It will be John Moore’s third trip to the castle having previously been recognised there for an act of bravery that saw him save the lives of three young people.
The distinct commissioner’s life might have followed a very different, and less positive, route had it not been for the Scouts.
He said: “I was never in the Scouts. I was in the Army cadets. From the age 14 it was the Army I wanted. I wasn’t a model child, far from it.”
He joined the Army aged 16 and soon found himself in trouble with a heap of extra duties. He jumped at a chance to halve the extra duties by towing a trailer for a Scout event and later spent a weekend camping with them.
Further issues saw Mr Moore put in the unit jail for 28 days. Half way though the sentence, and while marching in full kit with a shell on his back, he saw the youngsters he had been at the camp with.
He said: “That was the road to Nazareth for me. A flash-bang moment.”
Mr Moore started becoming more involved with the Scouts and joined on June 23, 1984. He explained why he remembers the date so well: “It was my first promise, it is carved into my soul.”
Mr Moore changed his ways and was twice promoted in a year before being put in charge of the prison where he had once been incarcerated for 28 days. He said: “I still owe Scouting more than it owes me.”
Now he hopes his five-year-old son, Matthew, will join the Beavers next year and believes all children should get involved in group activities, although not specifically the Scouts.
He said: “I don’t mind what they join as long as they get outside and do something.”
The incident which led to Mr Moore being recognised for bravery happened in the early 1990s while he was on camp with his Scout troop at Windermere, in Cumbria.
He was towing a group of Scouts on rafts with a small motorboat when he saw three young people bobbing in the water, he immediately realised they were struggling and dived into the water.
He pulled all three to shore and thought no more about it.
Years later the Scouts’ county secretary came across a report of the incident, leading to Mr Moore being awarded the Scouts’ Silver Acorn, which was handed over the Blue Peter presenter Peter Duncan and the Duke of Edinburgh. He later received the Silver Cross medal which was presented by the Duke of Kent. Mr Moore came close to giving up his position as district commissioner recently after being diagnosed with severe depression and anxiety, a condition which forced him to give up the fish and chip shop Fryer Tucks, which he ran in Barnard Castle for many years. Mr Moore was also recovering from a serious head injury that had resulted in neurosurgery and almost cost him his life.
He was persuaded to withdraw his resignation and a “district commissioner team” has been established to ensure he can continue to fill the role. Mr Moore said: “Ever since then my memory has been appalling. My night time vision is gone and I don’t drive at night at all. All these challenges have shown me how important Scouts is in my life because the support I have received is phenomenal.”
Awards for Meritorious Conduct are given in cases which may not have involved risk of life, but which have displayed courage, endurance, initiative, or devotion to duty, often under suffering. They are made to the same categories of recipients as are eligible for gallantry awards and a high standard is expected.
Teesdale’s deputy district commissioner, Andy Carr, said: “John has been a member of the Scout Association for more than 30 years. He is being Awarded the Medal for Meritorious Conduct for his actions especially over the last couple of years.
“John has not been well recently and he thought that it would be best to offer his resignation as he believed he could not fulfil his role safely. He could not have been further from the truth, as throughout his treatment his devotion and commitment to Scouting has never waned.
“Thankfully he withdrew his resignation when this was explained to him. All John could think of was putting Scouting first.”
He joined the Army aged 16 and soon found himself in trouble with a heap of extra duties. He jumped at a chance to halve the extra duties by towing a trailer for a Scout event and later spent a weekend camping with them.
Further issues saw Mr Moore put in the unit jail for 28 days. Half way though the sentence, and while marching in full kit with a shell on his back, he saw the youngsters he had been at the camp with.
He said: “That was the road to Nazareth for me. A flash-bang moment.”
Mr Moore started becoming more involved with the Scouts and joined on June 23, 1984. He explained why he remembers the date so well: “It was my first promise, it is carved into my soul.”
Mr Moore changed his ways and was twice promoted in a year before being put in charge of the prison where he had once been incarcerated for 28 days. He said: “I still owe Scouting more than it owes me.”
Now he hopes his five-year-old son, Matthew, will join the Beavers next year and believes all children should get involved in group activities, although not specifically the Scouts.
He said: “I don’t mind what they join as long as they get outside and do something.”
The incident which led to Mr Moore being recognised for bravery happened in the early 1990s while he was on camp with his Scout troop at Windermere, in Cumbria.
He was towing a group of Scouts on rafts with a small motorboat when he saw three young people bobbing in the water, he immediately realised they were struggling and dived into the water.
He pulled all three to shore and thought no more about it.
Years later the Scouts’ county secretary came across a report of the incident, leading to Mr Moore being awarded the Scouts’ Silver Acorn, which was handed over the Blue Peter presenter Peter Duncan and the Duke of Edinburgh. He later received the Silver Cross medal which was presented by the Duke of Kent. Mr Moore came close to giving up his position as district commissioner recently after being diagnosed with severe depression and anxiety, a condition which forced him to give up the fish and chip shop Fryer Tucks, which he ran in Barnard Castle for many years. Mr Moore was also recovering from a serious head injury that had resulted in neurosurgery and almost cost him his life.
He was persuaded to withdraw his resignation and a “district commissioner team” has been established to ensure he can continue to fill the role. Mr Moore said: “Ever since then my memory has been appalling. My night time vision is gone and I don’t drive at night at all. All these challenges have shown me how important Scouts is in my life because the support I have received is phenomenal.”
Awards for Meritorious Conduct are given in cases which may not have involved risk of life, but which have displayed courage, endurance, initiative, or devotion to duty, often under suffering. They are made to the same categories of recipients as are eligible for gallantry awards and a high standard is expected.
Teesdale’s deputy district commissioner, Andy Carr, said: “John has been a member of the Scout Association for more than 30 years. He is being Awarded the Medal for Meritorious Conduct for his actions especially over the last couple of years.
“John has not been well recently and he thought that it would be best to offer his resignation as he believed he could not fulfil his role safely. He could not have been further from the truth, as throughout his treatment his devotion and commitment to Scouting has never waned.
“Thankfully he withdrew his resignation when this was explained to him. All John could think of was putting Scouting first.”
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