Award for Rosemary
Top Award Comes as a Surprise to Rosemary!
On 11th December Rosemary Gradwell was presented with the Laurel Award by Lesley Knighton, Midlands Chief Commissioner. The award is presented to guiders who have given outstanding service to Guiding and who have had a significant impact at county, regional or national levels. As well as leading her unit Rosemary is Castle Division Commissioner. At Midlands level she is both a member of the Regional Awards Committee and Special Needs Advisor, she also headed up the national group which created the ‘Including All Disabilities’ resource. Some of her other roles have included County Health & First Aid Advisor, organising the medical support teams for several large camps, being a volunteer doctor for NESST and running Mencap ‘Get Together’ training sessions.
Most of us know Rosemary as the superb lead organiser of Countdown 100 and the county centenary camp Knotts 2010. Despite, or maybe because, she is on the Midlands awards committee Rosemary was totally unsuspecting when Lesley started to describe the recipient of the award she was about to present as a dedicated and exceptional leader who at the same time is thoughtful, calm and wise. Rosemary’s reactions were a little on the slow side but eventually she realised the roles being described were hers and her embarrassment was such that her face nearly matched her jumper as it dawned that she was going to be honoured. Congratulations Rosemary.