By: Blonde Two

I have long had a theory that girls are so good at problem solving because we make them wear skirts from a young age. Skirts make things more difficult, periods do the same and I guess (although I don’t do it) high heels continue the trend towards issue-surmounting.

Which is why I admired, rather than criticised the actions of a certain young lady on our recent Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Bronze expedition. Upon arrival at camp (after a good few hours carrying over-sized packs up some definitely over-sized Devon hills) she was obviously tired and had a little sit down on the grass. I have witnessed youngsters at this point giving up and letting their team-mates do the pitching work, but instead of this our young lady decided that she could combine her need to sit down with a bit of tent pitching.

We witnessed her threading the tent poles in almost fully prostration on the grass, we laughed at her crawling around to position the tent and we enjoyed her antics as she tried to bang tent pegs into very hard ground with her (by then removed) boot. Once she realised we were watching the challenge was on and (with the help of a team mate) she did manage to remain seated for the whole pitching.

There are, of course, youngsters for whom being seated is their only choice. I am pleased to say that there are many such youngsters, boys and girls, who take part in and successfully complete their Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards. My hat goes off and my heart goes out to them. As I have said before and will say again, any young person who completes a challenge such as this deserves a big, old-fashioned heap of praise!