Kris explains what it was like to collect his Queen’s Scout Award and what he did to achieve the highest youth award in Scouting.
One of the best things about this presentation was hearing about how the Scouts and Explorer Scouts achieved their awards. I was really impressed with hearing these stories and it made me think about my achievements when I was their age. Weird as it may be, I gained a lot of my Scout awards when we wore dark green scout shirts, black trousers, and carried around handbooks the size of reading folders. In those days the scout awards were recognised but never really celebrated – well at least within the Scout groups I was in at the time.
Nowdays we really do take the time to applaude our young people in achieving Chief Scouts Awards. In my opinion this is a very good thing!
It took me 4 years to gain my award. Why so long? Well this is because I am an active volunteer within Scouting. I had actually completed my award whilst doing various projects.
So what are the requirements?
To gain this Award the following requirements must be completed:
- Be a member of Explorer Scouts or the Scout Network or both for at least 18 months. This can include any time counted for the Chief Scout’s Platinum or Diamond Awards.
- Complete 18 nights away as an Explorer Scout or member of the Scout Network, of which 12 must be camping. This may include any nights counted for the Chief Scout’s Platinum or Diamond Awards.
- Complete two activities from the list of International, Environment and Values activities. These should be different activities from the Chief Scout’s Platinum and Diamond Awards and not from the same area.
- Hold the Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, or complete the five Queen’s Scout Award Challenges, which are:
- take up a Skill for 6 or 12 months, and show progress and lasting interest. The skill can be an existing interest or something entirely new
- take up a Physical Activity for 6 or 12 months, completing an agreed programme of taking part and achievement
- provide Service to an individual or the community for 12 months. Briefing and training should be given in order to gain the necessary skills. This many include helping with another Section as a Young Leader
- complete a four day and three night expedition in open or adventurous country by foot, cycle, horse, canoe, boat or dinghy. The expedition should involve careful preparation, training, responsibility and review
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complete a five day and four night residential project in an unfamiliar environment with people who are not known. This project should be environmental work, activity based, service to others or personal training
- Following completion of the first four elements of the Award make a presentation, to a suitable audience, of your achievements so far in working towards the Queen’s Scout Award.
All Members should complete twelve months in either the Physical Activity or the Skill. Explorer Scouts and members of the Scout Network who are not holders of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Silver Award or the Chief Scout’s Diamond Award must complete an extra six months in either the Service or the longer of the Skills or Physical Recreation Challenge.
To find out more about how to complete the Queen’s Scout Award, go to: http://www.scouts.org.uk/supportresources/search/?cat=8,194,347
Hi Kris,
It’s fantastic to see how you have managed to achieve this. I’m working on my award myself – can you tell me what you did as I’m looking for some inspiration – I’m sure other people would really appreciate this too!
Thanks,
Rupert
1st Watford explorer scouts
Hi Rupert,
Thank you for your comments and I thnk it’s great that you are working towards your Queens Scout Award!
I will have to come clean and say that I did not plan to complete my Queen’s Scout Award. What do I mean? Well for the last 5 years I have been so actively involved in developing young people and doing projects like running camps, taking part in national events, helping to lead the County Network as Chair – I sort of left myself out. My County Scout Network Commissioner was the one who approached me by saying that I completed the Queen’s Scout Award through all the things I got involved in or worked on for the last 5 years. If you do the Queen’s Scout Award in this fashion, the challenges you faced previously was a challenge. I didn’t feel completely comfortable about this so I opted to look at how I can add further challenge in more recent examples.
For my International Challenges:
1. I ran a series of evenings with my Explorer Scouts looking at International Cultures and Scouting. This in turn completed Module 19 in my Adult Leader Training.
2. A while ago I went to Switzerland for 2 weeks with an Explorer Unit from Yorkshire, this included a 4 night / 5 day expedition over an area of terrain near Kanderstag. We also met up with a local Scout Group to share some cultural experiences by learning about their country, their group history, and getting involved in a range of activities.
For my Values:
1. For my Explorer unit I ran a series of programme to explore the values of Scouting, the Scout Law, and what this meant to them. The result was to create a new Unit Charter to establish how the unit was governed, what is our agreed expectations of behaviour, and how we were going to help the local community.
