By CASEY NEILL
NOBLE Park student Rivka Bortnoski says Scouts have shown her she can do anything she sets her mind to.
The Year 12 was last month named a Queen’s Scout, and will next month attend Government House in Melbourne to receive the Royal Certificate from the Governor of Victoria, Alex Chernov.
It’s the highest honour youth members can gain in Scouts and it covers four categories – leadership, development, personal growth, and outdoor activities and community involvement.
“It means a lot to receive the award,” Rivka said.
“I know myself that not every Venturer Scout gets to where I am today, and only 54 of us out of the thousands of Scouts this year in Victoria have earned our Queen’s Scout Awards.
“It also shows that hard work and dedication pay off.”
Rivka got involved with Scouts in 2007 as a 10-year-old.
“I had grown up hearing stories of what my older cousin had done as a Scout and wanted to join since I was a lot younger,” she said.
She said Scouts wasn’t a hobby.
“It becomes a lifestyle. Most of the things I do revolve around my availability because of Scout events,” she said.
“I enjoy the fact that Scouts teaches kids what schools don’t.
“Unless you do things like Outdoor Education in your later years at school, not many people learn how to read a compass or go hiking as young as the Scouts do.
Rivka said she’d gained a lot from Scouting.
“Scouts gave me a way to come out of my shell and express myself as well as push myself to new limits, all while gaining new skills and discovering things which I used to hate – like public speaking, it isn’t actually that hard,” she said.
“It was Scouts which ultimately proved to me that you really can do anything as long as you set your mind to it.”
Noble Park Secondary College principal Pam Dyson attended the award presentation.
“I was very privileged to be part of the process and made an announcement of congratulations on behalf of the college,” she said.
“I’m very proud. It’s a big award. The college is very proud of her.”
