DofE Expedition Adventures…
On the weekend of 6 and 7th June, a team of 7 completed their bronze DofE expedition with County in the Staffordshire Moorlands.
The team consisted of 6 members of Elements ESU and 1 from North Star. The North Star Explorer had been attending Elements meetings for many weeks prior, so they all got to know the people they would be with on the expedition.
The team worked well, both in their preparation and during the expedition itself. The result was a great weekend and a successfully impressed assessor.
Their project for the expedition was to write a poem about their journey.
Friends are like glasses, they help you see
Sat by the waterfall, I can breathe.
We noticed some trucks that were JCB,
They told us it was private property.
We sit and wait as the water flows,
Looking at the map, getting ready to go.
Even when we’re walking slow,
When it comes to DofE, we can’t say no.
Cut across, we will try,
Even if I want to cry.
Atop the hill, I feel I might die,
Nearly there, I wish I could fly.
Arrived at camp,
Down a ramp,
My feet are so damp.
We’ll take tomorrow like a champ.
Leaving camp with powers,,
Then we picked a few flowers.
We passed Alton Towers,
Despite a few rain showers.
Telling a story to distract us from the hill,
Even though the story ended with quite a chill.
We passed some deer, and a place to kill,
But we’ll power through it still.
Abandoned houses along the way,
No-one there to save the day.
Though things are hard, we’ll find our way,
We’re not giving up today.
A path sprinkled with pixie dust,
Now it’s time to eat lunch with us.
Along the old railway, not too slow,
We’re nearly there, so on we go.
It’s the end of the day,
Sad to say goodbye, but still hooray!
While praising them for doing their expedition, we must also thank Gemma Phillips, a beaver leader by choice, who has stepped up to help the District in its DofE pursuits.
DofE is an incredible opportunity for Explorers and Network that runs in tandem with our own scouting awards, and we would encourage all to think about adding it to our Scouting journey.
There is another team heading north to the Peak District to do their Gold practice in 3 weeks, made up of Elements and a K2 Explorers. Their assessed expedition is during the summer break, so in Snowdonia.
Explorers are a District unit, so it’s good to remember to join forces to achieve a result sometimes.
If you are interested in doing DofE, you can sign up on the county website ( The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) – Staffordshire County Scouts ), and we will help you along the way.
Roy Clarke
District 14-24 Team Lead
