U.K.’s newest Scouter: Kate Middleton

Scouting-UK-KateNo shock that Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, is making headlines again.

But what may surprise you is why: She just joined the global Scouting movement as a volunteer with the U.K. Scout Association.

The “other” Scouting magazine, which serves Scouting in the U.K., features Kate in a cover story for its February-March issue, due out next week. Check out the cover at left. Sure beats People or Vogue, if you ask me.

Kate will join 40,000 female Scouters in the U.K. Her plans include volunteering with Scout units near the royal couple’s home in north Wales, recruiting additional Scouters, and traveling the country to lead activities relevant to her skills and interests.

Bear Grylls, star of Man vs. Wild and U.K. Chief Scout, shared this reaction with U.K. Scouting magazine:

“The duchess has an incredibly busy life,” he said, “which makes it all the more inspiring that she has chosen to volunteer alongside us. Over the past few years it has been our mission to make it easier for adults to give as much or as little as they are able. It is how we change our society: many people doing a little bit.”

That “many hands make light work” message is one that resonates in the U.S.

The vast majority of American Scouters gladly give much more than the “hour a week” they were promised, but it’s important to remind the fence-sitters you know that attending just two or three events a year is a step in the right direction.

Scout units are flexible, and they’d rather see a Scouter once every two months than not at all.

Plus, if a royal duchess can do it, surely a busy adult you know can find an opportunity to make a difference with a pack, troop, team, or crew.

U.K. Scouting interviewed British Scouter Heather Baker, 29, who reiterated that message.

“The demands of modern life often mean it’s harder for people to find time to volunteer,” she says. “The role I’ve just taken on is shared between four adults to make it work.”

How can you use this news to recruit Scouters in your area?

Check out a couple of videos in which Bear Grylls welcomes Kate to Scouting:


About Bryan Wendell 3282 Articles
Bryan Wendell, an Eagle Scout, is the founder of Bryan on Scouting and a contributing writer.