{"alias":"newsItem","byline":"Lewis Dangerfield, UK Commissioner for Programme","standfirst":"With the sad passing of our Patron, her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, one era ended and another began. Now, with Coronation of HM King Charles III coming up in May, we\u2019re incredibly proud to unveil the new King\u2019s Scout Award. This is the story of how it happened.","content":{"layouts":[{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"gtmId","gtmClass":"gtmClass","image":"/media/19815/kings-scout-award.png","width":1600,"height":900,"altText":"King\u0027s Scout Award badge on a yellow and green background.","caption":"","link":null},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003EMany of you will remember the incredible service of the 180 Scouts who looked after those in the queue at the \u003Ca href=\u0022/news/2022/september/scouts-volunteer-at-lying-in-state/\u0022 title=\u0022Scouts volunteer at Lying in State\u0022\u003ELying in State of HM The Queen\u003C/a\u003E.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt was a proud moment for these young volunteers as the nation mourned in September 2022, showing their care and kindness, while reflecting The Queen\u2019s own life of service.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMany of these volunteers were Queen\u2019s Scouts. They\u2019d already proved themselves, gaining the highest award in our programme. But when they completed the award, none of them knew they would be among the last to receive it.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch3\u003EShaped by young people\u003C/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThoughts now turned to the future of the award. And, of course, as it\u2019s an award for young people, it was vital that the new \u003Ca href=\u0022/top-awards/kings-scout-award/\u0022 title=\u0022King\u0027s Scout Award\u0022\u003EKing\u2019s Scout Award\u003C/a\u003E should be shaped by young people too.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESantiago is an \u003Ca href=\u0022/explorers/\u0022 title=\u0022Explorers\u0022\u003EExplorer Scout\u003C/a\u003E and member of the UK Contingent heading to Korea for the \u003Ca href=\u0022/volunteers/running-your-section/international-scouts-and-events/international-events/wsj/\u0022 title=\u0022WSJ\u0022\u003E25th World Scout Jamboree\u003C/a\u003E. He was among the very first to see an early design.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018In general, I think that the colour scheme is very fitting to represent the new monarch,\u2019 he said. \u2018The design looks very good.\u2019\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIzzy is another UK Contingent member, and like Santiago also spoke about her hopes for the future at the Scouts national AGM at Gilwell in 2022.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018I like the design too,\u2019 she said, \u2018it\u2019s eye catching and perfect for the special badge that it is.\u2019\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Queen\u2019s Scout Working Party, who play a key role at the annual Day of Celebration and Achievement at Windsor, also supported the development of the badge, giving advice on colour and size.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"gtmId","gtmClass":"gtmClass","image":"/media/19817/ksa-badges-1.jpg","width":681,"height":543,"altText":"Three King\u0027s Scout Award badges","caption":"","link":null},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch3\u003EAcknowledging our heritage\u003C/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELeona Smith, our Senior Designer, faced the daunting challenge of designing the new badge. But where did she find inspiration?\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Before looking forward,\u2019 she says, \u2018it was important to look back. We found the original King\u2019s Scout Badge in our Heritage Collection. We were struck by the forest green and yellowish gold, which is such a strong combination. It felt important to acknowledge the original and reintroduce the colour scheme.\u2019\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe badge went through several iterations, and was seen by many young people and volunteers including members of the UK Leadership Team, who gave expert guidance along the way.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018The hardest bit to get right was replicating the King\u2019s crown,\u2019 Leona continues.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018It\u2019s quite a complicated emblem and we needed to make sure it would stitch as well as it looks on screen. The badge is all about achievement, so we had to do justice to that. It\u2019s going to be around for a long time.\u2019\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch3\u003EMaking it a reality\u003C/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOnce the design was approved, it was over to our \u003Ca rel=\u0022noopener\u0022 href=\u0022https://shop.scouts.org.uk/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 title=\u0022Scout Store\u0022\u003EScout Store\u003C/a\u003E team to create the badge itself. Heather Hardy is the Buyer responsible for liaising with the supplier.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018It was important to get this absolutely right,\u2019 she said, \u2019because of the esteem it\u2019s held in. It\u2019s so prestigious. We\u2019re now happy with the finish after quite a few tweaks and many samples to achieve the standard we needed.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Those who\u2019ve earned it have put in the time and effort. That needs to be reflected in the quality of the badge itself. Replicating the intricate design into quite a small space was the biggest challenge, as well as making sure the pin badge and cloth complemented each other.