One of the earliest gold award winners, I believe the award scheme shaped my life in many ways. I won my gold award in 1963. The ceremony was held inn the garden of Buckingham Palace and attended by the Duke himself.

I remember most fondly learning so much about how civic society functions, with time spent with Police and, of course, the memorable expeditions which I did solo. These expeditions formed the backbone of my being able to design and build a 28 foot sailboat in which I sailed from London to San Francisco, exploring many islands of the Csribbean and the entire west coast of North and Central America. I subsequently opened a school, first afloat and then ashore in the San Francisco Bay Area and began my career as an international educator. At the age of 75, today, I am a long way from retirement working with schools, teachers and administrators in many countries. It was certainly the award scheme that fostered independence and a sense of the possible that I carry with me still. My original badge (the old gold cipher of two crossed P's) was lost when my home burned in the California fires, and it is sadly missed.

I am so grateful to the Duke of Edinburgh for founding the award scheme. It has enabled so many adventures and a lifetime of public service as a teacher responder to emergencies - four years rebuilding preschool infrastructure in Sri Lanka following the tsunami of 2004 and serving as a representative of the Center for British teachers in Qatar after 09/11.

Much gratitude...........