Jack Gair Goes Home
Well known Baldrine resident, 94 year old, Jack Gair “went home” on the 30th December 2008, at Newlands, Braddan. Jack was born in Northumberland and became a Wolf Cub in 1920, that’s four years earlier than the late Victor Kneale’s unofficial start in the cubs at the age of 6. Jack moved onto the Boy Scouts in 1924 and in 1930 became both a Rover Scout and a Cub Master at the age of 16. He continued in scouting during his 3 years at teacher training college and at the age of 20 in 1934 became a scoutmaster.
His scouting life continued and during the Second World War he was an instructor in the Royal Navy stationed at HMS St. George based in Cunningham’s Holiday Camp in Victoria Road, Douglas. This was his introduction to the Isle of Man where he gave instruction to hundreds of young boy sailors in the requisitioned Ballakermeen School. Whilst stationed at HMS St. George he set up and ran a Deep Sea Scout Troop.
He was demobbed in 1947 and took up a teaching post at Ballakermeen in the half of the building run as the junior section of Douglas High School for Boys. In September 1948 he started 10th Douglas Scouts at the school which ran as three troops – Boy Scouts, Sea Scouts and Air Scouts. In the mid 1950s he left the school to become headmaster of Kirk Michael Primary School where he set up a Wolf Cub Pack which was taken over by his successor as head, the late Tom Cashin.
His next school was Laxey where again he set up a cub pack later to be run by Gordon and then Peter Kniveton. His final career move was to Willaston School but there was already a pack at Willaston (2nd Douglas run by Paddy Bell and Johnny Killen). Jack was awarded the Medal of Merit for his services to scouting. His successor as head of Willaston School was Arthur Taggart, one of his former Air Scouts from 10th Douglas.
As Scoutmaster at 10th Douglas he organised trips to the continent which for Manx lads in those early post war years was quite an experience. When the Chief Scout visited the island in 1949 and indeed on other occasions Jack became the Island’s answer to Ralph Reader in leading the campfire singing. Even after he officially retired from active scouting he kept in touch and in June 2006, at the age of 92, despite his profound deafness and increasing infirmity he gave the eulogy for a former, but younger, teaching colleague and fellow scoutmaster at 10th Douglas. On that occasion he used the opportunity to highlight the benefits of a scouting background in life.
On 22nd February 2007 the Scout Association – Isle of Man launched the Centenary of Scouting with a stamp issue in the Council Chamber of Douglas Town Hall. The guests of honour for the evening were Jack Gair and Victor Kneale, long term pals who were united by their interests in scouting and stamp collecting. Together they cut the Centenary Birthday Cake.
To his devoted wife Edith and his son David and family we extend our sincere condolences.
