Victorian King’s Scout and Queen’s Scout Award History
In Victoria, the King’s Scout/Queen’s Scout Honour Roll is slowly bringing records into a central and ongoing repository and any errors or omissions are gratefully received via scout.heritage@scoutsvictoria.com.au
The earliest King’s Scout in Victoria is recorded in 1911. As many early King’s Scouts were awarded at local level, there was no central recording of award names until the early 1960s. Today, many KS/QS Honour Boards in older Scout Groups still remain as the only reminder of many Scouts who obtained this prestigious Award.
In October 1909, Baden-Powell stayed a weekend with the Royal Family at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. He was advised by King Edward VII that he was to be made a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order.
B-P suggested to the King that the boys (no girls in this era) who passed special tests for efficiency and practical skills should be ranked as ‘King’s Scouts’. The King agreed, but unfortunately died the following year after this meeting, however the new King George V agreed to sponsor this award.
The badge has changed a number of times, but still retains the King Edward crown as its emblem.
The first official announcement appeared the following month in the UK Headquarters Gazette and the first awards were made early in 1910 and in Australia the following year.
Over 2000 King’s Scouts attended a rally at Windsor (UK) in mid-1911, along with 40,000 other Scouts. Patrol Leader Allen of 1st St. Kilda Troop attended and had the honour of carrying the Australian banner, a present from the King.
In 1913, the 1st City of Camberwell (Melba’s Own) Scout Troop had 32% of King’s Scouts for the year and 1st Gympie (Queensland) had 33.3% of King’s Scouts - thus this Troop were awarded the King’s Flag for the year.
Royal certificates were not introduced until 1946 and were not dated. The traditional presentation ceremonies at Government House were introduced in the late 1940s.
With the change of the Sovereign in 1952, the first Queen’s Scout certificates were presented at the Government House in October 1952 and on the Honour Roll, names in red are our first Queen’s Scouts.
The Queen’s Scout certificate currently used in Australia was introduced in 1990 and carries the Australian Coat of Arms, the Royal Signature and the presentation date.
The King’s Scout and Queen’s Scout trail never ends – ‘A Queen’s Scout is one who, having been thoroughly trained in Scoutcraft, places that training at the disposal of the community for public service’.