrs. Betty Clay, CBE 1917-2004". A tribute to Betty St. Clair Clay née Baden-Powell. Retrieved 26 March 2012.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Carter, Simon (10 October 2011). "Betty Clay: Follower in her Baden-Powell parents' footsteps". The Independent. No. 13 May 2004. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  3. ^ "Gervas (Charles Robert) Clay". A tribute to Betty's husband. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  4. ^ Taylor, Andrew. "Australia's Lord Baden-Powell of Gilwell" (PDF). Australian Scout. No. May 2020. Scouts Victoria. p. 17. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  5. ^ "Betty Clay, last direct link with the Founder of Scouting and Guiding Lord Baden-Powell dies". Archived from the original on 8 April 2009. Retrieved 22 April 2008.
  6. ^ "North Cheriton". Camelot Churches. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  7. ^ "Clay - Deaths Announcements". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  8. ^ "Memorial services". The Times. 13 July 2004. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  9. ^ "Baden–Powell House Gilwell Park Conference Centres" (PDF). Scouts Conference Centres Brochure. The Scout Association. 2009. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
  10. ^ Gilwell Park London, [Brochure]. "Wedding meeting spaces". www.gilwellpark.co.uk. Part of: The Scout Association. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
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