Law and Promise

The original Scout law appeared with the publication of Scouting for Boys by Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the Scout Association, in 1908 and the current Scout Law in the UK is below.

Scout Law

  1. A Scout is to be trusted.
  2. A Scout is loyal.
  3. A Scout is friendly and considerate.
  4. A Scout belongs to the world-wide family of Scouts.
  5. A Scout has courage in all difficulties.
  6. A Scout makes good use of time and is careful of possessions and property.
  7. A Scout has self-respect and respect for others.

Scout Promise

Scouts is open to everyone; we don’t identify exclusively with one faith. As an inclusive and values based movement, we support our members to engage with spirituality in an exciting and meaningful way. Celebrating and understanding differences, including differences in faiths and beliefs, is an important part of the educational and developmental side of Scouts.

Anyone who shares our fundamental values can be a Scout. Every Scout is unique, but they find common ground in their shared Scout values and make a commitment to them through the Scout Promise and Law.

It’s important that Scouts is inclusive, so there are variations of the Promise to reflect the range of Scouts’ faiths and beliefs.  The different versions of the Promise can be said together at the same time.

The Promise is a simple way to help young people and adults celebrate their shared Scout values. Every Scout promises to stick by these values when they become a member. It’s important that every member has the chance to think about their Promise, and chat through its meaning, before they make their Promise for the first time during a special ceremony we call an Investiture.

When you invite someone to make or renew their Promise, just ask them to do it ‘in their own words’. It’s especially important to remember this when lots of people are saying their Promise together, for example, at an event. The different versions of the Promise can be said together at the same time.

It’s up to the person making the Promise which version they say. They should be able to look at all of the options and consider their choice carefully. Depending on the age of the young person, they may want to chat to their parents or carers as they make their decision.

The Scout Promise variations

Scouts is open to people of all faiths and of none. That’s why we have different variations of our Promise: so that everyone’s included and can say a set of words that means something to them.

The Beaver Scout Promise

The Cub Scout Promise

The Scout Promise (for Scouts, Explorer Scouts, Scout Network and adults)