Two days ago, Mrs. Snopper had her 70th birthday.   She spent it completing over two weeks of jury service, which kind of spoilt what might have been a memorable milestone.   But it was a case of duty before pleasure and it occurred to me that there might be some secret Government Department somewhere whose role it is to ensure that memorable milestones are tainted by the call of duty.   My own 21st birthday was spent guarding a phalanx of tanks whilst on training exercises on the green hell of Luneburg heath, so I`m sure there`s a conspiracy going on.

In a moment of wistful reflection, this led me to consider the day and today, 50 years ago, I had completed 583 days of my 731 days National Service protecting western civilisation from the communist hoardes.  I had `only` 148 days left of this enforced adventure and this recollection has, in turn, led me to consider the squeals we`re hearing about introducing some form of National Service in the aftermath of the recent riots.   From what I`m hearing, youngsters are being encouraged, at some considerable expense to the taxpayer, to volunteer for some form of community `work` - helping the elderly, cleaning up streets and generally putting something back into the community.  Yeah, right. 

Now the last thing I would wish on anyone is to go through the kind of National Service that I endured, with its compulsion, its bullying, its hidebound regulation and its witless `good order and military discipline.` And yet, despite all of that, I discovered things about myself, such as resourcefulness, determination, adaptability and, not least, a penchant for seeing  the world and all its chaos with a kind of semi-detached amusement.   But most of all I found companionship in adversity, lasting friendship and comradeship, which is still with me 50 years on.

I think it is these latter advantages that we should be looking for in any attempt at `community service` for young people and I`m not convinced they will be found in the kind of voluntary, time-filling, crack papering, subsidised government-sponsored `programmes` we`re hearing about.   What`s needed is a positive alternative that might just produce the kind of results we`re looking for.

I think it`s called the Duke of Edinburgh`s Award Scheme.  It`s tried and tested. Seems to tick all the boxes so why reinvent the wheel?  See http://www.dofe.org/en/content/cms/doing-your-dofe/ 

Just need to make it obligatory...... or will that start a riot?