Silver Duke Of Edinburgh’s Award Adventurous Journey

During the Term 3 2020 school holiday period, a contingent consisting of Fort Street High School (FSHS) students and Australian Air League Riverwood Squadron (AAL) cadets completed their Silver Duke Of Edinburgh’s Award Adventurous Journey (AJ).

I will preface this reflection by saying the AJ we embarked on was a unique event, in that it was independently planned and organised from both FSHS and AAL due to the extant NSW Government COVIDSafe restrictions. When I put my hand up to plan and organise this adventure, it was still unknown to me the amount of time and effort required to research and liaise between key stakeholders. This project took approximately eight weeks from conception and planning through to completion. Given the complexity in complying with specific requirements from various organisations namely, FSHS, AAL, NSW Health and Duke Of Edinburgh’s Award Office. That being said, I personally found the project very rewarding and enjoyable from start to finish. This project would not be possible without the tremendous support and guidance from my parents, FSHS teachers and AAL officers.

The goal of our AJ was to understand and appreciate the impact of the 2019/20 Currowan bushfire on local residents, natural environment and habitat, in the Southern Highlands region. After listening to local business owners, Rural Fire Service volunteers, and other local residents, a bigger picture began to formulate in my mind: it was not just a bushfire that damaged infrastructure and the environment, but rather a tragic incident which continues to affect people today who are lucky to be alive. This insight is very valuable to be me, and could not have been better understood and appreciated had I not embarked on this AJ.

Another observation of rural life in Wingello and Penrose is the importance of community and teamwork. All the bushfire survival and recovery stories which I heard, all included aspects of community and group work. This important aspect of daily life can be seen to be slightly forgotten in the busy, fast-paced urban lifestyle, where little community interaction exists. What I also find remarkable is that everybody says G’day whether driving, walking or riding, indicating the close-knit community. As we were hiking along the road, drivers always put up a raised hand, sometimes just a finger or two or even a nod. It seems a simple yet important way to connect with the community, something noticeably absent in Sydney.

Being an independently run camp, I invited some mates from the school and the Air League to partake in the AJ with me. The members from both organisations got along and bonded over the course of the AJ without any problem. By the time we said goodbye after the camp, everyone was looking forward to meeting up again and possibly completing the Gold program together. This is a testament of the camaraderie that was developed among us during the short time spent together over the AJ.

Any fellow students and cadets, who wish to embark on an individual-option AJ, I highly recommend it to you as you will find it an enriching, rewarding and challenging experience. You will also learn and develop your project/time management and team organisation skills as well as being able to see your efforts being realised. It is critical that you start your planning early and remain in frequent discussion/communication with the key stakeholders. This will ensure that their input and requirements have been adequately addressed. It is also important to have the end goal in mind to maintain motivation/momentum thus allowing you to achieve your objective sooner rather than later!

The success of this AJ can be attributed to the great support and guidance of many stakeholders. A big thank you to Mr Chris Bailey (AAL Riverwood Officer Commanding and Award Leader) and Mr David Harker (AAL Riverwood Officer, AJ Supervisor and Assessor) for his tremendous support and guidance throughout the whole project, especially with arranging the presenters. Your support is very much appreciated by the team. Further, the advice and support from Ms Caroline Jerrems (FSHS Award Leader) and Ms Tori Jenykn (FSHS DoE Gold Coordinator) throughout the journey is also highly appreciated.

The AJ ended successfully on a high and more importantly safely, marking the completion of my Silver Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. I am currently planning a Gold AJ for 2021 for FSHS and AAL participants.

I wish you all a very merry Christmas and a safe holiday season.

Peter Tran, Year 10