The district learnt of the passing of Henry Tompkin on the 29th of May 2020. Henry was a member of Scouting for many years and will be greatly missed throughout the district. Henry played many vital roles throughout scouting for the years as has been written by Ivor Jordan below.
Mr. Henry W. Tompkin
I first knew Henry in 1956, when he was a Senior Scout with the 14th Rotherham Scout Group, based in Kimberworth.
In 1957 he was a member of the contingent representing the local area at the World Scout Jamboree held at Sutton Park, Sutton Coalfield.
In 1958 Henry was called up for National Service, and became a Warranted Scout Leader with the Cub Scout Section (then the Wolf Cubs).
After Teacher Training, Henry returned to Rotherham and helped with different Scout Groups until, in 1980, he became Scout Leader at Whiston, then the Group Scout Leader in 1989, and then Group Chairman from 2003 until the Group closed in 2007.
Henry played a large part in Scouting in Rotherham, being involved with the interviewing of potential new Leaders from 2004, and with Leader Training. For many years he was a member of the Rotherham District Scout Council’s Executive Committee and became its Secretary in 2013 until the present.
Henry was awarded the Medal of Merit in 1995 and the Silver Acorn in 2008 followed by the 50 year long service award in 2012, and the Bar to the Silver Acorn in 2015.
In 2011 Henry wrote a book on the history of Scouting in Rotherham to celebrate the centenary of the Rotherham District Scout Council.
In 2016 he joined the Rotherham District Scout Active Support Unit at its inauguration.
Henry will be greatly missed by the Scouting Family in and around Rotherham.
Ivor A. Jordan
Rotherham District Scout Active Support Unit
