{"alias":"blogEntry","byline":"Bear Grylls OBE, Chief Scout","standfirst":"I\u2019m so proud to launch our new book tomorrow. It\u2019s called Do Your Best: How to be a Scout. It\u2019s the first official handbook for all Scouts across the world in over 100 years. Here\u2019s a little preview: my Scout bucket list! ","content":{"layouts":[{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003EAccomplish all of these and you can call yourself a true Scout. It might take you a few years, but if you keep going, you\u2019ll tick off every one in the end. And if you\u2019ve done all 18, why not do them all over again with a new friend? None of this stuff ever gets old.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3 class=\u0022MsoNormal\u0022 style=\u0022margin-bottom: 14.4pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: 1.2gd; line-height: 150%;\u0022\u003E1. Sleep out under the stars\u003C/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp style=\u0022margin-bottom: 14.4pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: 1.2gd; line-height: 150%;\u0022 class=\u0022MsoNormal\u0022\u003EFind a patch of grass and stare up at the Milky Way. Feeling the cold night air on your skin is a great way to find your place in the universe. A bivvy bag is ideal for this: a waterproof covering that you and your sleeping bag will fit snugly inside, while leaving your face exposed. Count comets and shooting stars until you drop off to sleep.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3 class=\u0022MsoNormal\u0022 style=\u0022margin-bottom: 14.4pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: 1.2gd; line-height: 150%;\u0022\u003E2. Go on a night hike\u003C/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp style=\u0022margin-bottom: 14.4pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: 1.2gd; line-height: 150%;\u0022 class=\u0022MsoNormal\u0022\u003EWatch the moonlight as it peeps through the trees, listen for the hoot of an owl or wave your torch around like a lightsaber. These are just a few of the rituals of the night hike. Remember to stay safe on roads, wear hi-vis jackets and pack spare batteries for your torch \u2013 especially if you\u2019re doing impressions of Luke Skywalker. Tasty snacks are compulsory.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3 class=\u0022MsoNormal\u0022 style=\u0022margin-bottom: 14.4pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: 1.2gd; line-height: 150%;\u0022\u003E3. Pass on a skill to another Scout\u003C/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp style=\u0022margin-bottom: 14.4pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: 1.2gd; line-height: 150%;\u0022 class=\u0022MsoNormal\u0022\u003EYou\u2019ve only truly mastered a skill when you know it well enough to teach someone else. If you feel like you can tie the highwayman\u2019s hitch with your eyes closed, then now\u2019s the time to pass that skill on.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","image":"/media/o2vnwi53/do-your-best-by-bear-grylls-book-cover.jpg","width":1500,"height":1500,"altText":"Bear Grylls\u0027 book \u0027Do Your Best: How to be a Scout\u0027 is pictured on wood surrounded by leaves, a backpack, a brown book, a camera and logs.","caption":"Bear\u0027s book is out tomorrow (28 September)","link":null},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch4 class=\u0022MsoNormal\u0022 style=\u0022margin-bottom: 14.4pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: 1.2gd; line-height: 150%;\u0022\u003E4. Volunteer (and give yourself a cheer)\u003C/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBecoming a volunteer will make you shine brighter. Helping other people does great things for your soul and brings out the best in you. Whether you do some shopping for an elderly neighbour or help run the Cub pack, this\u2019ll help you be the best version of you. Because when we give, we always receive.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3 class=\u0022MsoNormal\u0022 style=\u0022margin-bottom: 14.4pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: 1.2gd; line-height: 150%;\u0022\u003E5. Tie someone\u0027s friendship knot\u003C/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp style=\u0022margin-bottom: 14.4pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: 1.2gd; line-height: 150%;\u0022 class=\u0022MsoNormal\u0022\u003EYou know you\u2019ve truly made a friend in Scouts when they ask you to tie a friendship knot in their neckerchief. In fact, if you can tie a friendship knot, you\u2019ll find you have lots of friends. This skill is in high demand.