Natter with Nathan, Christmas 2022

December 18, 2022

A Little Scout Follows Me

A careful leader I ought to be,

A little Scout follows me.

I do not dare to go astray,

For fear he will go the same way.


Not once can I escape his eyes,

Whatever he sees me do, he tries.

Like me he says he's going to be,

That little Scout who follows me.


He thinks that I am good and fine,

Believes in every word of mine,

The bad in me he must not see,

That little Scout who follows me.


I must remember as I go,

Through summer sun and winter snow,

I'm building for the years to be,

That little Scout who follows me.

(Adapted from "A Little Fellow Follows Me" by Lee Fisher)


I think these words accurately describe the fundamental effect we have on the minds of young people in our care. As the great philosopher, spiderman, says: "With great power comes great responsibility"… As leaders we have the moral responsibility for what we choose to do with this power; and also, for what we fail to do with it.


As adults in Scouting, our important mission is to actively engage and support young people in their personal development, empowering them to make a positive contribution to society. Through your careful leadership, the hours of work you’ve put into volunteering and the values you hold, there are thousands of young people who are, and will always be, confident individuals who are assets to their communities and society as a whole.


That’s a powerful thought and one that should make you feel very proud. We have achieved so much this year and I could not be prouder of all our BSO volunteers and I extend my most sincere gratitude for the many hours you have invested in helping to create new assets to society. We have so much to look forward to next year and I am looking forward to building on our significant achievements of the last year. But for now, it is time for some well-earned rest and enjoying some quality time with families and loved ones.


Whether you are celebrating Christmas, Samhain, Hanukkah, Vaikuntha Ekadashi, Guru Gobind Singh Jayanti, the New Year, or something else I’ve missed altogether, I wish you and your families a healthy and happy time.


Nathan

Area Commissioner


Share:

By Steve Hartley May 14, 2026
Gilwell Reunion 4th to 6th September 2026 This year will be the 100th Gilwell Reuion and BSO are looking for an individual or mall team to showcase our work and opportunities within the International Tent. If you can create a fun, engaging and interactive stand we would like to hear from you! You will need to be free to attend the event from 4th to 6th Sept 26 at Gilwell Park, London and we will ask others attending to help deliver the stand over the weekend so you get chance to see everything else on offer. For more information or to submit an outline proposal please email steven.hartley@britishscoutingoverseas.org.uk We look forward to hearing from you!
By Steve Hartley May 14, 2026
We already know you love camping, supporting and developing young people, the chance to meet new people and visit other countries. If you would like a great opportunity to combine all of these, we want to hear from you. We would like to offer our young people more choice in summer camps. Groups of around 40 young people and 4 to 6 adults taking part in an international experience to build their confidence or gain top awards. This is what our young people have to say from previous events; I would recommend a BSO Jamboree because… “It’s AMAZING! It’s been the best experience I've had in my life, really well organised” - Morgan, Paris Explorers “I think it's an experience to meet people that you will remember for the rest of your life from other countries” – Fernanda, Madrid Scouts “It’s the BEST experience in my life” – Marcos, Madrid Explorers “It was a great way to meet new people and try new things and have freedom” – Elizabeth, Dubai Scouts “I loved it, I made so many new friends that I have kept in contact with after camp that I really enjoyed it. Also, I believe that it was a good experience to be away from parents for a long time” – Alex, Dubai Explorers “You’ll have fun, new experiences, meet new people & learn new sports like sailing” – Kumail, Dubai Explorers “It was a great experience and it was a pleasure to be able to meet with multiple internationally based scouts in one place while participating in fun activities” - Ethan, Doha Scouts “It’s really fun, a great experience in general, you meet people from everywhere which is something you get nowhere else” - Lieve, Paris Scouts These our the current opportunities, we are happy to hear from you if you have other ideas as well;
By Graham Eden May 12, 2026
Find out what's happening across BSO with our latest Far & Wide Magazine, with information on events and important updates.
Show More