Chay Hong Leng from Singapore has been awarded the Bronze Wolf for his outstanding contributions to the Scout Movement that have strengthened membership, and promoted good governance and quality Scouting.
The Award, the highest honour in Scouting, recognises Hong Leng’s exceptional service to the Movement at the local, national, Regional and World levels as a volunteer, mentor to young adults and advocate of greater unity, cultural awareness and understanding. Hong Leng’s decades of dedication to the Movement not only demonstrate his passion for Scouting, but also his belief in the capacity and ability of young people to make a positive impact in the Movement and local communities.
Hong Leng first joined Scouting as an eight-year-old Cub Scout. At age 25, he became an Adult Leader with The Singapore Scout Association, where he provided invaluable and extensive support to Scouting across the city-state and beyond. Currently, he is the National Scout Organization’s (NSO) Immediate Past Deputy Chief Commissioner and International Commissioner, and is a Fellow at the Singapore Scout Leadership Academy and an Honorary Leader Trainer.
A finance specialist by trade, Hong Leng has made significant contributions to financial management and governance. This extends to the Asia-Pacific Regional (APR) level, where he has brought expertise to roles as Vice-Chairman of APR’s Finance Sub-Committee, advisor to the Financial Resources Sub-Committee and Communications and Partnerships Sub-Committee, and as a member of the Regional Decision-Making Committee for Messengers of Peace grants and the Asia-Pacific Regional Scout Committee from 2015 to 2022.
At the World level, his outstanding work on the World Organization of the Scout Movement’s Finance Committee cemented his reputation for financial resilience and agility by ensuring an operating budget able to weather the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. This enabled the World Scout Bureau and World Scouting to continue operating, absorb a fall in membership fees, and accommodate changes to virtual delivery of the World Scout Conference and Youth Forum in 2021.
Hong Leng’s knowledge of financial and economic management, as well as the operations of small businesses and Scouting, led to meaningful analysis of project budgets which paved the way for increased financial scrutiny, greater in-depth accountability, and working towards achieving a greater return on investment. Ensuring that his valuable work reaches all corners of the Movement, Hong Leng wrote and contributed to concept papers and guidelines that have advanced NSO roles and been adopted at the global level.
For his service, he has been awarded the Distinguished Service Star to Silver Award, Centennial Award (Gold) Medal, Long Service Award, APR Certificate for Good Service, International Friendship Award, and The First-Class Boy Scout Citation Medal.
For being an excellent role model, and living by the values and purpose of Scouting, Hong Leng is most deserving of the Bronze Wolf Award.