On Valentine’s Day, I posted a question on my Facebook page asking the Scout community: Did Scouting play a part in how you met your other half? Now, I should confess up front — my own wife, my true love, isn’t involved in Scouting. She shows absolutely no interest in Scouting or camping. She has mentioned glamping once or twice, but let’s be honest, that’s not my kind of camping! Despite this minor incompatibility, we manage just fine.
But the responses to my question flooded in, and what emerged was a heartwarming collection of stories proving that for many leaders, love really can bloom anywhere — even (or especially) in a muddy field at 3am during a Duke of Edinburgh’s expedition. From Swiss Independence Day discos to deck chair deceptions, from elephant letter racks with poo holes to remembrance parades in Barking, these tales remind us that Scouting builds more than just skills and character. Sometimes, it builds families too.
The “No Makeup, Old Clothes, Game for Anything” Approach
Victoria has perhaps the best advice for modern dating. When her friends sigh and ask where you meet men these days, she has a ready answer: “In a field, in a tent, no make up, old clothes, no mirror, no idea what you’re doing but game to get stuck into anything!”
She volunteered as a parent on cub camp and brought home “said cub, a bag of muddy clothes and a Mr Scout Leader (he was obvs single!)”. Now they’re helping run Beavers together with their combined brood of five “big/little scouties” between them. Romance at its finest: when you can share not just your life, but also the weekly scramble to find enough adult volunteers for the next camp.
The Great Deck Chair Deception
Graham’s story proves that Scouting teaches more than knots and fire-lighting — it also teaches the fine art of romantic subterfuge. In 2004, Graham and his future wife met while both working security at Essex International Jamboree. Her friends, playing matchmaker, spun Graham a tale about needing to return her deck chair and helpfully provided her number.
Graham dutifully returned the deck chair. “Years later,” he confesses, “I found out that deck chair wasn’t hers.”
They married in 2011 with “of course a marquee type wedding with all our scout and guide friends” and now have their own “little rainbow beaver.” One can only hope that somewhere, that legendary deck chair — the chair that launched a thousand dates — has been preserved as a family heirloom.
International Romance: The Swiss Connection
Nicola proves that Kandersteg International Scout Centre isn’t just for learning international cooperation — it’s also an excellent venue for finding international love. In 2000, Nicola (17) was there as a Young Leader with her Guides, while her future husband (22) was helping with his sister’s Scouts troop.
“The Swiss Independence Day disco has a lot to answer for!” she reports. They’ve been married since August 2003, and their son is now in Explorers while Nicola Young Leaders at Beavers. Nothing says “lasting relationship” quite like meeting someone at altitude and then spending the next two decades teaching other people’s children how to tie knots.
The Elephant Letter Rack Incident
Some love stories begin with roses. Some with candlelit dinners. Gail’s began with an elephant-shaped letter rack and a rather cheeky addition during a DIY badge session.
“He was trying a few groups in the area and came to our Pack when we were making elephant letter racks for their DIY badge. He drew a poo hole on mine. Not impressed.”
Despite this inauspicious start — or perhaps because of it — he chose to stay with their Pack. They’ve now been together “more years than I’ll admit to.” Proof that sometimes the person who draws on your craft project is the person you’re meant to spend your life with.
The “Still Thinks She’s the Boss” Award
Mark met his partner 30 years ago when he was a Scout Leader and she was the District Commissioner. “Still thinks she’s the boss,” he notes with admirable restraint. After three decades together, one suspects she probably is the boss, and Mark has wisely learned to live with it. Some hierarchies established in Scouting simply cannot be overturned.
Romance After Remembrance
Anna describes meeting Dan on “Barking high street after a Remembrance Sunday parade” as the “height of romance.” Ten years later, three years married, and one daughter named Jenny later, they’re still going strong. Who needs Paris when you have Barking High Street?
The Long Game
Some of these stories demonstrate impressive patience. Mark met his wife on a midsummer’s “dusk till dawn hike” when he was a Scout Leader and she was au pairing for two brothers in another troop. “Took a couple of years before we got together properly,” he admits. When you’re hiking from dusk till dawn, there’s plenty of time to get to know someone — though apparently not enough to close the deal immediately.
Meanwhile, Debbie takes the trophy for patience: she and her husband were friends in Scouts for eight years before “a night out after a scout event changed everything!” Eight years! That’s longer than most people spend in the entire Scout programme from Beavers to Explorers.