\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3 class=\u0022MsoNormal\u0022 style=\u0022margin-bottom: 14.4pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: 1.2gd; line-height: 150%;\u0022\u003E6. Take part in a campfire\u003C/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp style=\u0022margin-bottom: 14.4pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: 1.2gd; line-height: 150%;\u0022 class=\u0022MsoNormal\u0022\u003ECampfires aren\u2019t just for keeping warm. They\u2019re places for Scouts to get together, sing badly and glug hot chocolate. Be brave and lead your fellow Scouts in a song or a sketch. Show them a magic trick or tell a tall tale. Don\u2019t worry about making a fool of yourself \u2013 that\u2019s the whole point! People will love you all the more for your sense of adventure and fun.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3 class=\u0022MsoNormal\u0022 style=\u0022margin-bottom: 14.4pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: 1.2gd; line-height: 150%;\u0022\u003E7. Get out of your comfort zone\u003C/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp style=\u0022margin-bottom: 14.4pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: 1.2gd; line-height: 150%;\u0022 class=\u0022MsoNormal\u0022\u003ERemember, you only start learning when you reach the edge of your comfort zone, so don\u2019t be afraid to stick a toe over the edge. Talk to someone new, get onto that stage or put that scuba diving mask on and go diving! You won\u2019t look back.\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","image":"/media/i1thjplp/bear-grylls-standing-outside-with-beavers.jpg","width":7360,"height":4912,"altText":"Chief Scout Bear Grylls is standing on grass with a group of Beavers and Cubs. All the Beavers and Cubs are in uniform with yellow neckers, and Bear Grylls is wearing a red navy and white necker. The sky behind them is a grey/blue.","caption":"","link":null},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch3 class=\u0022MsoNormal\u0022 style=\u0022margin-bottom: 14.4pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: 1.2gd; line-height: 150%;\u0022\u003E8. Make (or remake) your promise in an unusual place\u003C/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp style=\u0022margin-bottom: 14.4pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: 1.2gd; line-height: 150%;\u0022 class=\u0022MsoNormal\u0022\u003EWhether it\u2019s in a kayak in the middle of a lake, standing at the top of a hill at dawn or on the end of a surfboard, remind yourself of how important the Scout promise is by making it again in a place you\u2019ll never forget.\u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3 class=\u0022MsoNormal\u0022 style=\u0022margin-bottom: 14.4pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: 1.2gd; line-height: 150%;\u0022\u003E9. Climb a mountain\u0026nbsp;\u003C/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp style=\u0022margin-bottom: 14.4pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: 1.2gd; line-height: 150%;\u0022 class=\u0022MsoNormal\u0022\u003EWhether it\u2019s a real mountain or a metaphorical mountain, go attempt the impossible. Fail and try again. Push yourself. Aim big. Never give up. \u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EI got to be part of a military team to climb Mount Everest, the highest peak on earth, when I was twenty-three \u2013 and it changed my life. It reminded me that all of life is a challenge. And the bigger we dare to dream, the bigger the adventures ahead will be.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EThere are all sorts of different \u2018mountains\u2019 we can climb. It could just as easily be a particular challenge you\u2019ve been thinking about for a long time, like writing a book, learning a new skill, making a new friend, breaking a negative habit. Remember, growing as a person doesn\u2019t happen by chance. It happens with change. And change always starts with a decision. And climbing our own \u2018Everest\u2019 starts with that first small step\u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3 class=\u0022MsoNormal\u0022 style=\u0022margin-bottom: 14.4pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: 1.2gd; line-height: 150%;\u0022\u003E10. Go on a long journey\u003C/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp style=\u0022margin-bottom: 14.4pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: 1.2gd; line-height: 150%;\u0022 class=\u0022MsoNormal\u0022\u003EPeople once travelled great distances to discover new lands and meet new friends. Without cars or planes, these journeys once took weeks, months or even years (Marco Polo once travelled for nearly twenty-five years before returning home). Pick a spot on a map and travel the slow way \u2013 by bike or on foot. As they say: life is the journey, not the destination.