HM The King's speech at the Fellowship dinner
Mexico
(The spoken version shall take precedence)
Dear Baden Powell Fellows,
Dear Friends,
Dear Scouts,
It has been a fantastic evening in this splendid museum, surrounded by the history and culture of this wonderful country!
Your hospitality has been magnificent these days. We have discussed with business leaders, been welcomed to IPADE to share ideas with thinkers in the industry and commerce and we have been guided by some inspiring young men and women in Mexican Scouting. You have so much to be proud of here in Mexico!
The theme of our visit here this week is leadership and how leaders use the core values of Scouting around the world.
35 million young men and women, in 161 countries, follow the same values and take leadership for the good of their communities. That is our business.
We have heard about the excellent work of Scouts in Haiti. The Haiti Scouts are other excellent leaders and take responsibility, practice leadership and change their communities.
Scouting trains young men and women to be leaders. It inspires them to act and it arms them with the values they need to sustain their work. Scouting, we believe is the greatest leadership development program on earth.
Imagine a business investment that was guaranteed to turn out 10 million graduates. And if that investment promised to give the leaders basic values and a community among different cultures - What a great investment you might say?
Well, I have just described Scouting!
I thank you for being here tonight. I know you are here because you have been chosen as generous, kind and inspiring leaders. The world needs leaders like you. Scouting can help provide the necessary training, it is a worthwhile investment.
I encourage you to join us! Thank you!
