Previous Chief Scouts

The Chief Scout provides inspirational leadership to the Scouts in the UK and is the public face of Scouting, along with ambassadors the Chief Scout ensures that Scouting reaches as wide an audience as possible. Chief Scouts are appointed for a five-year tenure.

Robert Baden-Powell – 1907 to 1941
Arthur Somers-Cocks – 1942 to 1945
Thomas Corbett – 1945 to 1959
Charles Maclean – 1959 to 1971
William Gladstone – 1972 to 1982
Michael J. H. Walsh – 1982 to 1988
Garth Morrison – 1988 to 1996
George Purdy – 1996 to 2004
Peter Duncan – 2004 to 2009
Bear Grylls – 2009 to 2024