About three years ago the Orkney Adventure Scouts decided to rename themselves the John Rae Explorer Scouts. So inspired were they by the great explorer, that a new member, Isaac Donaldson, asked to have his investiture take place at the Hall of Clestrain (June 2019).

The scouts volunteered to help at functions and with refurbishing a portacabin which the Society planned to use as a visitor centre.

The following year, Sir Michael Palin, patron of the John Rae Society, made a donation for special badges to be made for the scouts. Scouts and members of the John Rae Society worked on a design, with principal input from Zoe Hopkins (scout) and Mark Newton (John Rae Society). The badges were manufactured but, because of Covid restrictions, there was a long delay before they could be presented.

This finally took place just before Christmas, facilitated by Davie Reid (also a previous John Rae Trustee) who has been associated with the scouts for more than ten years. The current joint chair of the John Rae Society, Norman Shearer, presented the badges  and the scouts were delighted to receive them.