Chief Commissioner of Australia
Brendan Watson OAM
Brendan returns to National Scouting after serving as an Assistant Scout Leader and Group Leader.
His previous experience at the National level was as International Commissioner of Scouts Australia (1998-2004) and Chief Commissioner of Victoria (2014-2020).
In Victoria he has also served as District Scout Leader, Region Commissioner, and State Commissioner for the Centenary of Scouting.
After leading Victoria to six of its 16 consecutive years of growth, he has enjoyed three years with his local Scout group, 6th Melbourne (109 youth, 16 Leaders) while continuing to serve as Group Leader to his school-based Group (93 Venturers, 28 Rovers).
As a youth member from Scouts to Rovers, Brendan earned the peak awards in each section.
Highlights of his time in Rovers include helping deliver a Moot, travelling to Kandersteg, and touring Russia on a Rover friendship tour that was caught up in a coup and lost contact with home for several terrifying days. The experience was a turning point in Brendan’s life. When the situation calmed, his Rover friends returned home, but he elected to keep travelling.
Highlights of his time in Rovers include helping deliver a Moot, travelling to Kandersteg, and touring Russia on a Rover friendship tour that was caught up in a coup and lost contact with home for several terrifying days. The experience was a turning point in Brendan’s life. When the situation calmed, his Rover friends returned home, but he elected to keep travelling.
Brendan is committed to the power of Scouting to help young people develop. His motivation to seek National office was a conversation with a Joey Scout whose sibling was stillborn. She sewed warm, cloth bedding for her sibling then contacted the hospital and began making many more.
For Brendan, young people like this are the purpose of Scouting, and an inspiration to Leaders.
He is committed to National serving Branches, so that Branch can better support Groups.
Says Brendan: “Real Scouting is what happens in the local Unit.”
