Within six weeks of Roland's death, B-P wrote to Lord St. Davis, "We are trying to devise some scheme for a memorial to keep his memory alive among the boys, but we want to make it a living tangible thing with them -such as he would have liked- not a mere statue or cross, but some scheme for helping them to follow his example in their own lives." B-P realised that any scheme should be launched as soon as possible. It was essential to begin with the boys who knew Roland and not to delay until some unspecified future date when the war was over and then start coldly among new boys.

Thus it was on October 8, 1916 -a mere three months after Roland's death- that a meeting of friends took place at his house in Stepney. Those present were H. Geoffrey Elwes (Editor of SCOUTING's forerunner, the "Headquarters Gazette"), Miss Ann Hewat (who had been Roland's governess and of whom he had written "Consult Miss Hewat. She knows my views."), Matthew Brickdale, F. R. Hoare, R. W. Pinchback and P. B. Nevill, Acting Commissioner for East London.