Robert Humes from Lockerbie has received the highest honour in scouting: the Queen’s Scout Award.
Now leader of the Lockerbie Scouts, he first joined the Scouting community aged six and has been working towards the prestigious honour since he was 16.
The 25-year-old said: “Now to have finally achieved it feels amazing.
“There is so much work involved and I am proud of myself for getting my head down and completing it. It is an award I have always wanted to achieve as it is the highest award you can achieve in scouting.”
Learning a new skill for 12 months, keeping up a physical activity for six months, taking part in different expeditions and more was required of Robert before the honour would be his.
And his path to Queen Scout status was a family affair as mum Anne-Marie is a Beaver leader and new wife Rebecca also helps lead the troop.
Robert, who is the manager at Mabie Farm Park, said: “It feels like the whole leader team are one big happy family which makes the Scout group stronger.”
The family connections do not end there, he added: “My nan was a Queen’s Guide and this encouraged me to go and achieve my Queen Scout. I am proud to have followed in her footsteps and I am sure she will be very proud of me.”
To celebrate the award, Robert’s troop will host a big parade in March, followed by a party for family and friends. Then in April he will head to Windsor Castle in London to take part in a special ceremony and meet HRH Queen Elizabeth II. Another award ceremony will follow in June, this time at Holyrood in Edinburgh courtesy of Scout Scotland.
He said: “I am ‘buzzing’, as the scouts would say, to meet the Queen as she is an idol of mine and of course we promise to do our duty to her.
“I am looking forward to heading to Windsor Castle with my wife and family to receive my award officially. It will be a great honour to represent my scout group and district in suchabig way.
If only I could take my scouts with me.”
Thanking those who have helped him along the way, he said: “There are a few people I would like to thank for getting me started on my scouting adventure: my mum sent me off to Beavers and I have never looked back.
She is always there to support me now as a leader as well as when I was a scout myself.
“James Dalziel who is now group leader was my leader and I looked up to him and wanted to be just like him; Drew Young and his wife Annette have always kept me right and have been a massive support to me over the years and still are even though they have both retired from scouting themselves. Nothing is too much trouble for them and they had a big part to play in me receiving my Queen Scout Award.
“Lastly, not forgetting, my wife Rebecca who puts up with daily scouting challenges and supports me through thick and thin.”
