The Versatile Master Artist

Chapter 298 - 172: Scouts Badge (2)

The Scouts system places a high emphasis on honors and awards, boasting hundreds of different badges to reward outstanding youths, with varying degrees of difficulty for obtaining these badges.

The easier ones,

for example, spending a day camping independently can earn you the "Basic Campfire Badge," visiting five museums and writing a 500-word scientific essay for each one will earn you the "Basic Science Enthusiast Badge," and helping an old lady cross the street can earn you a "Basic Kindness Badge," and so on.

Some badges, however, carry very significant value.

UK Scout badges are categorized into four levels: basic, third-class, second-class, and first-class.

Both basic and third-class badges are relatively easy to obtain if you have enough volunteer hours and frequently participate in relevant activities.

However, obtaining a second-class badge is quite difficult,

and a first-class badge is even rarer.

For instance, the dog badge in the Canadian principal’s hand is a highly prestigious first-class badge.

It requires one to perform an [animal protection act of significant impact] to be awarded.

"Across the nine Fitz campuses worldwide, since its founding in 1957, only 61 students have received the Scouts’ first-class honor badge, averaging less than one per year. This is also the first time since the establishment of the Myanmar campus. I heard you were also selected by Mrs. Sakai for the advanced class?"

Jerry nodded with a sense of pride.

"Quite an outstanding young man."

The principal beamed at Jerry, looking at him with a kind gaze, as if he were a walking testament to the special bonuses the board of directors would grant due to his educational achievements this year.

"It seems, besides Miss Sakai, we have another student who stands a chance of entering one of the world’s top ten prestigious universities this year. Fitz is proud to have such an excellent young student like you, Mr. Jerry."

It’s not that the principal lacks insight, making a big deal out of a small badge.

But in the eyes of the admissions offices of Western universities, getting a high-level Scouts badge means possessing "exceptional creativity," "an intelligent mind," and "leadership potential," synonymous with being both academically and morally outstanding.

It is even more eye-catching than a student having a simple high school GPA of 3.8 and excellent grades in all subjects on their resume.

It’s somewhat akin to concepts like "Top Ten Outstanding Youths at the City Level," "Three Good Students at the Prefecture Level," or "Advanced Individuals for Bravery."

Many famous politicians from the UK and US, prime ministers, and cabinet ministers were recipients of the Scouts’ first-class badge.

To this day, these prominent figures still display such badges as important honors from their student days on their Wikipedia pages, with importance no less than that of a diploma from a prestigious school.

"The first-class Kindness Badge, truly outstanding."

The principal carefully pinned the dog badge onto the chest of Jerry’s school uniform: "If I had a badge like this when I was a kid, I think I’d wear it 24 hours a day, even when I slept."

It seems this animal kindness euthanasia project particularly struck a chord with the Scouts’ badge review committee, and even the principal hadn’t expected to successfully apply for a "first-class kindness badge" from the United Kingdom.

There are many students at Fitz School winning awards in society, but never have they received such a heavyweight honor.

It seems this year he truly has explosive achievements,

a talent like Miss Sakai transferring in can only be considered his good luck.

But Jerry, on the other hand, was cultivated genuinely by the school. If he truly manages to gain admission to one of the top ten QS world-ranking art schools, it would certainly be a notable achievement in the school board.

The old principal handed the microphone to Jerry, smilingly saying, "Would you like to share some words on your creation and the experience of winning the award with your classmates?"

"I have always been someone who is kind to animals. One day in school, during the English grammar class, when I heard the teacher recite William Wordsworth’s famous poem ’The Lost Love,’ I was deeply touched, and I wanted to do something for the animals. My father also supported my plan, and there just happened to be such an opportunity recently..."

Jerry had obviously rehearsed his speech with great care.

He spoke fluently and eloquently, and when it came to those abandoned cats and dogs, he would occasionally clench his fist in demonstration of anger.

