John Phillips, one of the Rowen campsite volunteers, is a first-class engineer whose talents have saved us more times than we can politely admit.

Before retiring, he was a Senior Engineer at Technical Services for the Gwynedd Area Health Service. So we really should have expected brilliance, but he still surprises us every Wednesday morning at Rowen Scout Campsite.

Despite various afflictions (none of which slow him down nearly as much as he insists), John shows up armed with top-of-the-range tools and equipment for on-site use.

John has boundless enthusiasm and is exceptionally generous—never accepting payment for materials. Most recently, he kindly donated paving stones that will benefit the campsite for years to come.

A lifelong inventor, John has been working tirelessly on a plan to beat Elon Musk in the race to harness solar energy for our camp. We’re confident he’ll crack it first, mostly because Elon hasn’t heard we’re competing.

We must also applaud Sandy, his far-better half, who keeps our WhatsApp group under firm, benevolent control. John is the first to admit that Sandy is the real boss—and we believe him.

For his ingenuity, generosity, humour, and all-round brilliance, we proudly award John the Silver Thanks Badge—an honour he’ll probably try to redesign and improve next Wednesday.