Chief Scout’s Gold Awards Ceremony.

The Scouts did their best!

On Saturday, I had the honour and pleasure to attend the Chief Scout’s Gold Awards presentation of the Surrey Scouts at the Aldridge Theatre near Farnham.

The Chief Scout’s Gold Award is the highest award in the Scout Section (aged 11-14 years’ old). The Award requires the scouts to complete nine different Challenge areas: World, Skills, Creative, Outdoors, Adventure, Expedition, Teamwork, Team Leadership and Personal.  As well as completing each of those nine challenges, the scouts need to gain six activity badges in areas of their own choice.  

Completing the programme is a true feat. It was therefore a great pleasure to present this prestigious award to an impressive 34 young scouts and to chat to them about their enjoyment of being part of the Surrey Scouts. The camps seem to be the most popular activity and I was told exciting tales of building campfires, kayaking, climbing and lots of fun games.

There will not be many people who have achieved what these young people have gained over the past few months and years. It will make them stand out – in a good way! Teenagers normally do not want to be “different” and just want to blend in, but “being different” in this regard is a bonus – now and in a later life.