\u2019\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEmma Aggrey, one of the young Scout volunteers who presented at our conference in Manchester, Basecamp 22 (and winner of the Prime Minister\u2019s Points of Light Award) also saw an early version.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018I do like the badge,\u2019 she said, \u2018however I liked the border on the Queen\u2019s Scout Badge so my suggestion would be add a border on the new badge too.\u2019 We agreed, and the final badge reflects this.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EZaynab Ali, one of the \u003Ca href=\u0022/news/2023/january/help-us-find-the-chief-scout-s-unsung-heroes-2023/\u0022 title=\u0022Help us find the Chief Scout\u2019s Unsung Heroes 2023\u0022\u003EChief Scout\u2019s Unsung Heroes\u003C/a\u003E and another of our presenters at Basecamp 22, was also a big fan of the new badge. \u2018This design is definitely the way forward,\u2019 she said, giving us the confidence to get closer to the detail of the crest.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018I recently produced a very technical custom badge and was worried about the intricacies, but it turned out amazingly well.\u2019\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"gtmId","gtmClass":"gtmClass","image":"/media/19586/king-charles-with-scouts.jpg","width":6048,"height":4032,"altText":"King Charles smiles at a line of Scouts","caption":"HM King Charles III has always strongly supported young people","link":null},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch3\u003EThe history of the badge\u003C/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn 1909, King Edward VII agreed to award the \u2018King\u2019s Scout Badge\u2019 as the highest achievement for Scouts, on the recommendation of Robert Baden-Powell, the movement\u2019s founder and first Chief Scout.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn 1934, Scouts held an event at Windsor to celebrate the achievements of that year\u2019s badge holders. The event became an annual tradition, and we still recognise badge holders\u2019 achievements there today.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn 1946, Senior Scouts was created for 15\u201317-year-olds, and the King\u2019s Scout Badge became part of their programme. On the death of HM King George VI, his daughter, Queen Elizabeth II, acceded to the throne in 1952. The award became the Queen\u2019s Scout Award for the length of her 70-year reign.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAfter her death, it was agreed, the award would be known as the King\u2019s Scout Award. \u003Ca href=\u0022/national-events/coronation/\u0022 title=\u0022Coronation\u0022\u003EHM King Charles III\u003C/a\u003E has always strongly supported young people, through his work with Scouts, The Prince\u2019s Trust, and other charities.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch3\u003EThe final word\u003C/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPerhaps the final word should go to our \u003Ca href=\u0022/about-us/our-people/chief-scout/\u0022 title=\u0022Chief Scout\u0022\u003EChief Scout, Bear Grylls\u003C/a\u003E, one of the first to see the finished badge.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018This is the pinnacle of young people\u2019s achievements in Scouts. It shows that they have the courage, the kindness and commitment to tackle anything in life, helping others and serving their communities.\u2019\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThank you to everyone who\u2019s made the badge possible, and huge congratulations to the first proud recipients of the award.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"callToAction","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","buttonText":"Find out more about the King\u0027s Scout Award","buttonLink":{"name":"King\u0027s Scout Award","id":null,"url":"/top-awards/kings-scout-award/","newWindow":false,"target":null},"colour":{"value":"002f6c","label":"002f6c"},"alignment":"left"}]}],"config":null}]},"searchDescription":null,"pageType":null,"location":null,"versionDate":"07 February 2023","reviewDate":null,"furtherReading":[{"caption":"","title":"King\u0027s Scout Award","url":"/top-awards/kings-scout-award/","newWindow":false},{"caption":"","title":"The Coronation of HM The King","url":"/national-events/coronation/","newWindow":false}],"relatedLinks":[{"caption":"","title":"The Big Help Out","url":"/national-events/coronation/the-big-help-out/","newWindow":false}],"id":48741,"nodeName":"King\u2019s Scout Award","title":"Creating our new King\u2019s Scout Award","type":"newsItem","image":{"url":"/media/19815/kings-scout-award.png?width=800\u0026height=450\u0026v=1d9becd26860230","caption":"King\u0027s Scout Award","type":"png","size":397523,"width":1600,"height":900,"altText":"King\u0027s Scout Award badge on a yellow and green background."},"assets":null,"headerOptions":{"headerTitle":"Creating our new King\u2019s Scout Award","headerSubTitle":null,"headerCta":null,"headerCtaText":null,"headerCtaLink":null,"headerBackgroundColour":null,"showSEOImage":false,"headerBackgroundImage":null,"quickLinks":null},"subHeader":"We\u2019re incredibly proud to unveil the new King\u2019s Scout Award.","browserTitle":"Creating our new King\u2019s Scout Award","silktide":"eyJjbXMiOiJVbWJyYWNvIiwiZWRpdG9yVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9wcm9kLWNtcy5zY291dHMub3JnLnVrLy91bWJyYWNvIy9jb250ZW50L2NvbnRlbnQvZWRpdC80ODc0MSJ9","canonicalUrl":"https://www.scouts.org.uk/news/2023/february/kings-scout-award/"}