Deathly fear part of thrill: Prince Edward

The Australian ^ | 30th October 2009 | James Madden

[naturalman1975]

THE Queen's youngest son, Prince Edward, chairman of the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme that encourages participation in outdoor activities, believes that one reason young people are attracted to the program is the possibility that they could die in pursuit of the award.

In an interview with The Australian yesterday, the Earl of Wessex, who is seventh in line to the British throne, said the program, established in Britain in 1956 and open to people aged between 14 and 25 in more than 120 countries - remains popular with so many because it offers the promise of adventure and the possibility of serious danger. Prince Edward was responding to a question about Sydney schoolboy David Iredale, who died in December 2006 in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, while on a bushwalk he undertook without supervision as part of his Duke of Edinburgh Award.

The prince said he was not aware of the circumstances of the Iredale case, but recounted that when a young man died while participating in a Duke of Edinburgh activity in Britain in the program's early years, interest in the scheme soared.

"All the trustees were convinced that (the boy's death) was the end of it, that it would never go any further," Prince Edward said. "And Lord Hunt, the man who masterminded the first successful ascent of Everest and was first director of the award, said: 'No, no, no, do nothing ... Just wait and see."'

The prince recalled that, in the days following the death, the number of inquiries from young people wanting to learn more about the award, and how they could get involved, skyrocketed.

[naturalman1975]

Adolescents - particularly boys - are risk takers. They want to be able to experience danger. They learn from it, and they become better because of it. Our modern society tends to work way too hard to protect children and teens from even the slightest danger and in so doing retard their growth and development.

I teach teenage boys and one of the strengths of my school (and other boys schools here I know of) is that we do do our best to give boys the chance to stretch themselves and to take risks. Of course, as adults, we're also watching what they are doing and stand ready to try and protect them if they go too far, or if they get into serious trouble but you have to give them the chance.

[Shooter 2.5]

There are controlled dangers such as SCUBA diving, sky diving and rappelling. Doing something out of the safe limits is stupid and begging for a Darwin Award.

[naturalman1975]

Oh, yes - there have to be limits. But when kids aren’t even being allowed to play basketball or ride a mountain bike because they might get hurt, people are getting ridiculous.

The Duke of Edinburgh scheme is generally very well controlled and supervised. But it still allows adolescents to explore their own limits.

[Tax-chick]

There are controlled dangers such as SCUBA diving, sky diving and rappelling.

And there are people who die participating in those activities. Even sitting on your sofa at home has a risk of death ... but adventure sports increase the risk exponentially.

I agree with Prince Edward: boys and young men are attracted to risk, and hiking or rock climbing is a much better channel for their energies than terrorizing the neighbors is. Yes, a few will die ... but we're all going to die.

[saganite]

Heaven only knows how hard I begged for a Darwin award in my youth. So many young men do. I can only say that many are called, few are chosen. ;^)

[Bigg Red]

Adolescents - particularly boys - are risk takers. They want to be able to experience danger. They learn from it, and they become better because of it. Our modern society tends to work way too hard to protect children and teens from even the slightest danger and in so doing retard their growth and development.

I teach teenage boys and one of the strengths of my school (and other boys schools here I know of) is that we do do our best to give boys the chance to stretch themselves and to take risks. Of course, as adults, we’re also watching what they are doing and stand ready to try and protect them if they go too far, or if they get into serious trouble but you have to give them the chance.

&&&
You are so right. Our modern society wants to put them into bubbles. Protecting them too much robs them of the chance to see what they are made of and the satisfaction of knowing that they met the challenge.

I am a woman who wound up raising her 4 without her husband, and I took great pains not to go girle and stifle their sense of adventure.