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3 class=\u0022MsoNormal\u0022 style=\u0022margin-bottom: 14.4pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: 1.2gd; line-height: 150%;\u0022\u003E11. Make the world\u0027s best hot chocolate\u003C/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp style=\u0022margin-bottom: 14.4pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: 1.2gd; line-height: 150%;\u0022 class=\u0022MsoNormal\u0022\u003EEvery now and again, treat yourself. You deserve it. Pile the mini-marshmallows high. Squirt on the cream until it looks like Mount Everest. Stick in some crumbly chocolate flakes. Now savour every moment. Go on, you\u2019ve earned it.\u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3 class=\u0022MsoNormal\u0022 style=\u0022margin-bottom: 14.4pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: 1.2gd; line-height: 150%;\u0022\u003E12. Be a leader\u003C/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp style=\u0022margin-bottom: 14.4pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: 1.2gd; line-height: 150%;\u0022 class=\u0022MsoNormal\u0022\u003EYou might not know it, but you\u2019re already a leader. If you have any influence on others, it means you\u2019re already leading. That might simply be in your family, or sports team, or your Scout group. If people watch what you do, in any way, then you\u2019re a leader. So be a good one. Be proud of how you behave, and lead with kindness and integrity. Then people will follow you anywhere. \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ENext time you see a chance to step up, why not take it? When all eyes are on you, you\u2019ll be surprised at what you can do. It\u2019s your time to shine. Go for it!\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3 class=\u0022MsoNormal\u0022 style=\u0022margin-bottom: 14.4pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: 1.2gd; line-height: 150%;\u0022\u003E13. Cook a three-course dinner outdoors\u003C/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp style=\u0022margin-bottom: 14.4pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: 1.2gd; line-height: 150%;\u0022 class=\u0022MsoNormal\u0022\u003EThe greatest dinner parties are those held in 5 billion-star hotels. That\u2019s right: the ones that have no roofs, just the night sky above. So get the fire going, wrap up your potatoes in tin foil and prepare for a feast. Everything tastes better outdoors!\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","image":"/media/3qfjcrnn/do-your-best-badge.jpg","width":1154,"height":1154,"altText":"The image shows a navy badge with a gold border that says \u0027Do Your Best\u0027 with Bear\u0027s signature in white underneath. ","caption":"Order your book from Scout Store and get this exclusive Do Your Best badge","link":null},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch3 class=\u0022MsoNormal\u0022 style=\u0022margin-bottom: 14.4pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: 1.2gd; line-height: 150%;\u0022\u003E14. Earn your top award\u003C/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp style=\u0022margin-bottom: 14.4pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: 1.2gd; line-height: 150%;\u0022 class=\u0022MsoNormal\u0022\u003EWhether it\u2019s becoming a King\u2019s Scout, an Eagle Scout or getting the Chief Scout\u2019s Silver Award, there\u2019ll be an award that\u2019s the highest possible for you and your friends. Plan how you\u2019ll achieve it, then go for it. Don\u2019t stop until you\u2019ve tied off the last stitch as you sew it onto your shirt.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3 class=\u0022MsoNormal\u0022 style=\u0022margin-bottom: 14.4pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: 1.2gd; line-height: 150%;\u0022\u003E15. Go on an international camp\u003C/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp style=\u0022margin-bottom: 14.4pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: 1.2gd; line-height: 150%;\u0022 class=\u0022MsoNormal\u0022\u003EWorld Scout Jamborees have been happening since 1920 \u2013 the first one taking place in London. There\u2019s really nothing like them on earth.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp style=\u0022margin-bottom: 14.4pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: 1.2gd; line-height: 150%;\u0022 class=\u0022MsoNormal\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s where you\u2019ll learn to say your promise in Spanish, how to cook a Hungarian goulash, and swap badges with a New Zealander. And if you don\u2019t manage to get a place, then don\u2019t worry. There are plenty of international camps that happen all over the world. Find one near you. You\u2019ll never forget it.