SKILLS

Introduction
General Requirements
Suggested Skills
Real Life Situations
Guidelines for Skills Assessors

INTRODUCTION

A SKILL IS A TALENT WHICH ONE WISHES TO STUDY IN ORDER TO DEVELOP AN ABILITY, OR, BECOME MORE PROFICIENT WITH AS EXPERTESE IS ACQUIRED

GOAL

To encourage the discovery and development of personal interests, and social and practical skills.

OBJECTIVE

To stimulate young people to take up and persevere at satisfying and purposeful interests within a wide range of practical, cultural, and social activities.

CATEGORIES

Acceptable skills can fall into the following broad categories:

Appreciation of the Arts
Communications
Graphic Arts
Life Skills
Music
Nature
General Crafts
Needle crafts
Handicraft
Workshop Crafts
Recreative Skills
Studies, Collections and Surveys
Transportation

NOTE: A list of potential skills is provided under Suggested Skills.


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GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

• Normally the group leader is not responsible to assess the individualís progress in the skill chosen. Participants should seek people experienced in the chosen skill to instruct and assess their accomplishments.
• Skills acquired at school or related to a young person's work can be used, provided that all work to count for an Award is taken outside curriculum or employment time, and is not required for study or examination purposes.
• The maximum number or hours spent on a chosen skill is not specified, but regular effort during leisure time is required throughout the period.
• The skill may be changed once at each level if circumstances render the original choice impractical or inappropriate. In this case, the second activity must follow the first as soon as possible.

MINIMUM TIME REQUIREMENTS

Choose a skill

• of personal interest
• that is an existing interest or something entirely new
• that may be followed independently or as a member of a group
• that does not conflict with sporting activities - most sporting activities should be selected for Physical Recreation

Find an instructor

• who is suitably qualified or experienced to teach the desired skill
• who may be your instructor or other adult who is knowledgeable and experienced in the particular skill being evaluated
• tell them about the program and give them the guidelines of what is to be acquired over the set period of time. You should also provide the assessor with the "Guidelines for Skills Assessors" (see that section)
• ASK if the person will track your progress on a regular basis
• Establish the level of proficiency held at the beginning so as to establish if you have no knowledge and are a "beginner", have "some knowledge", or should begin with the requirements "for the more advanced".

Note: The requirements "for beginners" are not necessarily appropriate for the Bronze level of the Award if the participant is already well acquainted with the activity chosen. Conversely, a participant at the Gold level selecting an unfamiliar subject might start with the beginnerís program.

Assessment

• This is to be done throughout the required time period in order to assess effort, perseverance, progress, as well as the development of an understanding of the practical, cultural, and social aspects of the chosen activity.
• There must be a substantial commitment of genuine leisure time
• The skill must be followed consistently for the required time.
• Genuine effort and individual progress must be made within the participantís capability. Written work and presentations should be assessed on content rather than style or spelling.
• Have the assessor complete and sign the Participant's Record Book

  NOTES

  For more information and details on requirements for each skill contact the Division Office, or visit http://www.theaward.org/
  
  
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  SUGGESTED SKILLS

  Aeronautics Agriculture Air Pistol Shooting Amateur Radio Anthropology Aquarium Keeping Aircraft Recognition Architectural Appreciation Archeology Astronomy Ballet Appreciation Basketry (Canework) Bee keeping Billiards & Snooker Boat building Braille Brass Rubbings Bridge Buglers & Trumpeters Calligraphy (Artistic Writing) Campanology (Church .... Bell Ringing) Candle making Canoe Building Canvas Work (tapestry) Carving Chess Choirs Cinematography Classical Music Appreciation Clay Modeling & Sculpture Clay Pigeon Shooting Coastal Navigation Collections Committee Procedure Computer Science Confectionery Decoration Conjuring & Magic Cooking Corn Dolls Construction of Camp & .... Outdoor Equipment Costume Study Criminology Crocheting Debating Dogs - Training and Handling Drama Drawing Dressing Dolls in National .... Costume Dress making Drummer - Military, Pop/Jazz Electricity

  Embroidery or Fabric Painting Enameling Entomology Fancy Rope work Filography Film Production Fine & Applied Arts & Design Fishing Floral Art Fly Tying Folk Music Appreciation Forces Insignia Forestry French Polishing Gardening Genealogy Geology Geometric & Technical Drawing Gliding (Aircraft) Glove Making Handbell Ringing Handwriting Heraldry Herpetology Jazz Jewelry Karting Keeping of Pets Knitting Languages Lapidary Leatherwork Librarianship Local & Historical Survey Macrame Magazine Production Map Making Marksmanship Marquetry Metalwork Meteorology Microscopy Military & Brass Bands Model Construction Model Soldiers Money Matters Mosaics Motor Cars - Engineering .... & Maintenance Music Natural History Numismatics (Coins)

