BEAR GRYLLS: CHIEF SCOUT EXEC. IN THE U.K.

Bear Grylls appointed new Chief Scout in the UK
On 18th May 2009, The Scout Association announced Bear Grylls’ appointment as the tenth and youngest Chief Scout of the United Kingdom and Overseas Territories.
Bear is one of the UK’s great outdoor adventurers; he is also a strong supporter of young people as seen via his work with international children’s charity, Global Angels. As Chief Scout, a position he will hold for five years, Bear will be the volunteer Leader of the largest co-educational youth Movement in the country: Scouting has around half a million Members including some 90,000 adult Leaders.
During his term, Bear aims to inspire more and more adults to volunteer for Scouting and is committed to reinforcing Scouting’s role as the place to offer adventure based activities to young people. Bear’s commitment to massively increasing the number of adult Leaders in the Scout Movement comes at a time when waiting lists to join Scout Groups across the UK remain at an all-time high: currently more than 33,000 young people aged between six and 25 are waiting to join Scouting in the UK.
Previously, as one of the youngest ever climbers to reach the summit of Mt. Everest, Bear is now the youngest person ever to become Chief Scout. He will be invested at a handover ceremony with outgoing Chief Scout Peter Duncan later in the year. Newly appointed Chief Scout Bear Grylls said: “I feel hugely honoured to be asked to take up this role as Chief Scout - it really is a dream come true. I have always loved helping young people live their dreams and to taste real adventure… The Scout Movement is a world-wide force for good and at heart it says that young people have the right to an adventure. And I for one am so proud to be part of that.”
In addition to Bear Grylls being appointed as the new Chief Scout, Wayne Bulpitt has been appointed as the first ever UK Chief Commissioner. This role will strengthen the day-to-day volunteer leadership functions within the Movement. Wayne will focus on managing and leading all volunteers within the Movement and will also be responsible for building relationships with political parties, Association ambassadors, and other charities and organisations.
New UK Chief Commissioner Wayne Bulpitt said: “I am delighted to have been invited to take on the new role and to lead our Movement at such an exciting time. The successes of the last few years mean that we are well placed to capitalise on our external high standing and profile and to fulfill our vision of providing inspiration, personal development and exciting opportunities to increasing numbers of young people. I know that we can only do this through increased support to those volunteers running our sections and units without whom there would be no Scouting. We now have a great opportunity to attract more adults to take on leadership roles in the Movement.”

Article was taken from the World Scout Bureau June 2009

I was asked what was my take on Bear Grylls being appointed at the Chief Scout Executive for the United Kingdom and I usually don't try to voice my opinion about certain issues that I really do not have any real expertise in.

Initially, my thought was, "OK here is a celebrity trying to be a "Mister Niceguy," but I quickly dismissed that thought as here is a guy that spent most of his life living the scout oath and promise.

Bear Grylls is an young, attractive man, which can only recruit more youth into the scouting movement by utilizing his television celebrity status in ways that can only he can .

He will be what Jeff Gordon is to young race fans and scouts alike here in the States.

What better person, than Bear Grylls, to show wilderness survival techniques and demonstrate the Leave no Trace principles that the scouting movement thrives on.

Being prepared for anything that comes along was Lord Baden Powell's original thought for the youth program that is now a century old.

I believe the Bear Grylls will bring scouting back into the spotlight where it once was 30-50 yrs. ago and make this movement the organization to be involved in.

Congratulations, Bear Grylls and welcome back to Scouting!