Bear Grylls: Chief Scout

Prophet · 18 May 2009 at 15:21

cheets64 said:
Ray Mears would have been better, he learns the skills of many cultures to survive and live off the land, Bear Grylls just jumps in and goes reckless, If I had the choice of them to survive in the desert or jungle it would be Ray Mears.

The Scouts need somone who can motivate and has a fun and exciting image. Not a middle ages tree hugger.

I'd imagine most of the experts on here have never been in the Scouts.

Basher · 18 May 2009 at 15:24

a1ex2001 said:
Yet your orgional statment didn't imply he was a homosexual but a peadophile? Nice backtracking.

My mistake yes, I believe he was a peadophile not homosexual.

Basher · 18 May 2009 at 15:26

Orange Peel said:
The Scouts need somone who can motivate and has a fun and exciting image. Not a middle ages tree hugger.

I'd imagine most of the experts on here have never been in the Scouts.

Absolutely agree. I have been in scouts since Beavers (am in network now) and I think this is the guy we absolutely need to motivate and excite youngsters into getting out there and doing some of this exciting stuff.

randal · 18 May 2009 at 15:35

Basher said:
My mistake yes, I believe he was a peadophile not homosexual.

Basher said:
Absolutely agree. I have been in scouts since Beavers (am in network now) and I think this is the guy we absolutely need to motivate and excite youngsters into getting out there and doing some of this exciting stuff.

So you're happy to be associated with an organisation that was purportedly fronted by a paedophile, and also happy to slate him on a public forum for being so?

Incidentally, still haven't seen any concrete evidence from you short of him "talking to a topless boy" to suggest that he was what you claim him to be, a molester of children.

matt_fsr · 18 May 2009 at 15:37

To be honest I can't see how this is a bad thing.

Did anyone ever hear anything in the media about the last Chief Scout? Or the one before that etc etc? I know I didnt!

What Scouting needs is more adults, to be able to get those 30,000 or so wanting to join actually into the movement.

Cant be a bad thing having a well known celebrity as Chief Scout, especially when most Venture Scouts could probably hike him into the ground

Basher · 18 May 2009 at 15:37

randal24 said:
So you're happy to be associated with an organisation that was purportedly fronted by a paedophile, and also happy to slate him on a public forum for being so?

Yes.

Incidentally, still haven't seen no concrete evidence from you short of him "talking to a topless boy" to suggest that he was what you claim him to be, a molester of children.

Read Tim Jeal's biography of Baden Powell.

... that he was what you claim him to be, a molester of children.

I said he was a paedophile, not a child molesterer.

Apopcalyptic · 18 May 2009 at 16:06

As a warranted Scout Leader, I think the Scout Association have done an excellent job in approaching Bear Grylls. I for one welcome him with open arms (back) into Scouting.

It is irrelevant whether people consider Ray Mears 'better' or not, the Chief Scout's role is to promote the movement, and to encourage young people to participate and adults to volunteer. Scouting is all about kids experiencing things they might not have the opportunity to, learning new skills (and life skills importantly), but ultimately having fun.

Another 'high profile' (Peter Duncan is current CS) Chief Scout can only do good things for us, and whether you like him or not, Bear Grylls will do us proud.

xarr · 18 May 2009 at 17:03

Apopcalyptic said:
As a warranted Scout Leader, I think the Scout Association have done an excellent job in approaching Bear Grylls. I for one welcome him with open arms (back) into Scouting.

It is irrelevant whether people consider Ray Mears 'better' or not, the Chief Scout's role is to promote the movement, and to encourage young people to participate and adults to volunteer. Scouting is all about kids experiencing things they might not have the opportunity to, learning new skills (and life skills importantly), but ultimately having fun.

Another 'high profile' (Peter Duncan is current CS) Chief Scout can only do good things for us, and whether you like him or not, Bear Grylls will do us proud.

Bingo, the Chief Scout role has changed over the past few years, from being the actual leader of the Scouts to a public figurehead. The real "leader" of the Scout Association is the new UK Chief Commissioner Wayne Bulpitt. This long term member and highly respected businessman, along with a strong team will be the real people behind the public face.

