Demetrios Alexatos ( el, Δημήτριος Αλεξάτος; 26 October 1919 in Constantinople – 8 April 2001 in Athens) Scout name "Rann", meaning " Brahminy kite" from '' The Jungle Book'', served as the National Commissioner of the

Scouts of Greece Scouts of Greece or Soma Hellinon Proskopon (Σώμα Ελλήνων Προσκόπων, ΣΕΠ) is the National Scouting Association of Greece and is the World Organization of the Scout Movement's recognized member for Greece. Scouts of Greece w ...

for 17 years, from 1948 to 1965, on the personal recommendation of king Paul of Greece, Camp Chief of the

11th World Scout Jamboree The 11th World Scout Jamboree was held 1–11 August 1963 in Marathon, Greece. Jamboree activities The Jamboree Camp had 11 sub-camps for the participating Scouts and 5 sub-camps for administrative and technical personnel, and covered a total are ...

held 1–11 August 1963 in

Marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of , usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair div ...

, as well as an elected member of the World Scout Committee from 1957 to 1963. Alexatos was born 26 October 1919 to parents from

Cephalonia Kefalonia or Cephalonia ( el, Κεφαλονιά), formerly also known as Kefallinia or Kephallenia (), is the largest of the Ionian Islands in western Greece and the 6th largest island in Greece after Crete, Euboea, Lesbos, Rhodes and Chios. It i ...

in the Ionian Islands in western Greece, who had lived in Constantinople for many years. He gave his Scout promise in 1932 at the 9th Troop of Athens. He was married but he did not have any children. During World War II he served in the Royal Hellenic Navy, and he went to Alexandria where he was a leader of the Greek Rover Scouts. He was first elected as secretary of the Scouts of Greece, and in 1952 he was awarded the highest Greek Scout medal, and the Silver Wolf Award, the highest award made by The Scout Association of the United Kingdom "for services of the most exceptional character." Alexatos introduced the current World Scout Emblem at the

8th World Scout Jamboree The 8th World Scout Jamboree was held in August 1955, it was hosted by Canada at Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. The Jamboree saw the introduction of the World Membership Badge which is still worn on the uniforms of Scouts worldwide. This was the ...

in 1955. In 1963, Alexatos was awarded the 29th Bronze Wolf Award, the only distinction of the World Organization of the Scout Movement, awarded by the World Scout Committee for exceptional services to world Scouting. He was the only Scout in Greece who was voted honorary President of the Greek Scouts. The Greek National Scout Center was named in his honor. In the Athens Scout headquarters, visitors are able to see his Scout collections.

Publications

*Alexatos, Demetrios (1997), ''Scouting: a Wonderful World'', published by the Scouts of Greece (in Greek) *Alexatos, Demetrios (2000), ''In the Way of a Life'' (in Greek)

References

Recipients of the Bronze Wolf Award 1919 births 2001 deaths Scouting and Guiding in Greece World Scout Committee members People from Athens Constantinopolitan Greeks Emigrants from the Ottoman Empire to Greece {{Greece-bio-stub