The Scout Association's Chief Scout is the head of its youth programmes. The role is now merely a nominal and titular ceremonial figurehead. The association's present Chief Scout is the British adventurer and TV presenter Bear Grylls.
Robert Baden-Powell made himself Chief Scout of his own Scouting organisation, The Boy Scouts Association. Following his death, the association appointed Chief Scouts of the British Empire, then of the British Commonwealth and Empire, then of the Commonwealth and, since 1972, of the United Kingdom and Overseas Territories.
The association's first Chief Scout, Robert Baden-Powell made himself the Chief Scout and chairman for life. The association's charter and by-laws made no provision for his removal, retirement or the appointment of a successor in either role. The association's subsequent Chief Scouts have been appointed by its council, which council elects its own members including office bearers, while others are appointed by the board of trustees (formerly committee of the council), with others nominated as representatives from councils around the United Kingdom (the majority of whose members are appointed by the board or headquarters) and overseas branches controlled by headquarters. [3]
Once the powerful leader of the association, the role of the association's Chief Scout was fundamentally diminished when the holder ceased to also be chairman of the Committee of the Council (now Board of Trustees) following Baden-Powell's death in 1941. Baden-Powell had made himself Chief Scout and chairman for life but, upon his death, the committee determined that it had the power to appoint subsequent Chief Scouts and chairmen. Not only were the roles separated but the committee assumed power over the roles. The role was further diminished with appointments of Chief Scouts for limited terms and diminished further still in 2009 with the functions split with the appointment of a UK Chief Commissioner (Deputy Chief Scout). [4] The UK Chief Commissioner took over most of the administrative duties and now heads the adult leaders and administrators of the association. Reducing the capacity of the Chief Scout to make decisions on their own, a committee was appointed to work alongside them. Working alongside the association Chief Scout's Committee, the association's Chief Scout is nominally responsible for the appointment of County Commissioners and County Presidents, [5] but this is merely ceremonially formal. The association's Chief Scout is now merely an iconic figurehead for publicity promotion of the association's youth programmes.
Each section of The Scout Association has an award meant to come from the association's Chief Scout; in Beavers, the award is the Chief Scout's Bronze Award, in Cubs it is Silver, in Scouts it is Gold and in Explorers, Platinum and Diamond. The only award higher than this is the Queen's Scout Award. [6]
Lieutenant General Robert Stephenson Smyth Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell,, was a British Army officer, writer, founder and first Chief Scout of the world-wide Scout Movement, and founder, with his sister Agnes, of the world-wide Girl Guide / Girl Scout Movement. Baden-Powell authored the first editions of the seminal work Scouting for Boys, which was an inspiration for the Scout Movement.
Olave St Clair Baden-Powell, Lady Baden-Powell, GBE was the first Chief Guide for Britain and the wife of Robert Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell, the founder of Scouting and Girl Guides. She outlived her husband, who was 32 years her senior, by over 35 years.
The Scout Association is the largest Scouting organisation in the United Kingdom and is the World Organization of the Scout Movement's recognised member for the United Kingdom. Following the origin of Scouting in 1907, the association was formed in 1910 and incorporated in 1912 by a royal charter under its previous name of The Boy Scouts Association.
Arthur Herbert Tennyson Somers-Cocks, 6th Baron Somers, was a British Army officer who served as the 16th Governor of Victoria, in office from 1926 to 1931. He had a long involvement with the Scout Movement, and was Chief Scout of the British Empire from 1942 until his death, in succession to Robert Baden-Powell.
Scouts Australia is a trading name of The Scout Association of Australia which is the largest Scouting organisation in Australia. It is a member organisation of the World Organization of the Scout Movement. It operates personal development programs for children and young adults from 5 to 25 years of age in Australia and Australian territories. It was formed in 1958 and incorporated in 1967. Scouts Australia's programs were opened to girls after 1971.
