The Duke Of Edinburgh Award Scheme

Introduction

The award scheme can play a vital role in the development of young people, to prepare them for work, society and to release their own potential. It is an important tool that we as Leaders can use in our training programmes throughout the year to make the opportunities for personal achievement more readily available.

The scheme is intended to help young people and provide a source of introduction of leisure activities and voluntary service that the young people find challenging and rewarding, as well as give their Leaders the guidelines upon which to base their development.

It is not about being the best, fittest or fastest at a particular sport or activity, but the Award is flexible enough to allow all young people to participate and achieve goals that they once thought impossible. Through gaining the awards, our young people can develop the skills such as

Leadership, Commitment, Self-Confidence, Initiative and Effort.

The scheme is designed to be “a challenge to the individual” and not simply another competition in life, where success is another person’s failure.

There are ten points to the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme, which typifies the importance of the scheme to those involved.

1: Non-competitive	6: Available to all
2: Voluntary	7: Flexible
3: Balanced	8: Progressive
4: Achievement	9: Requires persistence
5: Process of development	10: Enjoyable for all

Every Cadet is capable of achieving a Bronze Award

To the Organisation

	Provides an off the shelf training programme to develop young people
	An effective training tool
	Three levels provide evidence of success and effort by cadets of the squadron
	Strong motivator for young people in an organisation
	Encourages community networks and valuable links in the local area
	Internationally recognised activity
	Major contributor to community service
	Train and develop future staff of an organisation

Points of assistance in running the Award Scheme in your Squadron

(For full details refer to the Award Handbook 4th Edition and Expedition Guide)

LEVEL	MINIMUM Starting Age	MINIMUM Qualifying Age
BRONZE	14 years	14 ½ years
SILVER	15 years	16yrs (bronze award.15 ½yrs)
GOLD	16 years	17 ½yrs (silver award. 17yrs)

Costs (as at 1^st April 2001)

Bronze / Silver / Gold books £6-00
Entrance Packs £3-10

Sections for the Awards

Level	Physical Recreation	Service	Skill	Expedition	Residential
BRONZE	X	X	X	X
SILVER	X	X	X	X
GOLD	X	X	X	X	X

All sections must be completed for a level to be awarded.

N.B. Participants who are near completion of one award can start the next level, but they must have successfully completed the lower award before attempting to complete the next one.

Reference Documentation

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award newsletter is a good start, as is the operator’s handbook. There will also be a local operating centre, primarily serving the area’s schools that will be worth making bridges with. Not only will they be able to assist with specialist courses and supervision but also they can be a good source of cadet recruits! Our participation in the Award Scheme is also a good negotiating point when discussing Corps activities with schools as they often view us as a distraction to their pupil’s study. Some schools are unable to run the D of E Award Scheme fully and this can be used to our benefit. Beware of the insurance and supervision problems for non-cadets! Make them join up!

If you are in doubt please ask before you get into trouble.

For further information on this web site