The Reluctant Recruit
Rebecca deployed a brilliant recruitment strategy. She met her husband when he dropped his boys off at her group. “He was a leader in another group, so knowing he was single and had experience in scouting I ask if he would like to help!”
They married a couple of years later. It’s the perfect Scout leader move: see a resource, acquire the resource, marry the resource. Efficiency at its finest.
The Warrants Scandal
Joan’s story takes a dramatic turn worthy of a Netflix series. She was the only female Scout Leader in her area when girls were first allowed to join, which meant she was the mandatory female presence at camps. Her now-husband was the Assistant District Commissioner. Both were married to other people at the time, but they “just hit it off” and spent more time together than with their respective partners.
“We had our warrants taken away due to gossiping,” Joan explains. “Even though we each took our own children along. But people prefer to believe the bad rather than the truth.”
Twenty-seven years of marriage later, vindication arrived when a new District Commissioner “put 2 and 2 together and realised what we were accused of couldn’t possibly be true.” They’re back in Scouting with a combined 90 years of service between them. Take that, gossips.
The Ones Who Dragged Them In
Not everyone met their partner through Scouting — but plenty dragged their significant others into it afterwards. Jono didn’t meet his wife through Scouting, “but I did eventually get her roped into Scouting! She’s now a Squirrels Leader whilst I’m an Explorer leader.”
Bijal was even more direct: “Nah, I just dragged him into Scouting.” She generously adds, “He was in Boys’ Brigade as a child but we’ll forgive that!” The magnanimity is heartwarming.
The Ones Who Escaped
Of course, not all partners got sucked into the Scouting vortex. Emma’s husband “was in Scouts when he was younger and hated it, so it could have put him off that I was a leader, but luckily didn’t!” Meanwhile, Kev met his wife when he ran a climbing session for her cubs. “She’s no longer involved but is supportive of the ridiculous amount of time I put in.” They celebrate their silver wedding in April. The secret to a lasting marriage: one person in Scouting, one person who knows when to stay well clear.
The International Dimension
Malin from Sweden adds an international flavour to our collection. She met her husband through Scouts, and their child “did her first leaders meeting 8 days old and has been in scouts ever since. Did her first reef knot behind her back with eyes closed as a 4 year old.” Their daughter is now an educated leader hoping to join the Swedish contingent at the next World Scout Jamboree.
This might be the most Scouting family story of all: a baby’s first outing is to a leaders’ meeting, and by age four she’s tying knots blindfolded. Some children have lullabies; this one had the Scout Promise.
The Unexpected Connection
Ada’s story begins with an offer to help. She asked Alex if he needed assistance, which resulted in him “falling over a fence.” She adds, “the rest is history haha.” One can only imagine the health and safety form for that incident: “Cause of injury: Being asked if help was needed. Treatment: Apparently marriage.”
The Non-Scouting Meet-Cutes
Some respondents met their partners elsewhere but deserve honourable mentions:
Brenda: “Met mine in an AOL chat room on dialup internet (yes we are ancient LOL).” Romance in the age of screeching modems.
Clare: “I met my husband in a field but not Scouting, we both did reenactment.” Close enough — it’s still a field, it still involves camping, and there’s probably more authenticity about the campfire cooking.
Jo: Met her husband through university Scout and Guide club friends in 1993. “He always avoided anything Scouty but coped with the pub crawls.” A man of refined priorities.
The Common Thread
Reading through these stories, a pattern emerges. These aren’t couples who met at wine bars or through dating apps. They met while doing the exact opposite of looking their best: covered in mud, sleeping in tents, teaching knots, herding excitable children, or drawing poo holes on elephant letter racks.
Perhaps that’s the secret. When you meet someone in a field at 2am during a camp crisis, you’re seeing them at their most authentic. No filters, no pretense — just someone who’s also crazy enough to spend their weekends volunteering with young people, forgetting the mallet, and arguing over whose turn it is to dig the fire pit.
As one respondent wisely noted: Scouting builds confidence, resilience, and lifelong friendships. And sometimes, if you’re lucky, it builds a family too.
Even if, like my own wife, they want nothing to do with Scouting and think glamping is a reasonable substitute for proper camping. We can’t all be perfect.
With thanks to all the Scout Leaders who shared their stories, proving that true love can survive anything — even a forgotten mallet, a decades-long friendship period, or an elephant letter rack with a questionable modification.
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