In 1917 the Avonside Troop were selected to provide a Guard of Honour for the Lady Liverpool (Wife of the then Governor General - Arthur Foljambe, Earl of Liverpool).  In 1918 they were selected again, twice, to provide Guards of Honour to their Excellencies the Lord and Lady Liverpool. 

The Lady obviously made quite an impact on the Boys & their Chief Scoutmaster at the time, Don M. Brown, and the later sent a letter to Lady Liverpool requesting humbly that the Troop be renamed in Her honour.  This letter was, it seems, intercepted by one Gavin M. Hamilton, the Private Secretary of Government House.  He redirected it to LT. Colonel Cossgrove (Scouting NZ's Chief Commissioner) and presumably had something to say about common Scoutmasters daring to deal directly with the Lady.  Lt. Col. Cossgrove replied, in a letter dated 20^th September 1918, acknowledging the breach of protocol - but he backed Scoutmaster Brown up stating, "He is a most enthusiastic worker and he thinks of his boys first and himself afterwards".  He them went on to endorse the application to Lady Liverpool.

Lady Liverpool consented to the name change, and the Troop became "The Avonside Troop - Lady Liverpool's Own".  In 1920 (The last year of Lord Liverpool's tenure as Governor General of NZ), the Lady presented a fine silver cup to the Troop ("known as the Lady Liverpool Cup") which was for competition amongst the Boys.  This cup is still in possession of St. Matthew's LLO today, although it is beginning to show its age and is no longer competed for.

We are still missing the section of history around 1920 that will detail the title being bestowed upon the troop, along with the presentation of the Lady Liverpool Cup.  Despite the scrapbooks covering the year in question, no reference to any ceremony or presentation was found.

One interesting point to note is the use of the term "Avonside Troops" in the signing of the letter.  This could indicate that the Avonside Troop was quite large at this time.  What happened to so many boys between 1918 and 1921 when they first approached St. Matthew's?  Did some stay with the Linwood Troop, which they were sharing meeting rooms with?  Did some depart the troop to join the newly formed Holy Trinity Troop at Avonside?  As time goes by it becomes less and less likely we will find out - but the search for answers will continue.

The letter from Scoutmaster Brown (as shown attached) reads:

GROCERY DEPARTMENT,
N.Z. FARMERS' CO-OP,
CHRISTCHURCH,
17th July 1918.

To

     The Right Honourable,

            THE COUNTESS OF LIVERPOOL,

 

I am writing these few lines to you to see if it would please your Excellency to grant me a very great favour.

In December of 1917, The Avonside Boy Scout Troop furnished a Guard of Honour to your Excellency, when you bestowed your patronage at the Ladies Swimming Carnival held at the Municipal Baths.

We were again asked to post a Guard of Honour when your Excellencies visited the Red Cross Carnival at Woolston in January 1918.

The next time we were privileged to be of service in furnishing a Guard of Honour was when your Excellencies opened the Fete held at the Rhodes Convalescent Home, Cashmere Hills in March 1918.

Now when reviewing past events the Avonside Troop has been associated so much with your Excellency whilst in the execution of your duties of labours of love, it would indeed be looked upon as a very great and high honour if you could see your way clear to bestow on this Troop one of your Excellency's most favourite names.  For example:-

Avonside Boy Scout Troop (Countess of Liverpool's Own.) or any other favourite name your Excellency commands the Troop to be honoured with.

I have the honour to be your humble and obedient servant.

    Don. M. Brown

        Chief Scoutmaster,

            AVONSIDE TROOPS

Note: In the National Library Archives in Wellington there are a number of scrapbooks that belonged to the Lady Liverpool (most likely kept by her staff).  In the back of one of them the letter above was found which explains how the 'Lady Liverpool's Own' title was originally considered for the Avonside Troop.  Attached to this with an old steel pin was the second letter, from Colonel Cossgrove.  Thank goodness these were kept as they provide a valuable insight into the way things were done (or the way it was thought that things should be done) back then.