Betty Clay

Betty St Clair Clay (née Baden-Powell; 16 April 1917 – 24 April 2004) was the younger daughter of Olave Baden-Powell, the first Chief Guide and Robert Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell, the founder of Scouting. She was the sister of Peter Baden-Powell, 2nd Baron Baden-Powell; the aunt of Robert Baden-Powell, 3rd Baron Baden-Powell, and Michael Baden-Powell, 4th Baron Baden-Powell; the grandmother of murderer, Gerard Baden-Clay; the niece of Agnes Baden-Powell and Baden Baden-Powell; niece and goddaughter of Warington Baden-Powell; and granddaughter of the Rev. Prof. Baden Powell. Career Clay enrolled in the Brownies as soon as she was old enough. She was educated at Westonbirt School, Gloucestershire and St James' School in Malvern, Worcestershire. While boarding at St James' School, she joined the school's Girl Guide company. Clay accompanied her parents on many official tours including some overseas, the first of which was the maiden cruise of the round the Mediterranean and down the West Coast of Africa from 26 January to 8 March 1929; she was 11. Other tours were to Switzerland in 1931, and again in 1932 for the opening of "Our Chalet"; to South Africa, and also the first two "Peace Cruises" - on the in 1933 and on the in 1934 - as well as a round-the-world tour which included the first Australian Pan Pacific Scout Jamboree held in Frankston, Australia from 27 December 1934 to 13 January 1935. They also did a tour of Africa in 1935–36, where she met her husband-to-be on the homeward voyage from Cape Town to England. Upon her marriage in 1936, Clay moved to Northern Rhodesia, where she became a Cub leader for the pack of which her youngest son was a member, when the leader left. She was an active Guider in Northern Rhodesia, eventually becoming Colony Commissioner for Guides. When the Clays returned to England in 1964, Betty continued her involvement. In 1978 she was appointed a vice-president of the Guide Association. In 1985 she became a vice-president of the Scout Association.