I obtained Bronze in 1959, Silver in 1960 and Gold in 1964, presented by HRH at Buckingham Palace. Following my own enjoyable period of learning and achieving to gain my awards, I went on to assist coaching many young people at Haslemere Youth Club and local Schools, preparing them for their awards, renovating a dinghy, teaching navigation, ropework and sailing skills on a local pond. This gave me a great sense of achievement and purpose. All this long after I had my own family, taking my 6 year old son along to help train them. He went on to become a Royal Marine Commando and when asked by HRH at a fund raising event where I wore my Gold badge, he said I didn't realise the Scheme had be going that long, had I got any children who had done their awards. When I mentioned that our son was an RM at 45 Commando, he said they should give him the award for achieving that.
I met HRH on several other occasions when he visited training events in Surrey. He was always charming, positive and appreciative with what we were trying to achieve.

My outstanding memories were during my expeditions - on my Silver ex at Royal Lymington Yacht Club we were invited to go sailing for a few hours in a members folk boat. I have now been sailing for over 60 years. On my Gold ex on Dartmoor we experienced the hottest weather for years. It was a struggle to keep hydrated and to climb Gt Mist Tor, one of our objectives. We got stuck knee deep in a bog and had to crawl out on our stomachs and quickly divert onto dryer land. We were told to look out for two escaped prisoner - fact or fiction? I'll never know. We wondered if HRH would pop up at any stage!!
As I wasn't an academic person the award scheme gave me a "degree" in true life and people skills. Long may it continue in his memory. We know that people do die, but we are devastated at The Queen's and this Country's loss. He will be hard to replace. May he rest in peace.