Scouting is about being prepared, challenging yourself to achieve, supporting your community and growing through real life experiences. Young people aged between 5 – 26 engage in Scouting programs and opportunities to challenge themselves to be better, to serve and to contribute on a local, national, and international level.
Along the way friendships are made, memories are created, and unique skills are developed, and it is through the bonds of friendship that the 1st Ballan Scout Group has witnessed a unique achievement. Within the 5 sections of the Scouting Association there is a Peak Award. A path that allows an individual to grow socially, physically, intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually as a character through exploration, discovery, and enhanced experiential education.
The Australian Scout Award is the Peak Award for youth aged between 11 – 15. Through the delivery of adventurous, fun, challenging and inclusive programs created and lead by Scouts, the Australian Scout Award helps elevate a Scout to learn new skills, connect with the outdoors, enhance friendships, and contribute to creating a better world.
Achieving the Australian Scout Award is not about receiving a badge it's about the personal growth that has occurred through leadership, teamwork, initiative, tenacity, and dedication.
The Australian Scout Award helps create youth direction and begins to define leadership.
Achieving my Australian Scout Award means a lot, as it is a reminder of my journey through Scouts and highlights all the adventures I’ve experienced, the fun I’ve had and the friends I’ve made.
The Australian Scout Award to me means a journey that is meant to be achieved by friends, friends that will always have my back and will be my Scout family forever. I also see it as a great achievement that will be recognised throughout my life. The Australian Scout Award is also a growing opportunity, I've learnt a lot about myself and I have grown so much as a person because of this journey. I am proud to have achieved the Australian Scout Award and especially proud to have done it with my friends.
Through the bonds of friendship, a unique group of 6 Scouts have supported, challenged, and inspired each other to travel their own path towards the Australian Scout Award with all of them completing the requirements and successfully being informed that they have each individually achieved the award. While it is a remarkable personal achievement, what makes their friendship special is each individual Scout was willing to delay their own personal recognition as they continued to support each other to complete the requirements so that they could celebrate success together and motivate others within 1st Ballan to become the best they can be.
Receiving this award gave me the confidence to take on the world. Going through the process of achieving the Peak Award showed me many things about myself and the way I take on challenges. The Australian Scout Award means that I have developed and adopted many skills, it means that I have pushed myself to my limits and beyond. And it means that I should be proud of the person I am becoming.
Throughout their Australian Scout Award journey these six Scouts along with other 1st Ballan Scouts have explored the Great Ocean Walk, the South Coast Walk, a variety of National Parks including the Brisbane Ranges, Wilsons Promontory, Little Desert and the Grampians, ridden the O’Keefe Rail Trail, paddled along the Glenelg River, rockclimbed in the Grampians, Brisbane Ranges, Cathedral Ranges, Mt Macedon and at Mt Arapiles. They have also attended Jamborees in Tailem Bend, South Australia and Elmore Victoria, tested their skills at statewide Scouting Events like Stadbroke & Scout Hike where competing with over 1,000 Scouts successfully achieve Gold Awards on regular occasions. However, while they hiked, camped, rode, paddled and climbed through a variety of stunning locations they also worked locally supporting the Ballan Community House Steptoes Op-Shop, delivered firewood for the Moorabool Shire, supported the RSL during ANZAC Day Dawn Services and Parades, assisted the Ballan Farmers Market, learnt about the Ballan CFA and helped the Ballan Autumn Festival and Ballan CWA.
To me the Australian Scout Award is proof that hard work pays off and that if you're willing to work for something, anything is possible. However, more importantly, it is a reminder of a life full of memories and friendship with some of the most valuable people in my life who I hope to never have to leave.
It feels like the culmination of ten years of adventure and fun, from Joeys through to Scouts. My Australian Scout Award is a symbol of the experience I have had and the lessons I have learned along the way. Completing this has given me experiences that I would not otherwise have had.
The 1st Ballan Scout Group also has a special connection with the 2nd Glenroy Scout Group, a group of wheelchair youth engaged in Scouting. Lead by the 6 Australian Scout Awardees, over the years the Glenroy Scouts have been actively engaged in outdoor adventure activities that together have seen the Ballan & Glenroy Scouts abseil, canoe, orienteer, construct, camp, bushwalk, sail, engage in community service, complete a high ropes course, enjoy archery and complete badgework together.
Congratulations to the six Scouts on their achievement. Through perseverance, dedication, determination, and friendship they have succeeded and now look forward to further service, growth, adventure, fun and challenge together within the Venturer Section of Scouting ... their adventure through live has only just begun.
The Australian Scout Award is an achievement to me that represents how I put effort into the things I enjoy. Scouts has created some of my best life moments, challenging me, building life skills, making lifelong friends and relationships, and pushing me to put in some effort and achieve something. My Australian Scout Award will serve to me as a lifelong reminder of these amazing times, and how I can work to do great things.
