‘Education for Social Change’ has been the purpose of the Folk since its inception nearly a century
ago. Yet how it envisaged achieving that purpose has changed over time. Whilst many of the
practical activities – notably camping and international exchanges – have remained the same, how
they are envisaged and carried out have been modified not only to respond to changing times, but
also to achieve changed educational priorities.

Rich Palser recently self-published a book which looked at the Folk’s approach to ‘Education for
Social Change’ in the inter-war years, and argues that a major change took place in its educational
goals and methods during these years. ‘I only became aware of how eugenics had influenced the
early Folk at the turn of this century, despite growing up in the Folk from my birth in 1952. I can
remember Folk leaders when I was a teenager who had led the Folk in the inter-war years – people
like Basil Rawson and Teddy Hawkes – and who had joined in the 1930s like Margaret White. At the
age of 16 I was helping my brother run a Pioneer group, and using Rawson’s Woodcraft Way as a
text book for doing so – and I had a very different understanding of how the Folk sought to bring
about social change than that which I discovered in the Folk archives when researching my book’

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This event offers an opportunity for older Folk members to share their memories on how they
understood the Folk’s educational role in the post-war years. It will also provide an opportunity to
ask questions or comment on Rich’s interpretation of the changes in the Folk’s approach prior to the
war.