“The Governor-General has been sworn-in as the Chief Scout of Australia,” the GG’s Facebook account announced earlier this week.
“The Governor-General and Mrs Hurley both have a long involvement with scouts – having served as cub, scouts and venturer leaders. Now, as Chief Scout, the Governor-General and Mrs Hurley are looking forward to visiting as many groups as possible around Australia.”
It’s an honour well-suited to the GG.
Scouts NSW – which he formerly served as Chief Scout for 5 years – is an approved provider of the Duke of Edinburgh (DofE) Award.
Youth members are eligible to complete the program in parallel with the Queen’s Scout Award.
Founded over 60 years ago, The Duke of Edinburgh (DofE) Award’s aim echoes that of the Scouts:
“The Award is a leading structured (non-formal education) youth development program, empowering all young Australians aged 14-24 to explore their full potential and find their purpose, passion and place in the world, regardless of their location or circumstance.”
Around 70,000 young Australians are part of Scouts Australia. They learn important life skills, the value of community service and – of course – have lots of fun!