Duke of Edinburgh

[bundubasher]

They need to be taught to respect other countryside users. Back in July a group came past ours - they had taken a shortcut across three hay fields with standing grass, left 2 gates open letting cattle into a sssi haymeadow, and knocked 2 walls down while climbing them. There was no sign of supervisors while this was occuring. When I asked them what they were doing they just said DoE and carried on. The landowner hadn't been informed or shown any risk assessment before the 3 minibus loads of louts got dropped off.

That's a problem with the training - the school is supposed to cover countyside code and behaviour and a team like that should just have been pointed in the direction of home and told to walk.

 

[demographic]

Too much kit?

Good job none of us fall into that bracket eh? No siree, none of us go camping with an axe, a Dutch oven, and more knives than Gordon Ramsay.

Just saying like...

 

[treetop57]

i did a very short time helping a DoE leader we took some lads in a wood and the way he said we we'er going i said the sun should of been on our backs he stoped everyone and pointed out what i had said but incesed he was right coz the path in woods change from time to time anyway when we came out in the wrone place he never said sorry and then we had to split up to make the meeting points i never went to help ever again (he was just a knob )and the lads thought that as well so how do they get to do what they do he should of walked the route before hand it was local

 

[bundubasher]

One of the problems is that DofE depends on the good will of volunteers to operate.

Finding highly experienced volunteers is difficult and so they rely on keen amateurs to help support DofE leaders. The average bronze award day's hike is 16km ( thats without the kids getting lost!) which is quite a commitment for a civi-volunteer to recce.

 

[hog]

My Daughter is busy with her Silver at the moment and the pack is now honed down to the basics plus a little extra for any emergencies. Kit such as tent and Trangias are shared out according to weight in her group usually about 4/5 of them. Nothing is hanging or dangling from the packs (not wanted by the leader) except the roll/sleeping mat which for these latitudes is in a bin liner anyway.
Other than that its realy all systems go.

 

[bundubasher]

"Dont die in the Bundu" - excelllent book!

 

[treetop57]

One of the problems is that DofE depends on the good will of volunteers to operate.

Finding highly experienced volunteers is difficult and so they rely on keen amateurs to help support DofE leaders. The average bronze award day's hike is 16km ( thats without the kids getting lost!) which is quite a commitment for a civi-volunteer to recce.

think i never got the point across very good it was just a small wood realy we walked one way and another group walked the other way meeting half way swopping minebus keys coz he thought he'd make me look silly coz was useing the sun he missed our turning and missed the meet half way which sent the whole day cocked up thought he know better then me as i was only a volunteer and he was the leader

 

[stevet]

the DofE expedition assessor pre-checks the participants kit list against the list on the Dofe website; http://www.dofe.org/media/viewfile....ourcezone/Expeditions/Expedition_Kit_List.pdf

whether you agree with the contents or not, that is what you must bring.