What is it, and what is it about? (Duke Of Edinburgh Award)

Member Name: billy-goldring

Product:	Duke Of Edinburgh Award
Date:	22/03/03 (476 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Shows commendable qualities, Quite fun, really., Satisfying when it is done.

Disadvantages: Hiking

During the topsy turvy time of one's adolcescent teenage years, a complication to be chucked in the Duke of Edinburgh Award. It is a scheme for school pupils, and for people up to the age of 25 (the cut off point), which challenges various aspects of your character. Basically, you do what you are told to, and at the end you get a certificate, and can put it on your university application. So what do you have to do?

The award focuses on three main areas. These are skill, service and physical activity. There are three levels available - bronze, silver and gold. Bronze takes a minimum of six months to complete, silver twelve and gold eighteen (months). If you have already done one and wish to move up, the time periods are decreased. Those three areas, then. Take the bronze award, for example. You are required to do each area for three months, one hour a week, and then a further three months on one of your choice. So, for silver, six months of each and a further six of one. So, what can you have to do for each one?

Skill. There are almost unlimited possibilities for this. Here are a few. Candlemaking, car maintenance, chess, circus skills, collecting coins (yes, it counts!), go karting, marksmanship, pottery, rug making, wine making, woodwork. Loads. Personally, I play the violin in an orchestra each week. This is an easy section to carry out.

Service. The possibilities for this are divided into categories. Helping people in the community, emergency services, environmental service, fundraising, rescue service and safety training. This area is designed to make you feel you are contributing to your local region, or the community as a whole.

Physical recreation. Easy. Sport. Archery, climbing, cricket, fencing, football, judo, netball, rugby, skiing, swimming, ultimate frisbee (yes!), weightlifting, yoga. Again, very easy. I play golf. This allows three hour slots at atime, so it is only necessary to play once every three weeks to fu
lfil the criteria.

There is one further part of the award. Expeditions. Two practices, then the assessed walk. This is like camping. You walk in groups, for six - eight hours a day, then set up a tent, cook food on a tiny stove, then sleep. You wake up, cook again, pack up and walk again. The length of each expedition varies between bronze, silver and gold, but they are between two and five days. The main thing is that you are self dependant. You carry what you need. You must plan your route, and there are checkpoints where teachers may or may not turn up to make sure you are on track and not dead.

That is just about it. You take time to complete the various sections, and the person responsible for you at each activity signs a book to prove you have been there. Then you go walking.

Finally, is it worth the effort. Having just got back from and recovered from one such expedition, I am tempted to say no. But I really feel it shows commendable qualities in a person. It looks great on university applications. And really, it is a bit of a laugh. Okay, my feet are sore, I got no sleep in my tent and aching shoulders from carrying my rucksack. But how pleased was I with myself when it was finished. Give it a go.

Summary: