Cornwell Badge: Carl Gagnon

December 1, 2020

It is with great pleasure to announce that BSO Scout, Carl Gagnon of 1^st Bougival Scouts in Paris, France (BSO) was recently selected by Bear Grylls Chief Scout, for the Scout Association Unsung Hero Award for showing courage in the face of adversity. Additionally Carl has been awarded with the Cornwell Scout Badge. This coveted award is rarely given and presented only to individuals who show exceptional gallantry and meritorious conduct.

A keen and active Scout, in the summer of 2019 aged 12, Carl was diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukemia which required immediate intensive treatment along with physical isolation from friends, school, Scouts and sports. Undeterred, he continued to work hard with his school studies and in turn this helped the British School in Paris to develop reliable online learning methods which, unbeknown to Carl or his school, they would eventually “Be Prepared” for the Coronavirus pandemic allowing his school community to continue learning online in an already tested format as soon as lockdown in France was announced in March 2020.

Carl also continued to work hard towards gaining his Chief Scouts Gold Award with great support from his Scout leaders who stepped up to the challenge of “Scout for All” in modifying the programme to ensure all their Scouts were able to continue enjoying their Scouting activities. Carl was able to join video meetings and socially distanced face to face meetings when treatment allowed; he focussed his service to others on his own experience, raising over 6000 euros for the UK based Starlight Childrens Foundation and the D’Institute de Curie, France. He finally and deservedly achieved his Chief Scouts Gold Award in June 2020.

An enhanced online award celebration was held with those in attendance being the Queen’s Ambassador to France, Lord Llewellyn; Headmaster Nicholas Hammond and representatives from the British School of Paris; Carl’s oncologist Dr Benoit Dumont, BSO scouting friends and colleagues, and Carl’s family. Travel restrictions permitting, Carl will be finally presented with the Cornwell Scout Badge in person at Windsor Castle in April 2021.

“It’s very hard to find the words. It means the world to me and I’m beyond humbled and would like to thank everyone who has supported me in so many different ways. It feels surreal – it’s like something you hear on the news but then it’s like, that’s me” – Carl Gagnon

< Older Post

Newer Post >

Vacancy: BSO Deputy Youth Lead

By Theo Lasar • October 22, 2026

Thanks for your interest in becoming the next British Scouting Overseas (BSO) Deputy Youth Lead. This role is focused on empowering young people across our global movement, with a particular focus on driving achievement of Top Awards, empowering youth voices, and translating feedback into structured, practical support across our districts: Northern Europe, Southern Europe, Middle East, Rest of the World and Lone Scouts. If you are 18–25 yrs old, bring a genuine commitment to Scouting and possess the curiosity to explore how young people want their ideas represented and implemented, this position offers a direct opportunity to support youth leadership internationally. What is the BSO Deputy Youth Lead? The BSO Deputy Youth Lead works closely with and supports the BSO Youth Lead to ensure young members across all overseas districts are meaningfully involved in decision-making and supported through their Top Award and shaping their scouting experience. In this role, you will maintain consistent contact with volunteer teams across districts, lead data informed research into award completion & membership, facilitate youth forums, and collaborate with District Youth Leads to understand local operational contexts. Through problem solving and building strong relationships, you will help identify structural and practical barriers to Top Awards and work with the according teams to address them. You will help to expand programme adaptability & growth while implementing the "place to belong" & “skills for life” strategies. Your work will help ensure that youth perspectives actively inform organisational decisions, support executive governance, and ensure Section achievements are consistently recognised across BSO and wider Scouting platforms.

Far and Wide (October 2026)

By Lynne Armitage • October 19, 2026

Find out what's happening across BSO with our latest Far & Wide Magazine, with information on events and important updates.

Vacancy: Northern Europe Events Team

By Jenny Nixon • September 17, 2026

Do you love camps, adventures and making things happen? Do you enjoy organising activities and events, or have a skill you’d like to share with others? If you answered yes to any of these, we’d love to hear from you! We’re looking for adults to join the Northern Europe Events Team and help us build a permanent support team for adventurous activities and events across the District. Whether you’re an experienced organiser, have a particular skill to share, or simply enjoy getting stuck in and helping others have great experiences, there could be a role for you. The team will support events such as: 🏕️ District camp 🌍 Jamborees ⛺ Moots 🧭 Other adventurous activities and events You don’t need to currently hold a leader role to get involved. We’re especially keen to hear from adults who would enjoy contributing in a support role, bringing their skills, experience and enthusiasm to help our Young People get the most out of their adventures. Interested in finding out more? Contact Jenny Nixon, Northern Europe Programme Team Leader. jenny.nixon@britishscoutingoverseas.org.uk (Know someone who would be perfect for this role? Share this with them!)