AS A quiet, reserved schoolboy, Alex Doyle never thought he would be picked out as a future leader.

The 17-year-old Toowoomba boy was one of only 24 Venturer Scouts in Australia to be selected for the five-day Mawson Scholarship Course in Brisbane next month.

It's a course designed to sharpen the participant's leadership and people skills.

Alex said since a school friend invited him along to a Scout meeting one night in 2005, the movement had become a huge part of his life.

He said being a scout was about much more than tying knots.

"We plan all our own activities, and do a lot of teambuilding exercises," Alex said.

"It's definitely increased my confidence, it's given me skills to achieve goals and to communicate well with people.

"It's the friendship and the fun. I've got friends all over Australia, from Western Australia to Sydney.

"I was always very quiet, and kept to myself…Scouts has given me the opportunity to develop as a leader."

Alex, now on his gap year, has plans to join the defence force, but also plans to continue his involvement with Scouts as a leader for younger groups.

"You have to be very charismatic, easy to get along with, and not too bossy," he said.

"Most of the Scouts leaders are big kids themselves."