Saying thank you and goodbye to Bear Grylls: a champion for all young people
‘Without adventure, life would be deadly dull,’ wrote Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of Scouts (and our first Chief Scout). That certainly applies to Bear Grylls, our tenth Chief Scout, who steps down from the role later this year.
Quite simply, Bear supercharged our movement. His energy, commitment and enthusiasm is unmatched. His spontaneity, infectious good humour and instinct to bring out the best in others has inspired us all.
These are the traits that have characterised Bear’s time as Chief Scout. Over 15 magical years, he’s inspired over two million young people from every background to join Scouts.
Following a decade of membership decline in the 1990s, Scouts saw exceptional growth when Bear became Chief Scout. It was a brilliant pick (and as a volunteer, he's never been paid a penny for the time he's given). Young people and volunteers, hungry for adventure, decided to join the movement in their droves. Bear transformed Scouts' image, attracted new volunteers and motivated us all with his ‘never give up’ attitude.
Back in 2009, Bear wasn't the global superstar he is today. Since then, he's become a best-selling author and his shows have reached billions, including appearances with presidents, prime ministers and A-list celebrities. But being Chief Scout is still one of his proudest achievements. Seeing how admired he is by Scouts from all over is extremely impactful.
Many months ago, Bear decided 15 years would be the right time to step down, having accomplished everything he set out to do.
‘Always leave the party five minutes early rather than five minutes too late,’ he observed.
Like so many of our volunteers (and nine Chief Scouts before him), Bear knew he couldn't stay in the role forever. Thankfully, as Chief Ambassador of World Scouting, his connection to Scouting remains.
Baden-Powell is the only person to have served longer as Chief Scout. We're immensely proud of what Bear Grylls has achieved and to see the remarkable growth of the movement in recent years, with membership up by almost 100,000 since 2009. Bear's been at our side through the ups and downs, always championing young people and helping millions have fun and do their best.
Of course, we’ll announce the next Chief Scout, who'll be Bear Grylls' wonderful successor, this autumn.
As Scouts, we want to 'try to leave the world a little better than we found it.’ Bear's certainly done that. Thank you Bear for everything you've achieved, your bright leadership, and your friendship - you'll be hugely missed.