The Scout Gold Award is typically completed by Scouts before they move on to explorers. In make up it is consistent with the Duke of Edinburgh Bronze award and is often recognized by the D of E system. Each year we have a small handful of scouts who have completed the necessary components, typically a year ahead of the Bronze D of E award is undertaken.

Scouts taking part manage their progress through the different elements with guidance from the scout leaders. Some of the skills activities are typically undertaken outside of the regular scouting sessions. We cover a large part of the outdoors challenge award at our annual summer and winter camps. We also help to create some of the volunteering opportunities although some of these must be organised by the individual themselves.

Expedition

Part of the award involves an expedition which takes place over two days and requires the scouts to plan and walk a 10km hike on each day. The Scouts camp overnight under the provisions of an activity passport which allows them to camp unsupervised overnight although the leaders camp adjacent to be on hand for any disasters. The Scouts plan the route, plan their food and cook and clean up themselves. June typically sees a bunch of 4th EFS Scouts, armed with food, equipment and routes of their own choosing navigating Epping Forest under the provision of a Scout overnight passport which allows the Scouts to be independent of the Scout leaders (although we do track them at defined checkpoints on the route and at the overnight camp location)

  • Scouts cook for themselves
  • A compass is so useful !
  • Dinner
  • Emergency map-reading refresher
  • Let’s do this …
  • We’re off !

The key elements of the award

  1. Earn six activity or staged activity badges of your choice. They could be badges you gain outside of your normal meetings or ones you’ve achieved through your programme.
  2. Complete the nine challenge awards. These are:
    • World Challenge Award
    • Skills Challenge Award
    • Creative Challenge Award
    • Outdoors Challenge Award
    • Adventure Challenge Award
    • Expedition Challenge Award
    • Teamwork Challenge Award
    • Team Leader Challenge Award
    • Personal Challenge Award

These are detailed out further in the Gold Award 3 Year Plan page

Personal Challenge

Take a look at these videos to help you with the self completion elements of the nine Challenge Awards. Watch the video below for a summary of the badge requirements, choose a challenge, check it out with leaders using the ‘badges’ email address above, then download the Personal Challenge form to write up your challenge and get it signed off.