The Scout Law

1. A Scout's honour is to be trusted.

If a Scout says "On my honour it is so", that means that it is so, just as if he had made a most solemn promise. Similarly, if a Scouter 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 may be directed to hand over his Scout Badge, and never to wear it again. He may also be directed to cease to be a Scout.

2. A Scout is loyal to the Queen, his country, his Scouters, his parents, his employers and to those under him.

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 try his best to do at least one 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 country, class or creed the other may belong.

Thus 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" was called "Little friend of all the world", and that is the name that 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, for it is one of God's creatures. Killing an animal for food or an animal which is harmful is allowable.

7. A Scout obeys orders of his parents, Patrol Leader, or Scoutmaster without question.

Even if he gets an order he does not like he must do as soldiers and sailors do, and as he would do for his captain in a football team, 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 difficulties.

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 grumble when put out, but go on whistling and smiling. When you just miss a train, or someone 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.

9. A Scout is thrifty.

That is, he saves every penny he can, and puts it into 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.

10. A Scout is clean in thought, word, and deed.

That is, he looks down upon a silly youth who talks dirt, and he does not let himself give way to temptation either to talk it or to think, or to do anything dirty. A Scout is pure and clean-minded and manly.

Author

Lord Baden-Powell of Gilwell (Chief Scout, London, UK)

Date of Creation

1908

Learn A Continuation:

to the next page: What Scouts Are

Back in The Past:

to the previous page: The Scout Promise