Thought I'd put this topic here, although if the mods feel it's more of a Sports and Fitness topic, feel free to move. 
There was a news item today about a row stemming from a comment made by Prince Edward:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8333204.stm
I can concur that the expedition side of the Award is the most challenging, and at times can be the riskiest to health and safety, which is why we had a lot of training in safety aspects of the expedition - both theory and practical experience - specific to the type of adventure we would go on.
Our expeditions always took us to the Grampian Mountains in Scotland, usually in the late spring and summer when the weather is most ideal. Yet we always had to learn the basics of hillwalking safety, including what to do in an emergency, basic first aid, calling for help, etc. (all this in the days before widespread mobile phone use of course - although acquiring a mobile signal in the middle of nowhere would probably be difficult at best) A minimum expedition team would consist of four boys and/or girls, and if for whatever reason the numbers fell to three or less, we would have to call off the whole trip as taking too small a group would be tricky should something go wrong and the team needed to get help.
Plus, before going off on an expedition, our parents had to sign a consent form to ensure that they too were aware of the risks of such an expedition.
We never had anyone seriously injured in our cohort of DoE participants, although we did have one chap in another year sustain a head injury after a fall, and during an early expedition another group almost fell down a steep slope down one side of a winding path. There were several moments where the occasion did threaten to (and on one or two occasions actually did) get the better of me, giving me, for the first time in my life, the feeling that I really could get seriously injured (or worse) in this wide world of ours.
They were great days. Since then, having settled down into a job (which in itself is another story altogether) I feel I've been too domesticated, less risky, really - and it shows, to be honest. However, I think the Award scheme has helped me become a better person overall, in terms of relationships, hobbies, experiences, and physical and mental wellbeing - I don't think I would have ever experienced such adventurous experiences otherwise, and would have just stuck to being a boring person doing little to nothing for most of my teenage years.
Anyway, anyone else do the Duke of Edinburgh's Award here, either in the UK or in other countries around the world? Do you think it helped you a lot in life?
There was a news item today about a row stemming from a comment made by Prince Edward:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8333204.stm
In terms of the Prince's comments, I think it was a bit much to attribute news of increased participation in the Award scheme to the fairly recent death of a participant. The expeditions and adventures are thrilling in themselves, and there is an element of risk to one's personal safety, but I wouldn't emphasise the perceived risk of death from taking part in the Award as a selling point, nor would I suggest that this was the sole reason to do the Award. Besides, that sort of talk only trivialises what was a tragic loss of life.
I can concur that the expedition side of the Award is the most challenging, and at times can be the riskiest to health and safety, which is why we had a lot of training in safety aspects of the expedition - both theory and practical experience - specific to the type of adventure we would go on.
Our expeditions always took us to the Grampian Mountains in Scotland, usually in the late spring and summer when the weather is most ideal. Yet we always had to learn the basics of hillwalking safety, including what to do in an emergency, basic first aid, calling for help, etc. (all this in the days before widespread mobile phone use of course - although acquiring a mobile signal in the middle of nowhere would probably be difficult at best) A minimum expedition team would consist of four boys and/or girls, and if for whatever reason the numbers fell to three or less, we would have to call off the whole trip as taking too small a group would be tricky should something go wrong and the team needed to get help.
Plus, before going off on an expedition, our parents had to sign a consent form to ensure that they too were aware of the risks of such an expedition.
We never had anyone seriously injured in our cohort of DoE participants, although we did have one chap in another year sustain a head injury after a fall, and during an early expedition another group almost fell down a steep slope down one side of a winding path. There were several moments where the occasion did threaten to (and on one or two occasions actually did) get the better of me, giving me, for the first time in my life, the feeling that I really could get seriously injured (or worse) in this wide world of ours.
They were great days. Since then, having settled down into a job (which in itself is another story altogether) I feel I've been too domesticated, less risky, really - and it shows, to be honest. However, I think the Award scheme has helped me become a better person overall, in terms of relationships, hobbies, experiences, and physical and mental wellbeing - I don't think I would have ever experienced such adventurous experiences otherwise, and would have just stuck to being a boring person doing little to nothing for most of my teenage years.
Anyway, anyone else do the Duke of Edinburgh's Award here, either in the UK or in other countries around the world? Do you think it helped you a lot in life?
) 
