GLB-C06-2026
Dear friends,
In May this year, we will celebrate the extraordinary contributions of His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden on the occasion of his 80th birthday and his stepping down as Honorary Chairman of the World Scout Foundation, following nearly 50 years of service to the Scout Movement in this role.
A Scout since childhood, His Majesty has long been a champion of Scouting’s ability to equip young people with the skills to be active leaders, peacemakers, and global citizens working to make our world a better place.
As part of this global tribute, we warmly invite all National Scout Organisations (NSOs) to submit a short video message featuring young people, volunteers, or leaders expressing appreciation and reflecting on the positive impact of Scouting in their communities or share a written message of appreciation for His Majesty.
We also encourage NSOs to mobilise their members by inviting Scouts to undertake an act of service in honour of His Majesty’s remarkable commitment to youth leadership, peace, and sustainability. These acts can take the form of an environmental initiative, an activity promoting dialogue or inclusion, or any other action that reflects Scouting’s values and contributes positively to your community.
Together, these messages, photos and videos from the activities will be curated into an online space and create a powerful expression of Scouting’s unity and global impact. They will also be shared in a celebratory moment recognising His Majesty’s service during the 78th BP Fellowship event taking place from 7 to 10 May in Stockholm, Sweden.
To help recognise and thank His Majesty for his extraordinary support for the Scout Movement, we invite and encourage all 176 NSOs to submit the following:
A short video message featuring young people and volunteers expressing appreciation and reflecting on the positive impact of Scouting in their communities
Send a written message of appreciation from your leadership
Undertake an act of service in honour of His Majesty’s remarkable commitment to youth leadership, peace, and sustainability.
To submit a video or written message, photograph, or other memento of appreciation, please upload it through this Dropbox link, or email it to Eric Takiy, Executive Secretary to the Executive Office of the Secretary General at [email protected] by 26 April 2026.
To honour and recognise His Majesty’s contributions to Scouting worldwide, the World Scout Foundation has also launched the King’s Appeal, which will raise funds to support Scout initiatives focused on peace-building, inclusion, and leadership development, particularly in contexts where young people face conflict, exclusion or instability.
Thank you for your support, and we look forward to celebrating His Majesty’s legacy together with the World Scout Foundation later this year.
Yours in Scouting,
David Berg
Secretary General
World Scouting