THE motto for scouting is ‘be prepared’ – but nothing could have braced Elliot Luke for the challenges he was forced to face in life.
Among other things, Elliott suffers from epilepsy, dyslexia, Asperger’s syndrome and bilateral talopsies – a rare feet condition that could have prevented him from walking.
The 18-year-old has defied the odds, however, and was honoured with a Queens Scout Award last October.
Elliott said becoming a Queen’s Scout made all of his hard work worth it.
“It’s a great achievement, and I am glad I pushed myself to finish it,” he said.
“Not many people complete their Queen Scout, so I am proud of myself that I achieved such an amazing award.”
His Hampton Park family were thrilled to see Elliott’s hard work pay off, particularly his mother Margaret.
“Not many get it because there is so much involved,” Ms Luke said.
“I was so proud.”
Beginning as a Cub at age seven, Elliott was determined that he would emulate his uncle and become a Queen’s Scout.
His mother said it was a very proud moment.
“He’s always wanted to be a Queen’s Scout,” she said.
“He was rapt and very proud.”
Making the moment extra special was a distinguished guest who attended the presentation.
The grandson of Robert Baden Powell, founder of Scouting, attended the ceremony, after Elliott invited him when interviewing the scouting great for one of his school projects.
Unsure of what to expect, Elliott got a great surprise when the scouting royalty arrived to watch him receive the honour.
“He was one of the first to reply,” Elliott’s mother said.
“That was really exciting.”
The prestigious award, which is uncommon given the amount of work required, was an extra special achievement for Elliott, due to battling bilateral talopsies.
This condition was first noticed before he was born, and his mother was told there was a chance Elliott may never walk.
However, the Chisolm Tafe student proved the disbelievers wrong when he completed a three-day hike as part of his volunteering.
“That was huge,” his mother said.
Although he arrived back from the camp battered and bruised, the hike contributed to the 580 hours of volunteering which Elliott did within the community.
The teenager said there were many great things to come out of the quest to earn this award.
“I learnt a lot about myself and some of the activities were challenging but fun,” he said.
