Queen’s Scout is top honour for three teenagers

By Callan Date and Sarah Schwager
THREE local teenagers have shown the leadership and commitment needed to be awarded one of the highest Scout awards.
The prestigious Queen’s Scout honour was recently bestowed upon Damien Ahchow, Kenneth Lydall and Cherie Pickering at a special presentation at Government House.
The three Scouts, members of the 14-18-year-old Venturer section, have all spent several years within their group and tackled a broad range of activities including service to the community, expeditions in the bush, self-expression as well as cultural and sporting achievements.
Cherie, 18, said she was thrilled to achieve the honour after starting out as a Girl Guide when she was eight years old.
The First Narre Warren North Scout member completed the majority of her Queen’s Scout while juggling the difficulties of her final year of VCE study.
“It was a challenge. There was a lot of organisation and I really had to be prepared for both,” Cherie said.
The teenager now hopes to pursue a career in photography and will attend the Photography Studies College in Melbourne next year.
“I love photography and the beauty of this course is you get a taste of a range of different options before you can decide on which one to focus on,” she said.
Damien Ahchow, 19, joined the Devon Meadows Scout Group when he was just eight years old and has not looked back.
The Pearcedale local tackled his VCE while completing the 16 badges required for Queen’s Scout and is now working towards the Baden Powell Award.
“I love being in Scouts. It’s a great learning experience and a good chance to develop leadership skills,” he said.
Damien is also a CFA volunteer and studies a Bachelor of Nursing at Victoria University in St Albans, which will later turn into a double degree in Paramedical Sciences.
Kenneth, 18, started his Scouting journey as a six-year-old Cub and said he has taken a great deal away from his involvement with the Narre Warren Scout Group.
He listed the never give up attitude he has developed and the great friends he has met through Scouts as two of the main benefits from his 12-year involvement.
“One of the main highlights of the Queen’s Scout would have been an eight-day rafting trip on the Murray River,” Kenneth said.
Scouts Victoria Chief Commissioner Alston Park said the achievement of the Queen’s Scout award is a strong indicator of the qualities of the young person who earns it.
“The Queen’s Scout award is unique in the high degree of personal effort required to run the race that can take nearly three years,” Mr Alston said.