The association's present Chief Scout is the British adventurer and TV presenter Dwayne Fields, as announced by the Scout Association on the evening of 5th September 2024.
The association's charter and by-laws made no provision for his removal, retirement or the appointment of a successor in either role.
[5] Once the powerful leader of the association, the role of the association's Chief Scout was fundamentally diminished when the holder ceased to also be chairman of the Committee of the Council (now Board of Trustees) following Baden-Powell's death in 1941.
Reducing the capacity of the Chief Scout to make decisions on their own, a committee was appointed to work alongside them.
Working alongside the association Chief Scout's Committee, the association's Chief Scout is nominally responsible for the appointment of County Commissioners and County Presidents,[7] but this is merely ceremonially formal.