A ten-year-old boy was today hailed Britain’s most dedicated Cub Scout – after earning all 54 badges in just two years.
Determined Tristan Gee has achieved one new badge every two weeks since he joined his troop in 2010 and has so many he almost ran out of space on his cub jumper for them all.
The schoolboy joined just a handful of other Cubs in Britain to complete every badge and was awarded his last one – map reading – on his final ever meeting before joining the Scouts this week.
He first joined Romsley Cub Scouts, in his home town of Bromsgrove, Worcs., when he was eight-years-old and set himself the challenge of earning every badge.
And remarkably, Tristan, had to work hard almost every school night and weekend to achieve his incredible goal.
On Sunday Tristan was presented with a special neckerchief and the Chief Scout’s Silver Award – the highest award available in the Cubs – in honour of his remarkable achievements.
The proud schoolboy said: “It was a bit phenomenal to do it really. I’m amazed that I’ve done this.
“Martial arts was the hardest because I don’t like it much. Ice skating was another hard one.
“My friends and other Cubs think it’s amazing too. I think I will try and do all the Scout badges now.”
Tristan’s diverse range of badges include those for map reading, DIY, martial arts, cycling, music, IT, swimming and horse riding.
He has completed all 33 activity badges, all seven challenge badges and has 13 stage badges from the six categories.
| Tristan’s Badges33 Activity Badges:
Air Activities Activity Badge 8 Challenge Awards: Chief Scout’s Silver Award 13 Staged Activity Badges: Five of the Swimmer Staged Activity Badges |
The schoolboy almost lost out on his dream when he struggled to perfect ice skating – falling more than 20 times on his first lesson.
But after hours of practice he passed with flying colours, achieving a level three when he only needed a level one.
Proud mum, Kathryn, 40, said the whole family was proud of Tristan and that he deserved the award.
The personal assistant, who lives in Bromsgrove with her accountant husband
Paul, 43, and their two children, Tristan and his sister Felicity, nine, said: “Tristan has been a cub since he was eight-years-old and it has taken the whole of cubs to complete the badges.
“He decided when he went there to try and do it because he likes to achieve, he’s quite a high achiever and it was something to keep him motivated.
“He was really focused and he was doing it every night and weekend after his school homework.
“It is a very difficult thing to achieve, due to the range of badges that are available.
“The ones (badges) that have been the most difficult are the sport ones because he had to learn them.
“Things like martial arts and ice skating have taken a lot of commitment. He couldn’t stand up when he started ice skating but now he can do it.
“I wanted to prove to him that you can do anything if you put your mind to it.
“He did the last badge at the weekend on the last Cub camp and he started Scouts on Monday.
“They are already starting on badges so he is happy with that. I think he will give it a go to get all the Scout badges too.
“He has had to learn a lot of skills that didn’t come naturally to him. It’s sheer determination and hard work.
“We are all so proud of him.”