The Scout Association of Ireland was an Irish multi-denominational Scout association from 1908 until 2004, when it merged with the former Catholic Boy Scouts of Ireland to form Scouting Ireland. It was named "Scouting Ireland (SAI)" in the years leading up to the merger. The SAI was formed soon after the publication of Scouting for Boys and was affiliated to the British Boy Scout Association, which meant its members were mainly unionist and hence Protestant in background. After the 1920s partition of Ireland, the SAI remained organised in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
The Order of World Scouts (OWS), founded in 1911, is the oldest international Scouting organisation. It is headquartered in England, with the administration headquarters in Italy. As of November 2008, the Order of World Scouts includes member associations in 14 countries-the United Kingdom, Italy, Australia, Peru, Jamaica, as well as two associations each for Poland, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, the Dominican Republic, Bolivia, Brasil, Chile and three associations in Mexico, Ukraine and Nepal, Uganda, Honduras and the United States.
A Scout leader or Scouter generally refers to the trained adult leader of a Scout unit. The terms used vary from country to country, over time, and with the type of unit.
John Frederick Colquhoun, CBE, nicknamed "Koko", was a long-serving headquarters official of The Boy Scouts Association of the United Kingdom and served on the World Scout Committee of the World Organization of the Scout Movement from 1959 to 1965.
Scouting and Guiding in Queensland is predominantly represented by Scouts Queensland, a branch of Scouts Australia in the State of Queensland, Australia and Girl Guides Queensland, a member of Girl Guides Australia. There is a small representation of the Australian Baden-Powell Scouts' Association.
The Scout Association of Bermuda is a branch of The Scout Association of the United Kingdom as Bermuda is a British Overseas Territory.
The Scout and Guide movement in Malta is served by three organizations:
Chau Cham-son, OBE, CStJ, JP, was the Chief Commissioner of the Scout Association of Hong Kong from 1985 to 1996. He was the son of Sir Chau Tsun-nin.
Robert Crause Baden-Powell, 3rd Baron Baden-Powell was the elder son of Carine Boardman and Peter Baden-Powell, 2nd Baron Baden-Powell, and a grandson of Robert Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell and Olave Baden-Powell.
Hubert Stanley Martin was a British diplomat, an early Scouting leader, The Boy Scouts Association's International Commissioner and the first director of the Boy Scouts International Bureau in 1920, a position he held until his death.
Sir Alfred Donald "Pickle" Pickford OBE was an English businessman who made his wealth from jute in British India and was an official of The Boy Scouts Association.
Colonel Granville Walton, OBE, CMG (1888-1974) served as The Boy Scouts Association Headquarters Commissioner for Overseas Scouts and, later, was Assistant Chief Scout to the Association's Chief Scout, Robert Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell.
The British Boy Scouts and British Girl Scouts Association is an early scouting organisation, having begun as the Battersea Boy Scouts in 1908. The organisation was renamed as the British Boy Scouts and launched as a national organisation on 24 May 1909. In association with other Scout organisations, the BBS formed the National Peace Scouts in 1910. The BBS instigated the first international Scouting organisation, the Order of World Scouts in 1911.
Lady Joyce Ethyl Price was an Australian philanthropist and a noted leader of the Guide movement in Australia and of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS).
Percy Bantock Nevill, OBE, FCA, commonly known P. B. Nevill, was a chartered accountant, became Scoutmaster of the 5th Enfield Boy Scout troop in late 1909, after the beginning of Scouting and held many positions within The Boy Scouts Association of the United Kingdom including as Headquarters Commissioners and as Vice-President of the Association. He contributed to Scouting in major projects, such as the founding of Gilwell Park and Roland House and donated Kingsdown Scout Camp to The Boy Scouts Association. He contributed to Scouting publications and wrote two books on Scouting.
Working in partnership with Bear will be Scouting volunteer Wayne Bulpitt, who takes on the new role of UK Chief Commissioner.
