04/06/2015
The original Scout law appeared
with the publication of Scouting
for Boys in 1908 and is as follows
(sic, capitalization, numbering,
etc. by Baden-Powell): [5][6][7]
1. A SCOUT'S HONOUR IS TO BE
TRUSTED . If a scout says "On
my honour it is so," that
means it is so, just as if he
had taken a most solemn
oath. Similarly, if a scout
officer says to a scout, "I trust
you on your honour to do
this," the Scout is bound to
carry out the order to the very
best of his ability, and to let
nothing interfere with his
doing so. If a scout were to
break his honour by telling a
lie, or by not carrying out an
order exactly when trusted on
his honour to do so, he would
cease to be a scout, and must
hand over his scout badge
and never be allowed to wear
it again.
2. A SCOUT IS LOYAL to the
King, and to his officers, and
to his country, and to his
employers. He must stick to
them through thick and thin
against anyone who is their
enemy, or who even talks
badly of them.
3. A SCOUT'S DUTY IS TO BE
USEFUL AND TO HELP
OTHERS. And he is to do his
duty before anything else,
even though he gives up his
own pleasure, or comfort, or
safety to do it. When in
difficulty to know which of two
things to do, he must ask
himself, "Which is my duty?"
that is, "Which is best for
other people?"---and do that
one. He must Be Prepared at
any time to save life, or to
help injured persons. And he
must do a good turn to
somebody every day.
4. A SCOUT IS A FRIEND TO ALL,
AND A BROTHER TO EVERY
OTHER SCOUT, NO MATTER
TO WHAT SOCIAL CLASS THE
OTHER BELONGS. If a scout
meets another scout, even
though a stranger to him, he
must speak to him, and help
him in any way that he can,
either to carry out the duty he
is then doing, or by giving him
food, or, as far as possible,
anything that he may be in
want of. A scout must never
be a SNOB. A snob is one who
looks down upon another
because he is poorer, or who
is poor and resents another
because he is rich. A scout
accepts the other man as he
finds him, and makes the best
of him -- "Kim," the boy scout,
was called by the Indians
"Little friend of all the world,"
and that is the name which
every scout should earn for
himself.
5. A SCOUT IS COURTEOUS: That
is, he is polite to all—but
especially to women and
children and old people and
invalids, cripples, etc. And he
must not take any reward for
being helpful or courteous.
6. A SCOUT IS A FRIEND TO
ANIMALS. He should save
them as far as possible from
pain, and should not kill any
animal unnecessarily, even if
it is only a fly---for it is one of
God's creatures.
7. A SCOUT OBEYS ORDERS of
his patrol-leader, or scout
master without question. Even
if he gets an order he does
not like, he must do as
soldiers and sailors do, he
must carry it out all the same
because it is his duty; and
after he has done it he can
come and state any reasons
against it: but he must carry
out the order at once. That is
discipline.
8. A SCOUT SMILES AND
WHISTLES under all
circumstances. When he gets
an order he should obey it
cheerily and readily, not in a
slow, hang-dog sort of way.
Scouts never grouse at
hardships, nor whine at each
other, nor swear when put
out. When you just miss a
train, or some one treads on
your favourite corn---not that
a scout ought to have such
things as corns--- or under
any annoying circumstances,
you should force yourself to
smile at once, and then
whistle a tune, and you will
be all right. A scout goes
about with a smile on and
whistling. It cheers him and
cheers other people,
especially in time of danger,
for he keeps it up then all the
same. The punishment for
swearing or bad language is
for each offence a mug of cold
water to be poured down the
offender's sleeve by the other
scouts.
9. A SCOUT IS THRIFTY, that is,
he saves every penny he can,
and puts it in the bank, so
that he may have money to
keep himself when out of
work, and thus not make
himself a burden to others; or
that he may have money to
give away to others when they
need it.
These were written for the Scouts
in the whole world, yet of course
firstly focused on Scouting in the
United Kingdom. As other groups
started up Scouting organizations
(often in other countries), each
modified the laws, for instance
'loyal to the King' would be
replaced by the equivalent text
appropriate for each country.
During the years, Baden-Powell
himself edited the text numerous
times, notably in 1911 adding:
A SCOUT IS CLEAN IN
THOUGHT, WORD AND DEED .
Decent Scouts look down upon
silly youths who talk dirt, and they
do not let themselves give way to
temptation, either to talk it or to
do anything dirty. A Scout is pure,
and clean-minded, and manly.
A version of the Guide law, hand-
written by Baden-Powell is
displayed ,and why some of us in
this world do not do things as the
scout
law say?
