(CMR) Students of The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award completed their Bronze Adventurous Journey recently. There were twenty-two (22) participants supervised by five (5) Unit Leaders and members of the Adventurous Journey training team.
The groups met at the Frank Sound junction very early in the morning with their backpacks, tents, and other equipment for their final instructions. They set off at 7 a.m., hiked along the eastern road past the Fire Station on the Frank Sound Road, and then ventured into the Mastic Trail. The teams aimed to research Cayman’s wild banana orchid, parrot, and silver thatch palm (some of the Island’s national symbols) as well as the blue iguana. They also had to research information on the Cayman Islands National Heroes.
Exiting the Mastic Trail on the North Side road, the participants hiked to the William Pouchie Memorial United Church, where they camped for the night.
In the early afternoon, a presentation was given by North Side resident and former MLA, Mr. Ezzard Miller, on the history of the National Heroes Day and those who contributed to its development. Following a very interesting lecture, Bronze participant Dimitri Cardenas said a hearty thank-you to Mr. Miller.
Camping out was both exciting and challenging as each group had to erect their own tents and cook their supper.
Alas, the rooster crowed as the sun rose on Sunday morning, and so it was time to break camp, gather all the bits and pieces, ensure that the fires were out, have a quick breakfast, clean up the grounds and get ready to hit the road again! The participants hiked from the Church to the Kaibo Park, where the journey would end. While waiting on their parents to come for them, everyone soaked their tired feet in the beautiful, cool, blue sea and celebrated that they had completed their first adventurous journey!
In preparation for the Adventurous Journey, participants were trained in handling accidents & emergencies, first aid, camp craft, map and compass reading (grid references), team building, personal hygiene, and how to deal with bullying.
According to participant Jacob Allen, “the journey was more mentally challenging than physical and working as a team was important. Overall, I felt the experience would better prepare us on how we can motivate each other”.
The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award is the world’s leading youth achievement award, bringing together practical experiences and life skills to create committed global citizens and equipping young people for life. Since it was founded by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh in 1956, over eight million people have participated in the Award in over 144 countries and territories. The aim is that every young person aged 14 to 25 in the world should have the opportunity to participate in the Award.
- Fascinated
- Happy
- Sad
- Angry
- Bored
- Afraid
