Harry Merriman, from 2nd Stamford Town Scouts, shares his thoughts on scouting during the pandemic:
The Chief Scout Gold Award is the highest award possible as a scout and is the badge which many hope to achieve before they finish their time as a scout. Recently George Stevenson and James Burrows, of 2nd Stamford Town Scouts, completed their last challenge badge.
To complete the award every scout must finish six skills badges, for example aeronautics or time on the water, and all of the nine challenge badges - outdoors, creativity, team leadership, skills, expedition, adventure, world, personal and teamwork).
George, 14, said: “The Chief Scout Gold Award is hard to get, but there are some hard parts and some easy parts.
“The easiest part is just to turn up every week and try your hardest to achieve what the leaders want you to do.
“I found the hardest part was the personal challenge badge because you need to do something that you struggle with. For me it was to present in front of people.
“My favourite part was doing the expedition because we had the same responsibility as adults and a great time, even if it did go a bit wrong.
“Overall, the award is a great thing to work up to over your time at scouts and was good fun.”
Scouting has been extremely different during the pandemic and the award has become even more difficult to achieve.
Yet through all of this, leaders across the country have been working harder than ever to help those working towards badges and awards to be able to achieve this huge milestone.
Meetings have all been organised on Zoom, virtual camps have been put on and events were run over the internet, all through the amazing voluntary work done by all of our fantastic scouting leaders.
James, 13, said: “When lockdown started I had almost half of my gold award completed.
“During lockdown I found it harder because I had schoolwork to do and scouts were only meeting by Zoom. However, the leaders would give you support and ideas on Zoom meetings.
“We had to try to work around the pandemic to complete badges.”
Through the pandemic I have also been working towards achieving my Gold Award.
I would like to thank our exceptional leaders at 2nd Stamford Scouts as it is only through their hard work and dedication that I have been able to learn the skills required to work towards this huge achievement, even through the pandemic.
First published in the Stamford Mercury