2.At this years District Camp for Salisbury and South Wilts, I helped plan and run a section of Scouts Own related to the theme of the Olympics, the meaning behind the event representing respect, friendship, integrity, and togetherness. This was followed by a moment of prayer which I asked one of the Scouts to read to the Group.
For my Environmental:
1. At last years summer camp for the 8th Salisbury Scout Troop to Wales, we organised a visit to a local steam railway museum. We spent the day helping the museum clear debris, fallen branches, checking the railway track for defects, replacing fences to ensure nature was protected from walking on to the railway and preserving a point of historic interest. We were thanked by the local community action group for helping them preserve the area.
2. A series of programmes for Centurion Wolf Explorers was put together relating to a current pollution crisis relating to the burst underwater oil pipe on a BP rig in the Atlantic Ocean. I got the Explorer Scouts to look at the environmental issues of the crisis, the political issues, and then to research solutions on how to minimise the environmental impact of the oil spill in a UN style meeting. This was done over 3 or 4 meetings.
Then I completed the Queen’s Scout Award Challenges:
Skill:
In 2009, I took lessons in learning how to drive a car for 6 months. I found this particularly difficult as I was very inexperienced and a nervous driver. After 3 attempts, I passed my practical test and have since gained significant experience in driving a car. In addition to the learning and to build up experience/confidence, I decided to take lessons in driving in wet weather, snow, and ice conditions. Overall this has made me a more confident and safer driver.
Physical Activity:
In 2010, I trained and became qualified as an Instructor in the sport of Archery. I am currently registered with GNAS (GB Archery) and I regularly instruct sessions to new students in Scouting and at local archery clubs/events. Over time I have learned 6 different forms of Archery and I have specialised my skills in Longbow and recurve Archery. I have also taken part in local and County competitions as a participant and an official. I have improved my skills as an Archer for over 2 years and can shoot to a club standard.
Service:
I have been an Explorer Scout Leader for 4 years and I have been an active member of the County Team on a number of events, workgroups, planning committees and local projects. I have also represented the movement on a number of occasions to Wiltshire Youth Council as an adult volunteer. I have also recently been given the opportunity to work on a National Project Team as a national volunteer based on my experience to develop scouting for young people. I have also shown progression of my skills through completion of the Adult Training Scheme, gaining my section leaders Woodbadge.
Residential:
In 2007, I helped as a member of Staff at the World Scout Jamboree in Chelmsford – Highlands Park. I was a member of the service team acting general staff which involved a range of jobs that needed to be done round the various sites. This lasted 7 days and 7 nights. This year, I was Sub Camp Manager within Zeus Sub Camp for BrumJam (7day/7nights).
Expedition:
As an Network Scout in 2010, I participated in a 4 day/3 night expedition on foot, walking through unfamiliar, open terrain within New Forest. We planned to cover 50 miles travelling site to site. The objective of the expedition was to help 2 Queen Scout Members from another county achieve their expedition section of the award. On day 1 we started in Ferny Crofts Campsite and hiked a route of 13 miles to Foxlease Guide Camp. Day 2 we left Foxlease to head to a Forestry Commission site in the north of our position 13 miles away. Day 3 we hiked south of the forest back to Foxlease – another 13 miles. Day 4 we hiked back in to Ferny Crofts back along the original route on Day 1. We kept a log of our journey and took photos of our expedition to present back to our Explorer Unit. Although this was some time ago, this was a challenge for me at the time.
BUT A BIG NOTE FOR THIS TYPE OF EXPEDITION: We specifically planned the routes to not head into villages or towns to make the expedition as remote and open as possible.
For my QSA presentation:
I presented what I did back to my local Network Unit. It was an overview of what I did to achieve the award and was a little nerve racking for me. But I did it!
In my opinion, like all awards in Scouting – its all about achieving and realising your personal best. My QSA is perhaps not as adventurous as a Scout who goes to another country to do their expedition or to experience anoter culture. But this award for me was challenging and enabled me to achieve my personal best whilst learning a lot about myself and gaining new and unique experiences. That’s is what the Queen’s Scout Award is all about!
I hope this answers your question – and let me know what your planning to do with your QSA.
Kris