The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Isabella an eager Beaver
Normally Beavers, Cubs and Scouts will display the badges they earn on their uniform. But determined Isabella Drummond has collected so many awards that mum Adele has had to stitch them on to a special blanket.
Isabella, 9, had only joined the 26th Perthshire (Dunning) Beaver Scouts a few months before the pandemic hit and the UK went into lockdown in March last year.
Having already completed two badges, she decided to use her time at home when schools were closed to build her collection. And by the time she graduated to Cubs this August she had an amazing 115 Beaver badges and awards – the only two activity badges outstanding made impossible by Covid restrictions.
Isabella, of Balgowan, said she was very “proud” of her achievement and when asked how many Cub badges she aims to collect replied: “All of them!”
During lockdown Isabella spent a couple of hours each day working towards activity badges and awards, following instructions on the Scouts website and documenting her progress in a scrapbook. She roped in her mum, dad Neil and sister Grace, 7, for some challenges, including travelling to Brownsea Island, Dorset, where the first Scout camp was held in 1907 to visit the commemorative Scout Stone.
Adele said: “My husband and I are exceptionally proud of her, she’s really worked so hard. She’s been happy to work away herself and be very independent with it.
“Now she has started on her Cub badges – a whole new set of badges and more sewing for me!”
Isabella’s favourite badge to do was the digital maker, for which she taught Adele how to use a coding programme called Scratch.
Most challenging, she found, was sailing, which the family did at Poole harbour while in Dorset.
The Beaver badges Isabella earned include: 23 activity badges; one activity+ badge; 19 staged badges; six challenge awards; one bronze award; two joining in awards; and 56 fun badges.
Her feat was praised by Scouts Scotland Commissioner for Beavers Owen Forrest. He said: “115 Beaver badges is an incredible achievement, particularly so when we consider that Isabella has earned a lot of these during lockdown. Through working towards all of these badges, Isabella will have developed a variety of valuable skills for life.
“Isabella’s achievement is testament to not just her hard work, but also the incredible quality and dedication of her Beaver Scout leaders.
“I’m sure her family are very proud of her, as we all are here at Scouts Scotland.”