Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme

In the proficiency exams 2 passed at advanced level, 5 completed part III, and 4 obtained part II. Sgt R. Collingwood-Gittins is to be congratulated on obtaining a B grade in 0 level air navigation with a very limited amount of instruction, and so also is Cpl J. F. Abbott who obtained a distinction in the advanced proficiency exam.

Gliding qualifications during the year were obtained by Sgt M. E. Wilson, Sgt G. Schofield and Cpl P. Swiers. Once again air experience flying took place at RAF Leeming and conditions were satisfactory for this activity on no less than 5 occasions. Usually on each visit it was possible for 10 cadets to fly in dual controlled Chipmunks and the section would like to express its appreciation to Sq/Ldr Ritchie, the officer commanding the AEF at Leeming.

RAF cadets have been ably led by Warrant Officer J. Markwick-Smith assisted by Sgts M. E. Wilson, G. Schofield and R. C. CollingwoodGittins and a training programme with a fair degree of variety has been provided including a night excercise. Sgt R. Collingwood-Gittins was the N.C.O. in charge of the St. Peter's School flight at RAF North Luffenham in July 1977, when a plaque was presented to the school for the best all round performance in drill, shooting, swimming, initiative and night exercises. This year's RAF camp was at Cranwell from July 15-22nd and 15 cadets enjoyed an excellent programme of varied activities. The Section came second among eleven schools for all-round efficiency in the Camp, and first for standard of appearance and for maintaining the tidiness of their quarters.

P.L.H.

The Annual Presentation of Awards took place in the School's Memorial Hall on the evening of Saturday, 8th July, when Miss Marjorie Hodgson presented the following Awards: —

Stephen Ashton David Aspinall Christopher Bentley Andrew Blacker Anthony Booth Jonathan Brierley Richard Chapman Simon Dee Anthony Elliott Simon Etches John Farrow Andrew Fawthrop Marc Gee Andrew Green BRONZE AWARDS 1978 Martin Hall Nigel Harness Christopher Hobson Adrian Hitchenor Charles Hopkinson Peter Ibbotson Richard Iveson Martin Jesper Stephen Kettlewell Richard Lister Robin Litten Simon Longthorp Lindsay McDonald Andrew Megginson Paul Moayyedi Andrew Nodder Gary Oates Deb Pal Jeremy Prendergast Andrew Reed Jason Schofield Michael Shipley Jeremy Taylor John Taylor Charles Walker Simon Webb Jonathan Winchurch Simon Woollons

Paul Aagaard Christopher

Coates-Walker Richard Barrett SILVER AWARDS 1978 Roderick Barron Mark Blackburn Peter Fender Paul McCarter Michael Sunley Simon Shilleto

GOLD AWARDS 1978 Martin St. John Turner Duncan Fawthrop

In addition, Gold Awards have been gained during the year by:— Christopher Greaves John Greaves Philip Lancaster Geoffrey Brown Alan Heavens

The year has been a very busy and eventful one, from which we have learned a great deal—usually by making mistakes. The Bronze Award Group has been bigger than ever before, with the result that a great deal of the work and initiative has had to come from the boys themselves. Particularly pleasing, has been the wide variety of Interests being pursued—sometimes entirely new interests, like the Kite Flying, for which a syllabus was devised by two of these boys. I would not have believed that Kite Flying could occupy anyone for the necessary six month period, but have revised that opinion. We again owe thanks to Mr. Deighton, who undertook the huge task of assessing the Expeditions in June, with willing and useful assistance from a number of boys from the Gold Award Group—who played their part in keeping the Fourthformers on the right paths.

The Silver Award has effectively been taken by two groups during the year: some members of the LVI have been working towards this for a long time and finally attained it; while a small group of Vth formers went on to Silver after their Bronze Awards. For various reasons— like falling off bicycles—some of these did not reach the actual Award, but I hope they will fulfil the remaining requirements in the early part of next term. That cycling accident deserves further mention: perhaps it should not have happened, but it did. The most re-assuring thing is to know how willingly the boys were helped when help was most needed, and how well the boys coped themselves. Their earlier training and their common sense were enough to limit the damage to its minimum. Their assessor, although technically unable to pass the entire group, was full of praise for the way in which the boys dealt with the whole business.

The Gold Award Groups continue to work very hard—often not directly for themselves in the Award, but helping with the work of the other groups. The MVI Gold expeditions found September Lakeland at its wettest; but they profited greatly from the experience and they have come close to completion of the Award at the end of their "A" Level year: I hope to be able to announce a large crop of Awards for this group in next year's Peterite. The LVI Gold group, less committed to academic work, has been as helpful as ever: though they do not organise themselves as quickly as I would like, they are nevertheless getting through a good deal of work, especially in the Interest and Service sections of the Award.

I cannot omit—as ever—a clear statement of our debt to the vast group of people who have helped during the year: the Scheme could not possibly continue without such aid and assistance so willingly given. I will mention Mr. Wilson, Mr. Macdonald and Mr. Daniel by name only because their aid is so continuous and direct to the whole Scheme; but all the others deserve equal thanks.