DUKE OF EDINBURGH AWARDS
Local youths receive presti

THE NORTH Shore glittered in gold Monday with good
local representation among the over 90 recipients of the
Duke of Edinburgh Awards in Canada at the Four Seasons

Hotel.

The awards are presented to
youths age 14 to 25 who have
shown exceptional achievements in
community service, expeditions
and skills, and physical fitness.

The awards categories break
down into bronze awards for those
over 14, silver for recipients over
15 and gold for those over 16 years
of age.

The awards program was first
established in Canada in 1958.
B.C. joined the program in 1963.

AWARD recipient Colin Ban-
non...‘‘With this on a resume in
England, it’s an assured job.”’

“Although it’s the most
Prestigious award in Canada, it’s
not incredibly well known. With
this on a resume in England, it’s
an assured job,’’ said gold award
winner Colin Bannon, !7, of West
Vancouver.

Bannon termed his participation
at the evening Hotel Vancouver
fund-raising dinner, which includ-
ed a personal chat with the Duke
himself, as an evening to
remember for the rest of his life.

To qualify for the award, Ban-
non, a prefect at Brentwood Col-
lege in Mill Bay, Vancouver
Island, racked up an impressive
array of non-competitive achieve-
ments.

For the community service cate-
gory, Bannon led 12 to 17-year-old
youths on climbing and kayaking
trips several times a week. He also
put in time working on a salmono-
id enhancement project.

Bannon's skills include
rockhounding, participation in the
Canadian Lifesaving Program and
the Canadian Yachting Associa-
tion,

To qualify for the expeditions
category, Bannon spent a week
hiking through the glaciers at
Strathcona Park.

Three West Vancouver Rovers
also received the coveted gold
awards Monday.

Robert Helm, David Wiederhold
and Martin Triggs, all 19 years
old, have been members of the
scouling movement for a number
of years under the leadership of

By MICHAEL BECKER
Dougal MacDonald.

Aside from community service
provided through activities in the
scouting movement, the three have
accumulated years of mountaineer-
ing experience with a trek to the
summit of Mount Baker and ex-
peditions through Garibaldi Na-
tional Park and the Cascades area.

Said Helm of his experience
Monday: ‘‘It was really incredible.
I didn’t really realize what was
happening until | got up on the
stage. But he (Prince Philip) really
put me at ease. It’s not like talking
to a god or something. He comes
down to your level.’’

To qualify for his service cate-
gory, while in Grade 12, Helm
started a tutoring program at Van-
couver College for younger stu-
dents.

The three Rovers came second
three years ago in the Amory
Award Log Book, a Canada-wide
scouting award, for a jog book
describing their experience on an
eight-day ski expedition at
Garibaldi.

For his skills accomplishments,
Helm drew on his experience in
constructing and designing moun-
taineering gear.

Since the inception of the
awards program in Canada, ap-
proximately 4,000 youths have
received gold medal awards across
the country.

Piano Vocalist ae

perder Wid =

THREE WEST Vancouver
Rovers were awarded the
Duke of Edinburgh gold
award by Prince Philip on
Oct. 12 during a gala cere-
mony and buffet at the Four
Seasons Hotel in Vancouver.
Shown here are (I to r) Mar-
tin Triggs, David
Wiederhold, Rover advisor
Dougal MacDonald and
Robert Helm.

vo)

Performed
by Patsy Goto

Drop in, relax and enjoy
some appetizers or desserts
while Patsy Goto ente: .ains

YOU

October 20th-24th 27th-31st

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PAGE 40

NEWS photo Neil Lucente