  Orchid Growing Origami Ornithology Pan Playing (Steel Bands) Painting & Design Paleontology (Rocks & Fossils) Patchwork Period Furniture Appreciation Personality & Appearance Pewter Working Philately (Stamps) Phillumeny (Matchboxes) Photography Pillow Lace Making Piping Plant Study Popular Music Appreciation Pottery Power Boating Practical Mathematics Printing Public Speaking Puppetry Quilting Radio Construction Raising Livestock Reading Religious Studies Rifle Shooting Rug Making Seamanship Screen Printing Ship Recognition Shoe Making Shortwave Radio Listening Sign Language Signaling Soft Furnishing Sound Appreciation Speech Tatting Taxidermy Theater Appreciation The Home Typing (Keyboard) Officiating Weaving Wind Instruments Wine Making Woodwork Writing You & the Commonwealth Zoology This is NOT an exhaustive list.

  
  
  
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  REAL LIFE SITUATIONS

  Q:I play volleyball in my youth center league. Can I use this for my skill?
  A:No. Volleyball comes under the Physical Recreation Section of the Award.

  Q:Can a person collect baseball caps for the Silver Award?
  A:Yes, under "Collections - General". This activity would require extensive research and background work. A simple box full of hats or a wall display is unacceptable.

  Q:Could taking a typing course through night school count for my Gold?
  A:Yes, provided that the course is being taken out of self-interest and not as a workplace or educational requirement. Use the instructor to document your progress. If the course is a workplace or educational requirement, there must be clear evidence that time counted for the Award is in addition to the standard course requirements.

  Q:If I earned Bronze through Scouting and then stopped, can I now go straight to the Gold level with my friends in university? Do I have to follow a skill for 12 or 18 months?
  A:Yes, you may go directly to the Gold level. Since you are not progressing sequentially through the Program you are now considered to be "Direct Gold" and must pursue the skill for 18 months.

  Q:I'm really interested in drama and dance. Can this count as a skill even though dance is listed under Physical Recreation?
  A:Yes. The drama is the part that will count for your skill even though some performances may incorporate dance movement into the part.

  Q:My Dad is stripping down an old engine and I'm helping him. Can I use this as Motor Mechanics and have him assess me?
  A:Yes. You may use this as your skill, but it is preferred that your assessment be done by someone not related to you who is experienced in this field. You may be able to ask a local mechanic or service station for help with this. Be sure to document what you do.

  Q:What do I do if I want to do a skill, but it isn't listed?
  A:Discuss it with your parents and assessors to see if it is feasible and then contact the Division Office to see if there are requirements on file. If established requirements are not available, prepare a set of proposed requirements and submit them to the Division Office for approval.
  
  
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  GUIDELINES FOR SKILL ASSESSORS

  WHAT IS THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH'S AWARD?

  It is an individual challenge involving four areas of endeavor: service, expedition/exploration, skills and physical recreation. Each participant must complete and show effort and improvement in each section in order to qualify for an Award at the Bronze, Silver or Gold level.

  WHAT DOES THE SKILL SECTION ENTAIL?

  This involves the development of a new skill or improvement of a current skill. There must be personal commitment and a significant use of leisure time. Skills include activities such as painting, music, public speaking, sewing, gardening, carpentry and a multitude of other topics. The participant will have a sheet of suggested performance levels to assist you in guiding them. With all skills the participant should gain a good understanding of the area appropriate to the level of the Award being worked on.

  WHO IS AN ASSESSOR?

  Any adult who is knowledgeable and experienced in the particular skill to be evaluated, and who is willing to share their experience, knowledge and time.

  WHAT DOES AN ASSESSOR DO?

  An assessor is there to assist the participant, provide guidance, and evaluate the efforts and improvement in accordance with the suggested parameters.

  • An assessor should meet with the participant before he/she starts the skill to determine their starting ability.
  • Discuss with the participant his/her understanding of the skill and make a plan of how the skill will be pursued on a regular basis. Assist him/her to establish realistic goals.
  • Meet with the participant at least once every two months to determine what progress has been made and determine whether the participant has been putting effort into the skill.
  • At the final meeting - after the minimum allowable time (6 months for Bronze; 6 months for Silver; 12 months for Direct Entry Silver; 12 months for Gold; or 18 months for Direct Entry Gold) - assess the participant's skill and complete the appropriate section in the Participant's Record Book. Sign the page if you are satisfied that the participant has:
    • Completed at least the minimum time period
    • Put genuine effort into the skill
    • Shown improvement appropriate to the individual and the Award level

  Note: If you feel that the participant has not completed the section satisfactorily DO NOT fill in the Record Book or sign it. The Record Book should be filled in only after successful completion.
  
  
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