Scouting Encyclopedia 2010: 2010

Bear Grylls, is a adventurer, a TV presenter and the present UK Cheif Scout got involved in Scouts as a Cub at the age of 8 and attributes this time as part of the inspiration behind his adult adventures presenting TV shows such as Born Survivor: 'So much of who we are as an adult is formed when we are kids,' said Bear. " What Scouting says to people is: it's okay to go for it in life"."Every child has a right to have an adventure. Life is about grabbing opportunities. The prizes don't always go to the biggest, the best and the strongest - they go to those who persevere. These are simple life lessons that Scouting teaches people."

Founder of the Virgin brand Richard Branson is quoted as saying about his time in Scouts "Scouting got me away from the desk, got me doing useful, fun & exciting things, thinking back it taught me more things than school ever did""Great fun, great adventures. Lots of outdoor activities which I love. Experience of leadership. Never could learn how to tie a knot though!"

Jeremy Paxman, the Newsnight presenter and question Master of University Challenge said this about his time in Scouts. "I was in the Cubs and then the Scouts for about seven years and I loved every single minute of it, I became absolutely obsessed with making rope bridges, camping out and eating flapjacks over open fires. The whole experience taught me to be resourceful, self-reliant, and inventive."

Former Scout, Political Prisoner & Former President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela has this to say about Scouting "The Scout Movement is a world leader in educating youth. Scouting inspires patriotism, sound moral values, courage, character-building, self-reliance and community awareness. It also motivates our young people to achieve their full potential."

Adventure and former Scout Steve Fossett who unfournately went missing in October 2007, and delcared dead February 2007, when the plane he was fying over Nevarda went missing. Had this to say about Scouting "Scouting does a great job of making Scouts aware of character, integrity, and virtues and incorporating them into their lives."

David Bellamy, the conservationist and a former member of the 1st Belmont Air Scouts, in south London, during the Second World War, added: "Scouting back then is a world away from what we have now. Scouting took me out in the countryside. We had a wonderful time. We would pay for our campsite by helping the farmer and the Land Girls. We had to dig our own latrines.We eat stinging nettles. We lived off hedgehogs, trout, rabbits. I can remember catching a fox and we wanted to make woggles out of it. We went to see some German prisoners of war working in the fields near our camp and asked how they did it. They skinned it for us and showed us how to cure the skin and make woggles. Then we all sat round a camp fire and cooked it and eat it. "

Barack Obama - Current (44th) US President

Bill Clinton - Former 42nd US President

Bill Gates - Founder of Microsoft

In 2010 he was honored with the Silver Buffalo Award by the Boy Scouts of America, its highest award for adults, for his service to youth

Hillary Rodham Clinton (67th United States Secretary of State)

Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton (born October 26, 1947) is the 67th United States Secretary of State, serving in the administration of President Barack Obama. She was a United States Senator for New York from 2001 to 2009. As the wife of the 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton, she was the First Lady of the United States from 1993 to 2001. In the 2008 election, Clinton was a leading candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Sir Richard Attenborough - Actor and Producer

Roberta Bondar - NASA Astronaut

Roberta Bondar, OC, O.Ont, FRCP(C), FRSC (born December 4, 1945, in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario) is Canada's first female astronaut and the first neurologist in space. Following more than a decade as NASA's head of space medicine, Bondar became a consultant and speaker in the business, scientific and medical communities.

From Scout to Saint
The infant of last Russian tsar was also scout. Tsarist family was shot in 1918. After 70 years the Russian Orthodox Church declared the infant of Aleksey the saint.