HRH Prince Philip

Remembering HRH Prince Philip with thanks

It was with great sadness that all of us heard of the passing of HRH Prince Philip. He had strong connections with the School and left behind a legacy, the DofE scheme from which so many of our pupils benefitted.

Prince Philip visited the Girls’ School in 1959, a proud day for the girls who were working for his Award. He then visited again in 2004 for the opening of the Knox-Johnston Sports Centre.

The Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme was started at Berkhamsted School by Colin McDougall in 1958 and continues to be very much a part of the School . The first Bronze expedition – Tring Hill, the first Silver – CCF march to camp, the first Gold – Derbyshire Peaks. The first Gold award recipients were Ken Tipton (Ad ’61) and Keith Goddard (Ad ’62).

The Diamond Challenge

DofE was, without a doubt, an integral part of my life as a Berkhamsted student. Arriving in year 9 with the looming prospect of choosing what sports and activities I would like to spend my time on, I was instantly drawn to the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, for much the same reason as Berkhamsted in the first place; the opportunity to try something totally new that wasn’t intrinsically academic. My first year at Berkhamsted flew by, trying to find my feet; however, I knew that a few of the activities I had started would come in useful for progressing through the DofE scheme. If memory serves me correctly, to successfully pass the Bronze award you undertook 3 months of volunteering, 3 months of undertaking a physical activity, and 3 months spent on honing a skill, in addition to an expedition.

Already thoroughly enjoying the Combined Cadet Force, and taking on increasing responsibility, it seemed logical to see whether this could constitute my volunteering component; my skill which was somewhat of a love hate relationship, was playing the saxophone, and most excitingly, I decided to take up judo, after school, to meet the physical requirement. A great many of my school friends, who I stay in touch with to this day, were made through the scheme, whether it be discussing our progress with each other or planning our expedition.

The two-day, one night expedition was a memorable experience for a number of reasons, none more so than the responsibility and flexibility given throughout! While I could not see it at the time, largely due to being too engrossed in what size panniers or how many tent pegs we would require, the life skills being developed and tested at such a young age were in no part, in my mind, instrumental to our development at school and ad infinitum. Successfully passing the Bronze award felt like a large achievement as a 14-year-old, however even at that age, it was starkly apparent just how many friends who were not active, nor ‘outdoorsy’ people gave the Bronze award a go, which is both a testament to the fabric of Berkhamsted students and the support from the DofE team.

The progression to the Gold award was an extremely easy sell for me, having read about further ‘sharpening’ my skills, developing my physical skills, giving back to Berkhamsted through continued volunteering, in addition to a residential experience and the highly coveted expedition. For my skill and physical activity, I chose to continue playing the saxophone, and captain the Berkhamsted Ski Team. With regards to the residential experience and volunteering component, I sailed the coast of France on a Tall Ship for 4 days and 3 nights, as well as continued leadership and volunteering through the CCF, progressing to Cadet Warrant Officer Class 2, in charge of the CCF and responsible, in part, for Her Late Majesty’s visit to Berkhamsted School and, in particular, 125 years of the Combined Cadet Force.

I consider myself extremely fortunate to have been given the opportunity to explore the Italian Dolomites under Mr Hardy for my Gold expedition. Alongside friends who I undertook my Bronze expedition with, the lasting memory was climbing the Via Ferratta (Iron Way) and soaking in the most incredible views and crisp air!

If all that had been experienced in just 2 years was not enough, the year of my Gold Award presentation happened to be the 60th Anniversary of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, which afforded the opportunity for 100 Gold Award holders up and down the country to achieve the Diamond Award and be awarded at Buckingham Palace by the Duke of Edinburgh. I applied, and was fortunate enough to be accepted, representing Berkhamsted School and, to my knowledge, Hertfordshire.

As the photos will speak volumes, I am extremely proud of my Gold and Diamond Awards, and throughout the intense period of interviewing after university, I cannot remember an occasion where the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award has not been raised by the potential employer.

My lasting remark is a colossal thanks to the Berkhamsted Duke of Edinburgh Team, with particular thanks to both Mr and Mrs Hardy, as I believe, with the scheme and endless support, Berkhamsted students continue to leave school extremely well-rounded people.

Michael Parsey (Sw ’11)