Perseverance rewarded with peak awards

Annaliese Healey – Normanhurst Scout Group

For Annaliese, receiving her King’s Scout Award was the completion of a journey walked by others in her family.

“Both my parents and my grandfather achieved their Queen’s Scout Award,” she said.

“My parents’ Queen’s Scout Awards have always been hanging on the wall at home, so I have been aware of the award for as long as I can remember. While I always knew of Mum and Dad’s awards, I never felt pressured to pursue the peak award myself, but rather encouraged and supported.

“It has been really special having the support of my family as I worked towards my King’s Scout Award. They understood the challenges, the time and effort required and were always there to support me. It was particularly nice having my grandfather as part of the support team for my Adventurous Journey, helping with transport and water drops.”

Annaliese decided to do a canoe trip in Myall Lakes National Park for her Adventurous Journey. Over the four days, she and her Patrol paddled 44.2km in various weather, from cold days with constant rain to beautiful sunny days.

“I decided to do a canoe trip over a hike as I enjoy being out on the water, it was something different to what most people in my Unit have done, it allowed me to challenge myself in areas that I was interested in and it helped others in my Unit to develop skills,” she said.

“The funniest part of the journey was the water drops were done by a family member who had dressed up in an inflatable dinosaur costume and chased us! Then, when we arrived at the finish point, we were greeted by both the dinosaur and a unicorn.

“This journey taught me so much about perseverance and how to adapt plans when things don’t go as planned. Also, that humour can help uplift a group after long and tough days.”

Annaliese was also determined to make Scouts accessible to everyone, particularly the bigger events. She created sensory kits for Scouts at the Australian Jamboree in Maryborough, Queensland in January.

"It took about a month to put the kit together as I had to talk with different people about it, do research on sensory kits, purchase all the items then put them into bags. There were lots of different fidget toys, soft toys, flip sequin pillow, weighted animal, drawing, colouring and activity books, pencils, bubbles, playdough, visual timers, ear muffs and disposable earplugs," she said.

William Raymond – 1st Balmoral Scout Group

Snow, water, and air - William tackled it all to achieve his peak award.

He embraced everything Scouts had to offer to achieve his King’s Scout Award.

“Skiing since Cub Scouts was definitely a standout part of my Scouting journey,” he said.

“I still remember staying at the Scouts NSW Alpine Activity Centre at Jindabyne and learning how to handle all sorts of snow conditions. Being in a Sea Scout Unit also made things a bit different, as we did loads of kayaking instead of just hiking. It meant I developed skills on both snow and water and got to have a great time doing it.”

William said he enjoyed focusing on things he was passionate about.“I explored how to hike more sustainably, which really changed how I approach the outdoors,” he said.

“I also taught aviation basics to my Scout Unit, which was a great way to share my love of flying. One of the more unique things was doing aircraft videography – filming and editing aviation content to share online. It tied in well with my flight training and helped me connect with the broader community in a creative way.

“At one point in my Adventurous Journey, part of my Patrol’s planned track was closed, which could’ve thrown things off, but we kept our heads level, worked together to reroute safely, and still made it to our sleep spot on time. It was a good reminder that staying calm and thinking clearly makes all the difference.”

Adam Spencer – 2nd Orange Venturer Scout Unit

Adam Spencer must not have a fear of heights, after exploring verticality to achieve his peak award.

The former 2nd Orange Scout Group Venturer Scout developed a love for adventurous activities, particularly canyoning, abseiling and caving, a passion which he has continued as a Rover Scout at 1st Figtree Rover Scout Unit.

Adam and fellow 2nd Orange Scout Group Venturer Scout Archie Casey were proud to receive their King’s Scout Awards. The pair made a significant contribution to the Group, taking charge of the management of the database for recording the achievements of the Venturer Scout Unit.

Adam said he had learned a variety of skills while working towards his peak award.

“I have learnt personal skills, such as resilience, leadership, mentoring and an appreciation for nature,” he said.

“Through the ethics and values I have learnt through Scouts, I have given back to my community, like helping to clean up the town after a flood. I have also explored a lot of the vertical stream in our Outdoor Adventure Skills.

“I have done many canyons throughout the Blue Mountains and been caving mainly in Wee Jasper. Through these experiences I have developed my own skills enabling me to continue these activities outside of Scouts.”

Adam said his Adventurous Journey was more of a challenge than he was expecting.

“I took my Patrol of four to the Warrumbungles, where we did half the Grand High Tops Walk counter-clockwise. After reaching Exmouth, we proceeded south to Gunneemooroo,” he said.

“In the planning for the hike, I did not take into account the elevation as much as I should have and had to cut out some extra paths from my route plan. Overall, it was a success and a really enjoyable experience.”