| StorageSite | UCL Institute of Education |
| Description | Please note that some of our collections contain material that is discriminatory, harmful, or offensive. In some cases, outdated terminology has been quoted directly from the material in order to provide an accurate representation in the catalogue, such as titles of published works. The language, attitudes, and ideas within this material do not reflect the current views of UCL. Outdated terms in the catalogue should appear in quotation marks, and modern-language equivalent terms may be included alongside in square brackets. This is continuous work and we are committed to updating and assessing descriptions. If you have any suggestions or come across anything we have missed, please contact us library@ucl.ac.uk.
YMA/WF: papers of the Woodcraft Folk, 1910-1975, including yearbooks and annual reports, 1928-1973; administrative material, 1930-1972, notably agenda and minutes of National Delegate Conferences, the National Folk Council and its various committees, membership details, and financial papers such as account books, paysheets and correspondence; general correspondence, 1929-1972, on subjects including the Public Order Act, Folk organisation during World War Two, conscientious objection, and the organisation of campsites; material concerning teaching undertaken by the Folk, 1938-1956, notably papers concerning National Training Camps, tests and badges; correspondence and papers concerning the National Folkhouse, 1938-1958; publications and propaganda, [1926-1965], also including song sheets, play scripts, draft articles and newspaper cuttings; correspondence and papers concerning relations with other organisations, 1929-1972, notably the Co-operative Union; material relating to international activities, 1931-1975, including correspondence with international youth groups, participation in international children's camps and European conferences; papers relating to local Woodcraft Folk groups, 1924-1973; papers of individual Folk, [1925-1975]; photographs of Folk activities, 1938-1971; printed materials and periodicals, 1910-1973. (114 boxes)
YMA/WF/M3121: Vagari Lodge papers
YMA/WF/2003 (accessions M3199 (now YMA/WF/361) and M3204): Additional papers of the Woodcraft Folk, including minutes, annual reports, correspondence, publications, photographs, c1929-c1989 (80 boxes)
YMA/WF/2005 (accession M3293): Papers of the Woodcraft Folk: Mount Pleasant Group, 1970s (1 box)
Relationship with the International Falcon Movement (IFM) - Basial Rawson was a member of their international committee. |
| AdminHistory | The Woodcraft Folk broke away from the Kibbo Kift and founded their own group in 1925. They were mainly composed of the South London Co-operative Groups who withdrew from the Kibbo Kift Kindred in 1924. Although they continued with the same principles of woodcraft training and recapitulation they were a more democratic group with an international outlook. They were closely associated with the Co-operative Movement and a member of the International Falcon Movement and the Socialist Educational International and many of the early records reflect discussion on these relationships and political alignments. The group is still in existence. |
| CustodialHistory | Originally part of the Youth Movement Archive (YMA) at London School of Economics (LSE). The Youth Movement Archive was established in 1973 at University College, Cardiff. The archives of the Kibbo Kift Kindred, the Green Shirt Movement and the Social Credit Party were placed in the College Library in 1978, with a further deposit in [1982]. The papers of the Woodcraft Folk were deposited by them in 1978. Papers of C J Hunt were deposited in 1982 by his executors and the Douglas Literary Trust. The entire Youth Movement Archive was transferred to the British Library of Political and Economic Science in 1984, with further material being given in 1986 and 1987. Further material was deposited by the Kibbo Kift Foundation in 1986 and 1989, and by C A Tacey in 1988. The archives making up the YMA were disaggregated in 2008 into separate collections in order to facilitate their management and promotion.
The Woodcraft Folk Archive was then transferred from LSE to the Institute of Education Archives in 2018. |