See here for more details

With regard to Bear, tv shows aside, many of his achievements are great, summiting Everest, making that paraglider flight and rowing the Arctic Atlantic are not things to be scoffed at. Bear is about promoting a Scout Movement that has more to offer than what Ray Mears shows are about, its about pursuing your dreams and getting involved in activities that many people would not. 2 Explorer Scouts were on breakfast tv this morning because they were a part of the movement.

I think that all the press is great, whether it is positive or negative because it will (hopefully) encourage people to give up some of their time and contribute to the wider world. I get out far more than I put in and couldn't imagine my life without the opportunities being a Scout has given me.

randal · 18 May 2009 at 17:07

Basher said:
Yes.

Read Tim Jeal's biography of Baden Powell.

I said he was a paedophile, not a child molesterer.

Could you possibly be any more pedantic?

Basher · 18 May 2009 at 17:15

randal24 said:
Could you possibly be any more pedantic?

They are two different words meaning two different things. I used the word I used for a reason.

Sagalout · 18 May 2009 at 17:21

Good thing IMO. Kids love him, and anything that encourages them to stop playing consoles and do more outdoor type things can only be good in my book.......well, as long as he doesnt turn out to be the next Gary Glitter lol

Sankari · 18 May 2009 at 17:35

Major Les Hiddins for the win!

Tefal · 18 May 2009 at 17:40

Von Smallhausen said:
As for Bear Grylls, I think he is a good choice although I thought Tefal would have been the top choice.

kibblerok · 18 May 2009 at 18:07

he doesnt seem to be very good at this born survivor lark. He can't even get it right when filming, let alone in the pressure of a real survival situation.

Ray Mears any day... you don't survive running about like a reckless idiot like Grylls.

The star of Channel 4’s Born Survivor cut the middle finger on his left hand to the bone on a ‘razor-sharp’ bamboo shard during a trip to the Vietnamese jungle last week. The wound was sewn by doctors in Vietnam but Grylls, 34, was flown back to Britain, complaining of a lack of sensation in the finger.

Last December, Grylls and his crew had to be airlifted out of Antarctica after he broke his shoulder in a fall.

http://www.morungexpress.com/entertainment/23050.html

Von Smallhausen · 18 May 2009 at 18:21

Tefal said:

I do.

A man of the people, for the people.

\o.

robjf · 19 May 2009 at 01:32

I am a scout leader myself (and thus in network aswell) and i think this appointment is going to be a great step forward for the movement. We desperately needed a younger face to try to get more adults into scouting. My troop are in a lucky position where we have a healthy number of leaders, yet we still have a waiting list due to the premises we are in.

This will hopefully bring more press coverage and help shake the slighly out-dated view that a lot of people have about scouting. When i was in school most other kids my age had a very tainted view of scouting but they really need to be shown how many opportunities they could gain from it.

I hope he also makes it very clear that it is led by volunteers as i get asked far too often whether we get paid. The shock that some people seem to show when they find out we dont get paid annoys me enormously!

So any of you guys considering getting involved? Do it!

cheets64 · 19 May 2009 at 01:59

I just cant see this going well for the scouts, if some of the kids see his vids they think they can do it, at least Ray Mears states that everything is down to practice and learning.

I can see the headline now "3 scouts die after copying Bear Grylls"

I am all for making it hip and getting down with the kids, but Bear is big fat phony and the jackass effect could happen.

robjf · 19 May 2009 at 02:11

Any troop with a decent leadership team will make sure that doesnt happen. That certainly wont be a problem for us anyway.

Got a survival skills weekend at the end of the month which we will now be getting a lot more interest for!

fatClyde · 19 May 2009 at 13:58

I had the misfortune of seeing a small segment from the survival show that Bear "******" Grylls is on. He was tormenting a few creatures in the jungle and then proceeded to smash a large snake(Python) with a stick and then cut it's head off ! Ace :mad:

That is EXACTLY what the (girl) scouts need. An egocentric tit acting tough on screen. With some luck he'll go the same way as that Aussie pillock, Steve Irwin.
Slowly strangled by a large snake preferably