WARRNAMBOOL teenager Ella Routson can report the King of Sweden preferred prawns to kangaroo for his dinner in Melbourne on Friday.
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She knows because she was dining with him.
Ella, 14, and her grandmother, Joyce Penry, were among a handful of guests who dined at King Carl XVI Gustaf’s table at a Scouts Victoria ceremony.
The king is honorary chairman of the World Scout Foundation, a fund raising body that supports Scouting in developing countries. More than 80 Foundation members were in Melbourne for four days for their annual board meeting.
On Friday night the king travelled to Williamstown to dine with 31 Scouts aged from 13-15 years and their families, including Ella and her grandmother, to present the Scouts with their Australian Scouts Medallion.
Ella was selected to dine with the king because of her role as one of two youth representatives on the State Scout Council.
Allansford Scout Bradley Osborne, 14, was also awarded his Australian Scout Medallion on Friday night.
The medallion recognises the Scouts’ completion of a series of challenging skills and activities for which they receive badges.
Scouts Victoria’s Brendan Watson said it was an extraordinary night to honour the 31 young achievers.
"Each of these Scouts has planned their program, then sustained hundreds of hours' effort to achieve it, with the support of their volunteer Leaders, fellow Scouts and their families," Mr Watson said.
Ella is a patrol leader with the Warrnambool Tooram Scout Group and has been a Scout for five years.
Her grandmother said the king, who was dressed in his Scouting uniform, was an unassuming fellow.
Both her and Ella were on their best behaviour and no photographs were allowed of them with the king.
Ella, who had lots of practice in the Scouts’ protocol of shaking hands with their left hand, did so without a hitch when introduced to the king but her grandmother admits to breaching protocol and using her right.
She was forgiven without having to spend time in the dungeon.
Ella, a Year 10 student at Warrnambool College, said her favorite Scouting activities included abseiling, canoeing and outdoor cooking.
She has also camped out with Scouts for 50 nights during the past three years.
Scouting offered great leadership opportunities and the chance to learn lots of teamwork skills, Ella said.
It also offered opportunities to meet great people and make lifelong friends, she said.
