Achieves goal of Queen Scout level aged just 17

A member of the 1st/2nd Merrylands Venture Unit since 2017, he began his scouting journey in November 2012 when he joined the 1st Greystanes group at the age of 10.
Now 17, he says his motivation came from watching one of his older sisters receive her Queens Scout award and hearing that just five per cent of venturers receive the award, adding with a laugh, “I just thought, I want to be part of that”.
The Award is made up of badges in four main areas of Leadership Development, Personal Growth, Outdoor Activities and Community Involvement and he said for him it means being the “best of the best”.
Enjoying the physical challenge and independence of scouting, Aidan says it’s hard to explain how he feels about achieving his goal.
“It’s a huge payoff. I can’t sum it up in one word. I’ve learnt too many things from scouts,” he said.
“I love how involved it is. There’s a lot of outdoor and physical activity. I went canoeing, kayaking, sailing around the Whitsundays and rock climbing.”
Completing a multitude of badges covering a range of different skills, he said the hardest for him was the Expedition Badge, which involved a two day hike with five other venturers from Loftus to Waterfall and then to Heathcote through the National Park.
“It was challenging for me because I’m not much of a hiker,” he said.
“I’ve met many of my friends through scouts. It’s what I was doing on the weekend – instead of playing football or cricket, I was going on camps and doing rock climbing and canoeing. It’s definitely more fun.”