The what, why and how of scouting
Scouting is fun with a purpose, directed towards helping young people become happy, healthy, active citizens.
Scouting is...
Education for Life
Scouting complements a young persons school and family life, filling needs not met by either. Scouting develops self-knowledge and the need to explore, to discover, and to want to know. Scouts discover the world beyond the classroom, tapping the skills of others to learn and to become well-rounded people.
Fun with a purpose...
The purpose of scouting
Scouting exists to actively engage and support young people in their personal development, empowering them to make a positive contribution to society.
Scouting’s values
As scouts we are guided by these values:
Integrity - We act with integrity; we are honest, trustworthy and loyal.
Respect - We have self-respect and respect for others.
Care - We support others and take care of the world in which we live.
Belief - We explore our faiths, beliefs and attitudes.
Cooperation - We make a positive difference; we cooperate with others and make friends.
The Scout method
Scouting takes place when young people, in partnership with adults, work together based on the values of Scouting and:
- enjoy what they are doing and have fun,
- take part in activities indoors and outdoors,
- learn by doing,
- share in spiritual reflection,
- take responsibility and make choices,
- undertake new and challenging activities,
- make and live by their Promise.
The Scout Promise & Scout Law
Scouting has a simple and positive Promise that all Members are required to make. The Promise, together with the Scout Law, gives a distinctive ethos to the practices of the Movement and acts as a bond with Scouts in other countries.
Everyone in scouting expresses their membership and acceptance of the values of scouting by taking the scout promise and following the scout law. Beavers and Cubs have their own version of the promise and law, which is relevant for their age.
The Promise is something that we do and the way in which we live our lives. It is not something that we just say on occasions. It is important that the words of the Promise and the Law mean something to the people making them. The words in the Promise and Law might therefore change over time. This is to ensure that today’s Members understand them and that they cater for diverse backgrounds and cultures.
The Scout Promise
(for Scouts, Explorer Scouts, the Scout Network and adults)
On my honour,
I promise that I will do my best
to do my duty to God and to The Queen,
to help other people
and to keep the Scout Law.
The Scout Law
- A Scout is to be trusted.
- A Scout is loyal.
- A Scout is friendly and considerate.
- A Scout belongs to the world-wide family of Scouts
- A Scout has courage in all difficulties.
- A Scout makes good use of time and is careful
- of possessions and property.
- A Scout has self-respect and respect for others.
Scouting is open to people of all faiths and of none and we therefore take in to account the different religious obligations of our Members while upholding the essential spirit of the Promise.
Further details of the alternative wording of the Promise that young people and adults may wish to use to best reflect their own beliefs can be found in the current edition of the Policy, Organisation and Rules of The Scout Association.