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3 class=\u0022MsoNormal\u0022 style=\u0022margin-bottom: 14.4pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: 1.2gd; line-height: 150%;\u0022\u003E16. Be a friend (when someone needs you most)\u003C/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp style=\u0022margin-bottom: 14.4pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: 1.2gd; line-height: 150%;\u0022 class=\u0022MsoNormal\u0022\u003EEveryone goes through a rough patch, but not everyone tells you about it. Watch out for people who are quieter than usual, or who are on their own or looking sad. You could be the friend that makes all the difference. A friend in need is a friend indeed. And a true friend walks in when the rest of the world walks out.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3 class=\u0022MsoNormal\u0022 style=\u0022margin-bottom: 14.4pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: 1.2gd; line-height: 150%;\u0022\u003E17. Plant a tree\u003C/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp style=\u0022margin-bottom: 14.4pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: 1.2gd; line-height: 150%;\u0022 class=\u0022MsoNormal\u0022\u003EOne of the most hopeful things you can do is plant a tree. It\u2019ll help keep our air clean and our earth green. And it could still be growing after we are long gone. I\u2019ve come across some truly amazing trees in my life. Some of them over one thousand years old (and I thought Scouting was ancient!).\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3 class=\u0022MsoNormal\u0022 style=\u0022margin-bottom: 14.4pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: 1.2gd; line-height: 150%;\u0022\u003E18. Make yourself proud\u003C/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp style=\u0022margin-bottom: 14.4pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: 1.2gd; line-height: 150%;\u0022 class=\u0022MsoNormal\u0022\u003EThis could be doing a little act of kindness: holding open a door, giving someone a smile or giving up your place in a queue. Whatever you do, make yourself proud by making someone else\u2019s day.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"type":"Promo","cta":"Get your book and badge","body":"\u003Cp\u003EDo Your Best: How to be a Scout by Bear Grylls is out tomorrow. It\u2019s got everything from how to camp and survive, to how to make a difference, protect the planet and never give up.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEvery copy sold supports Scouts. Order and receive an exclusive Do Your Best badge.\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E","link":{"name":"https://shop.scouts.org.uk/gifting/do-your-best-how-to-be-a-scout-book-by-bear-grylls#selection.size=719\u0026selection.color=34","id":null,"url":"https://shop.scouts.org.uk/gifting/do-your-best-how-to-be-a-scout-book-by-bear-grylls#selection.size=719\u0026selection.color=34","newWindow":false,"target":"_blank"},"colour":"#002f6c","title":"Order your book","image":null,"imageFocus":"","imageId":0,"imageKey":"00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000","imageCrop":"","gridType":"card","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""}]}],"config":null}]},"searchDescription":null,"pageType":null,"location":null,"versionDate":"27 September 2023","reviewDate":null,"furtherReading":[{"caption":"","title":"Order your book \u2013\u00A0Do Your Best: How to be a Scout by Bear Grylls","url":"https://shop.scouts.org.uk/gifting/do-your-best-how-to-be-a-scout-book-by-bear-grylls#selection.size=719\u0026selection.color=34","newWindow":true}],"relatedLinks":[],"id":77191,"nodeName":"18 things for every Scout to do before they\u2019re 18","title":"18 things for every Scout to do before they\u2019re 18","type":"blogEntry","image":{"url":"/media/dxucivky/do-your-best-banner.jpg?width=800\u0026height=450\u0026v=1d9f115a0621510","caption":"Do Your Best \u2013 Banner","type":"jpg","size":1194246,"width":1422,"height":711,"altText":"Bear Grylls\u0027 book \u0027Do Your Best: How to be a Scout\u0027 is pictured on wood surrounded by leaves, a backpack, a brown book, a camera and logs."},"assets":null,"headerOptions":{"headerTitle":"18 things for every Scout to do before they\u2019re 18","headerSubTitle":null,"headerCta":null,"headerCtaText":null,"headerCtaLink":null,"headerBackgroundColour":null,"showSEOImage":false,"headerBackgroundImage":null,"quickLinks":null},"subHeader":"Chief Scout Bear Grylls shares his ultimate Scout bucket list ahead of his book release tomorrow. How many of these can you tick off?","browserTitle":null,"silktide":"eyJjbXMiOiJVbWJyYWNvIiwiZWRpdG9yVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9wcm9kLWNtcy5zY291dHMub3JnLnVrLy91bWJyYWNvIy9jb250ZW50L2NvbnRlbnQvZWRpdC83NzE5MSJ9","canonicalUrl":"https://www.scouts.org.uk/news/2023/september/18-things-for-every-scout-to-do-before-they-re-18/"}