The Charlton Kings (7th Cheltenham) Boy Scouts rented the East End Hall as a Head-quarters and meeting hall. I was President of the Troop when they approached the Council with a view to buying it. The Chairman, Mr. Fred Harris, I thought, dealt very fairly with the application. I told the Council that it was the only Youth organisation in the village that had existed so long.
Well, the matter came up and as the discussion started, the Chairman spoke across the table and said, “You are the President of the Troop, I believe”. On replying that I was, he said “Then I must ask you to leave the table. You must declare an interest and take no part in the discussion”. That was rather an amusing surprise for me. Never before or since have I known anyone at a Council Meeting asked to “declare an interest” and retire from the debate.
Extract from Charlton Kings Local History Society Autumn 1988 Volume 20 ‘The Urban District Council’ page 3 Author: George Ryland