Walther von Bonstetten

Who was Walther von Bonstetten?

Walther von Bonstetten was an early Swiss Guide and Scout Movement Scouting notable.

In 1913, he was among the founders of the Pfadicorps Patria in Bern, one of the early Swiss Scout units. In the same year Bonstetten was among the founders of the Schweizer Pfadfinderbund. He was elected as President of the Swiss Boy Scouts in 1918.

Von Bonstetten served on the World Scout Committee of the World Organization of the Scout Movement from 1927 until 1947.

He was awarded the Bronze Wolf, the only distinction of the World Organization of the Scout Movement, awarded by the World Scout Committee for exceptional services to world Scouting, in 1937. He became President d´Honneur of the Scouts Alpine Club in 1946.

From 1918 until 1927, he served as President of the Swiss Boy Scouts. He founded the "Scouts International Home" Association in 1923 later to be known as Kandersteg International Scout Centre.

He served as Chief Scout of Switzerland from 1927 until 1934. From 1934 to 1942 he served as President of the Swiss Boy Scouts. He served one year as Honorary Vice-President of the International Committee until his death in 1949.