Australian Scout Awards recognise initiative of Scouts

A little bit of rain did not dampen the spirits of the 53 Scouts whose remarkable achievements were recognised on the weekend.

Held at Heathcote Scout Camp on Saturday, the Australian Scout Award presentation ceremony recognises those youth members aged 11 to 14 who have completed the requirements to attain the highest honour within the Scout section. Recipients received their certificates from Assistant Chief Commissioner Program Lachie Page to acknowledge the achievement.

ASA Honour Roll

State Commissioner for Scouts Craig Kokay said the award symbolised “years of dedication, commitment and perseverance”.

“Each recipient has demonstrated initiative, leadership, and a genuine commitment to the values and ideals of Scouting,” he said.

“The path to this award is a challenging one – filled with activities that test skills, teamwork, and resilience. It demands the very best of our Scouts and asks them to live by the Scout Promise and Law in everything they do.

“Along the way, there have been adventures, obstacles, and learning experiences. From planning and leading expeditions to undertaking community service, each step has required patience, responsibility, and courage. These are not just Scouting skills – they are life skills, and they form the foundation of the citizens and leaders our Scouts are becoming.”

Scout Alyssa Smith, from 1st Figtree Scout Group in the South Coast and Tablelands Region gave the respondent speech on behalf of the recipients.

“I come from a Scouting family. My Dad is my Leader. My Gran still lives in Heathcote and was on the committee for 1st Heathcote Scout Group. What keeps me – and many of you – in Scouting are the friendships I’ve made, my love of the outdoors, and going on big adventures,” she said.

“I know that the biggest adventure for many of you here was the 26th Australian Jamboree in Maryborough, Queensland, in January this year. What an amazing event. We leapt from The Summit, got coated in mud on Challenge Valley, and took on our friends in esky racing. But even better than that, we had an opportunity to connect with others, learn from diverse perspectives, and broaden our horizons.”

Alyssa said one of the things Scouting gives young people is the ability to learn from challenging situations and determine for themselves the best way to resolve it and move on.

“I also love the lifestyle Scouting gives – doing different things that the normal day-to-day person doesn’t do, like hiking, canoeing, abseiling, and going to school on Monday with 25 mosquito bites on your legs,” she said.

“We have all followed our own path to achieve our peak award, but the main things we have in common are our ability to challenge ourselves to do more; achieve something new; explore the unknown; all while supporting our fellow Scouts and community.

“But we couldn’t have made it this far without the support of so many people. So thank you to our families, our Leaders, our adult helpers, and all those others too numerous to name who helped us to get here and will stick with us into the future.”