Fundamental Principle of Scouting;

The principles are the fundamental laws and beliefs which must be observed when achieving the purpose.

They represent a code of conduct which characterizes all members of the Movement. Scouting is based upon three broad principles which represent its fundamental laws and beliefs. They are referred to as 

1. Duty To God
2. Duty To Self
3. Duty To Others
4. Adherance to  Scout Promise and Law

As their

names indicate, the first refers to a person's relationship with the spiritual values of life; the second to a person's relationship
with society in the broadest sense of the term; and the third, to a person's obligations towards himself.

Duty to God

Under the title "Duty to God", the first of the above-mentioned principles of the Scout Movement is defined as "adherence to spiritual principles, loyalty to the religion that expresses them and acceptance of the duties resulting therefrom". It should be noted that, by contrast to the title, the body of the text does not use the word "God", in order to make it clear that the clause also covers religions which are non-monotheistic, such as Hinduism, or those which do not recognize a personal God, such as Buddhism.

When asked where religion came into Scouting and Guiding, Baden-Powell replied "It does not come in at all. It is already there. It is a fundamental factor underlying Scouting and Guiding". (2)

A careful analysis of the Founder's writings shows that the concept of a force above man is basic to Scouting. The whole educational approach of the Movement consists in helping young people to transcend the material world and go in search of the spiritual values of life.

Duty to self

This principle is defined as "responsibility for the development of oneself". Scouting is thus based not only upon the principles of "Duty to God" and "Duty to others", but also on the principle that man should assume responsibility for the development of his own capacities. This is fully in harmony with the educational purpose of the Scout Movement, whose aim is to assist the young person in the full development of his potentials - a process which has been called the "unfolding" of the personality. In this respect, the role of the promise and law in a fundamental one.

Duty to others

Under this general heading, a number of basic precepts of the Movement are grouped, since all deal with a person's responsibility towards society in its difference dimensions. Duty to others is thus defined as:

"- Loyalty to one's country in harmony with the promotion of local, national and international peace, understanding and cooperation.
- Participation in the development of society, with recognition and respect for the dignity of one's fellow-man and for the integrity of the natural world."


The first statement mentioned above deals with two fundamental concepts of the Scout Movement: loyalty to one's country, and world friendship and understanding. Both are combined in a single statement in order to show that the concept of loyalty to one's country is not a narrow, chauvinistic concept, but one that is considered in a certain perspective; namely that it must be in harmony with the promotion of peace, understanding and cooperation at all levels: local, national and international. This approach reflects faithfully the Founder's philosophy when he wrote that "we should take care, in inculcating patriotism into our boys and girls, that it is patriotism above the narrow sentiment which usually stops at one's own country, and thus inspires jealousy and enmity in dealing with others. Our patriotism should be of the wider, nobler kind which recognizes justice and reasonableness in the claims of others and which leads our country into comradeship with...the other nations of the world. The first step to this end is to develop peace and goodwill within our own borders, by training our youth of both sexes to its practice as their habit of life; so that the jealousies of town against town, class against class and sect against sect no longer exist; and then to extend this good feeling beyond our frontiers towards our neighbours..." (3)

Since its inception, Scouting has attached great importance to the promotion of brotherhood and understanding among young people of all nations. The multiple international gatherings of young people are only the most visible manifestation of the means used to achieve this goal, which is reached in more depth through the day to day activities of the Scout programme.

The second statement - "participation in the development of society..." - expresses the basic principle of service to others in a comprehensive manner. First, in accordance with the Founder's philosophy, the service is conceived in its broadest sense, as a contribution to the development of society. Secondly, this development cannot take place at any price; it must be based upon the respect of the dignity of man and of the integrity of nature.

The concept of the dignity of man is a fundamental precept of the international community and is consecrated by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It simply means that every action undertaken within Scouting must be based upon the respect of the human being.

The concept of the integrity of the natural world expresses the idea of nature conservation, which has always been fundamental to Scouting. It emphasizes that the life-space of mankind on earth and the living organisms therein constitute an ecological whole, an interdependent system, and that any injury to any part is communicated to the whole system. This concept stresses that, in the pursuit of the development goal, man must not exploit natural resources in such a manner as to damage the balance and harmony of the natural world.

Adherence to Scout Promise and Law

The above-mentioned principles relating to the spiritual, social and personal dimensions constitute the fundamental laws and beliefs upon which Scouting rests. Consequently, the programme of all Scout associations must provide maximum opportunities for the growth of young people on the basis of these principles.

Since the inception of the Movement, the basic tool for the formulation of these principles in a way that is understandable and appealing to young people, has been a promise and law, which all Scout associations must have.

In this respect, the original promise and law conceived by the Founder is a useful source of inspiration, since it embodies the fundamentals of the Movement. It should be strongly emphasized, however, that the original promise and law were written for young people in England at the beginning of the 20th Century. Each national association must ensure that its promise and law is formulated in a modern language adapted to its specific culture and civilization, while remaining faithful to the fundamentals.

In order to ensure that this diversity of expression does not affect the unity of the Movement and fidelity to its fundamentals, the promises and laws of national associations, when first drafted and whenever modified, are subject to the approval of the World Organization.