Mike Rowe

If you live in the US, you’ll know who he is, but if you live anywhere else, like me, you’ll probably say ‘Who?’.

He is a TV host who hosts a show called Dirty Jobs, amongst others, and is someone who is promoting the importance on the ‘blue collar trades’ and the fact that there is a need for people to be trained in such areas (plumbing for example) and that everyone should not necessarily have a degree (as seems to be a common theme these days).

He was a Scout when he was a boy and is an Eagle Scout.

He has taken it upon himself to promote Scouting and it’s values and achievements. He will even send a personalised letter to any Eagle Scout who wants one (see the example here). He recently appeared at the BSA’s recent Jamboree (unlike a Mr. Obama who sent a video & went on a chat show, much to the annoyance of a lot of Scouts) and spoke to all the Scouts and their Leaders about the need to get out and get dirty while staying physically and mentally clean.

But the thing that interests me is that he has done all this off his own back. As far as I know, he doesn’t have an official position within the BSA, but has decided that Scouting is something that is important and relevant to the youth of America and he is going to tell people that.

However, I can’t think of anyone over here who is doing a similar thing. We obviously have Bear Grylls doing his thing as Chief Scout, but he, as are thousands of other adults, is a volunteer within Scouting. There is no one I can think of who is outside Scouting in an official capacity doing the same as Mike Rowe and I guess we’re the poorer for it. If we had someone who is in the media spotlight, be they a sports person, musician or politician, for example, who is willing to say ‘ this is my team, record or policies I’m promoting and I got here partially because of the skills, lessons and fun I had in Scouts / Guides etc as a kid. Take a look you might enjoy it’.

I wonder if anyone out there is prepared to say that?

4 Replies to “Mike Rowe”

  1. Nick

    I think that it is not that there is no-one spreading the word it is just that the British Media only care when something goes wrong. positive stories don’t sell coloum inches as well.

    People that currently spring to mind

    Peter Duncan – Will I am sure continue to promote scouting
    Chris Evans – Was an ambasidor in the Scouting Entrepreneur Challenge
    Everyone who recieved a Birthday badge this and previous years I am sure will look to in a small way promote Scouting.

    I think the problem is we don’t marked ourself well enough see my post about the Queens Scout for more thoughts (http://www.jabbering.co.uk/2010/01/the-queens-scout-award/)

    TTFN
    K

  2. I agree with you entirely Chris.
    We don’t trumpet the achievements of the Queens Scout Award as the BSA do for the Eagle Scout Award and that is a shame. I suspect most Americans will have at least a vague idea of what an Eagle Scout is, but would most Britons know what a Queen’s Scout is? Doubt it.
    The thing with the people you mention is that they have been approached by the SA in some form or another, where as Mike Rowe has done all this independently of the BSA. However, it is the media that plays a great part and the bad news stories about Scouting are always the ones that get greater prominence. Having said that, it is noticeable how there are more positive stories around these days!

  3. There are a large number of us Yanks who are pulling for Mike Rowe to become our “Chief Scout.”

    Speaking of Eagle Scouts & Queen Scouts – here in the States we have a requirement that there be at least one District representative on a Board of Review for an Eagle Scout candidate. Here locally we have a Queen Scout who serves in the “pool” – and we gladly count him amoung the ranks of the Eagle Scouts.

  4. Hehe, we Queen’s Scouts get everywhere!
    Am I correct in thinking that the BSA doesn’t have a volunteer Chief Scout along the lines that we do in Bear Grylls? I know you have Bob Mazuka (spelt correctly?), but as I understand it he’s a paid BSA employee.

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