Stotfold Explorer Scout Conquered
Snakes, Snow & Tropical Waterfalls
For Queen's Scout Award
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A Stotfold Explorer Scout braved the Brazilian jungle and the snow-covered Scottish highlands during his bid to achieve Scouting’s highest training badge, the Queen’s Scout Award. Lawrence Peace (18) of the 1st Stotfold Explorer Unit has just received his Royal award after three years hard work and many adventures. He was presented with his award and a citation from the Queen by Group Scout Leader Peter Cheney cheered on by all his fellow Explorer Scouts. The citation congratulated Lawrence on his achievement and said, “I wish you God-speed on your journey through life; may it prove to be a joyous adventure.” The Queen’s Scout Award requires high standards of self-discipline, leadership and the achievement of skills in adventurous activities, interests and community service.
In 2006, a year after starting his training, Lawrence travelled to Brazil for a month long expedition where he had a close encounter with a 13 foot giant Anaconda and, on a trek into the interior, took an impromptu shower under the 270 foot high Iguassu waterfall on the borders with Argentina. His visit to Brazil also included a community project at a local school where he helped to build a security fence to keep out marauding animals. He said, “We got on really well with the local Brazilians who taught us how to survive in the jungle and took us to many well known areas that were once just tiny dots on a map.”
Back home in the UK this winter Lawrence led an expedition of fellow Explorer Scouts to the Scottish highlands where he practiced his skiing and successfully climbed nearby snow covered mountains in icy conditions for the first time. He has also helped to run his local Scout Group in Stotfold and shared his experiences with them at this year’s AGM.
This Fearnhill School pupil, who has been in Scouting since the age of six, now has his sights set on a degree in outdoor management and hopes to make use of his skills in the Lake District National Park. He will be Bedfordshire’s sole Queen Scout during next year’s St George’s Day Parade at Windsor Castle although several of his colleagues are hoping to gain their awards with expeditions to Denmark planned for this summer.
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