The UK Scouts Association has agreed a new alternative which gives members the option to make a promise to love ‘our world’, while still asking them to do their best to uphold scout values and do their ‘duty’ to the Queen. This follows a ten-month consultation involving 1500 people, and has been welcomed by the Church of England.

Volunteer Scout leader Erin Billington was on the working group that formulated the alternative pledge and told Premier Christian Radio: ‘This is an evolution not a revolution. We’re doing it now to be more open and more inclusive. God remains in our core promise and this is just an additional alternative.’

scouts_medium.jpg

Rt Revd. Paul Butler, Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham, Bishopdesignate of Durham and the Church of England’s lead Bishop on work with young people said: ‘I very much welcome this announcement by the Scout movement that God stays in the promise. In enabling people of all faiths and none to affirm their beliefs through an additional alternative promise the Scout movement has demonstrated that it is both possible, and I would argue preferable, to affirm the importance of spiritual life and not to restrict meaning to arbitrary self-definition.’

Different promises for different faiths have existed in the Scouts for nearly 50 years. Hindus and Buddhists are currently allowed to refer to ‘my Dharma’ in the promise, while Muslims can refer to ‘Allah’.

The core Scout Promise : ‘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 alternative Scout Promise : ‘On my honour, I promise that I will do my best to uphold our Scout values, to do my duty to the Queen, to help other people and to keep the Scout Law.’

Topics