|
|
 |
| |
Tony Frais |
Scout Tony made organisation inclusive for all
TONY Frais, who died on October 17 aged 85, will be remembered for his outstanding service to the local community.
Tony was educated at Peterborough Lodge Prep School in Hampstead and the Tonbridge School in Kent. He served in the merchant navy during the war and then became retail managing director in a large business concern comprising shops and manufacturing.
Tony decided to take early retirement from this company in order to concentrate on his many social interests.
He was appointed chairman of the Camden Youth Committee and also played a leading part in the management of the Tonbridge Youth Club in King’s Cross, which helped the under-privileged children. Scouting, however, became his main enthusiasm.
For many years Tony was Akela for the 8th Tawny Cub Pack, which was attached to the Hall School. The 8th Scout group, in which his wife, Barbara, and son, Ian, were also leaders, offered a range of activities second to none. When Tony became the district commissioner of Hampstead Scouts he was determined to make the benefits of Scouting available to less well-off children. He was awarded the prestigious “Silver Wolf” by the Chief Scout for his contribution to “Scoutreach”.
Tony had introduced Scouting to children living in high-rise flats in the Swiss Cottage area. He had an uncanny knack of persuading the most unlikely people that they too had a part to play in Hampstead Scouting.
Tony was also a very talented musician and composer and had produced a number of shows featuring Scouts and Guides. He wanted to do something very different to the traditional Gang Show and was aware that my brother David and I had written comedy material for both radio and TV.
We were “commissioned” to write a play with gaps for Tony’s catchy songs, written to order, to further the action of the story.
Summer Camp, staged at the UCS theatre, followed. It was such a success that later Scout HQ invited Tony to produce the show, with an all-London cast, at Baden Powell House.
There were three further such shows, all of which were revived in future years. It was Tony who convinced the BBC that Scouting should be included in the popular BBC2 series Open Door.
In 1998 Tony was presented with a Camden Good Citizen award for “exceptional service to the community”.
He stepped down as district commissioner and was then able to indulge in other hobbies, particularly sailing and walking.
Sadly, Tony suffered multiple injuries in a serious road accident, which led to long periods in hospital and indirectly to his untimely death.
He will be sorely missed by his family and his many friends.
PETER A LUND |
 |
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