He possessed a strong leadership charisma.

Gu Weijing also couldn’t help but admit,

that Jerry looked incredibly charming at this moment.

Handsome, athletic, rich, and kind-hearted. If such a boy isn’t the talk of the school, who is?

"Finally, I would like to specifically mention that during the filming of the microfilm, I want to thank a classmate of ours for their help."

At the end of his speech, Jerry’s tone suddenly turned solemn.

He clapped his hands, raised his arm, and said: "That would be our Miss Mona Sandunu. Miss Sandunu served as the scene manager and post-production crew of the microfilm ’THE LOST LOVE.’ I am very grateful for Miss Sandunu’s contributions and companionship during the filming process. Please let us give a round of applause to this admirable and lovely girl."

This announcement left the whole audience in silence for a moment.

Then,

an uproarious applause erupted like a tidal wave.

The clamor seemed as if it was about to lift the auditorium’s roof right off the school.

"That’s so romantic."

"So they really are together, I knew it."

"Making a short film together before graduation... and even winning an award at the film festival, it’s like something out of a school romance movie."

"Wow, if someone did this for me, I’d bear him children."

"I can’t take it; it’s too sweet. Such a golden couple, do they leave any space for others?"

The murmurs among the classmates grew louder; whether it was Jerry’s basketball team brothers arranging it, or the scene naturally progressed to this point, was unclear.

Then someone in the audience shouted, "Kiss!"

And the atmosphere started to get more intense, with the whole room joining in on the cheering.

Even the lower-grade kids, in such a lively setting, clapped hard and followed along with the shouting.

"Kiss!"

"Kiss!"

"Kiss!"

The principal was momentarily stunned, then hesitated but did not stop the ruckus in the auditorium.

Playing the villain at a time like this, even the old principal felt it would be a bit of a spoil-sport.

He merely smiled helplessly, took in the youthful romance bursting forth among the teens, and folded his arms, letting the students carry on with their shenanigans.

The lighting technician at the auditorium stage was also someone who enjoyed a good spectacle, and he pointed a spotlight specifically at the female student on the host platform.

Mona continued to stand to the side of the stage’s projection cloth, still holding the cue card from the award ceremony, her expression calm, with exquisite features.

Jerry walked towards the front of the stage.

Under the spotlight, the brunette beauty and the handsome blond were gradually moving closer; this scene was reminiscent of the Prince and Princess’s romance in ’Grimm’s Fairy Tales.’

If they didn’t kiss,

the audience felt they’d lose something fitting.

Mona looked somewhat surprised under the light.

She never expected Jerry to say such things.

Jerry indeed invited her at the beginning of the semester to participate in the filming of the pet protection microfilm ’Lost Love’ and be the leading lady in it.

However, Mona refused the opportunity herself, and did not participate in the microfilm production process as scene manager and post-production personnel.

Upon hearing Jerry’s announcement.

Mona frowned, feeling a bit at a loss, and when she saw Jerry walking up on stage, she instinctively took a small step back.

"I had no other intentions, didn’t notify you in advance, just wanted to give you a surprise."

Noticing the resistance in Mona’s body language, Jerry slightly shook his head as a reminder to himself not to be too hasty, then stopped a few meters away from Mona with a smile.

He lowered his voice and said softly: "Anyway, it was my father’s organized project, and with the scene management and post-production part, there was a vacancy, so if it wasn’t filled, it would have been wasted. I handily put your name in, consider it a gentlemanly gesture."

"So that when you apply for university, you’ll have a pretty good record in the social activity section."

Jerry pointed at the screen off to the side, at this time the video paused on the last frame of the microfilm, coincidentally the frame acknowledging the film’s staff.

Mona hadn’t looked closely earlier; now she saw her name indeed listed in the [Scene Manager, Post-Production] section.

"Miss Sandunu, you wouldn’t blame my goodwill, would you?"

Jerry said with a smile.