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BSA Logo Scout Oath

The Meaning of the Scout Oath

Excerpted from page 45-46, Boy Scout Handbook, 11th ed,
(#33105), copyright 1998 by BSA, ISBN 0-8395-3105-2
and from page 420-421, Webelos Scout Book, 1998 edition,
(#33108), copyright 1998 by BSA, ISBN 0-8395-3108-7

Before you pledge yourself to any oath or promise, you must know what it means. The paragraphs that follow will help you understand the meaning of the Scout Oath. 


On my honor . . .

   By giving your word, you are promising to be guided by the ideals of the Scout Oath. 


. . . I will do my best . . .

   Try hard to live up to the points of the Scout Oath. Measure your achievements against your own high standards and don't be influenced by peer pressure or what other people do. 


. . . To do my duty to God . . .

   Your family and religious leaders teach you about God and the ways you can serve. You do your duty to God by following the wisdom of those teachings every day and by respecting and defending the rights of others to practice their own beliefs. 


. . . and my country . . .

   Help keep the United States a strong and fair nation by learning about our system of government and your responsibilities as a citizen and future voter. 

   America is made up of countless families and communities. When you work to improve your community and your home, you are serving your country. Natural resources are another important part of America's heritage worthy of your efforts to understand, protect, and use wisely. What you do can make a real difference. 


. . . and to obey the Scout Law; . . .

   The twelve points of the Scout Law are guidelines that can lead you towards wise choices. When you obey the Scout Law, other people will respect you for the way you live, and you will respect yourself. 


. . . To help other people at all times; . . .

   There are many people who need you. Your cheerful smile and helping hand will ease the burden of many who need assistance. By helping out whenever possible, you are doing your part to make this a better world. 


. . . To keep myself physically strong, . . .

   Take care of your body so that it will serve you well for an entire lifetime. That means eating nutritious foods, getting enough sleep, and exercising regularly to build strength and endurance. It also means avoiding harmful drugs, alcohol, tobacco, and anything else that can harm your health. 


. . . mentally awake, . . .

   Develop your mind both in the classroom and outside of school. Be curious about everything around you, and work hard to make the most of your abilities. With an inquiring attitude and the willingness to ask questions, you can learn much about the exciting world around you and your role in it. 


. . . and morally straight.

   To be a person of strong character, your relationships with others should be honest and open. You should respect and defend the rights of all people. Be clean in your speech and actions, and remain faithful in your religious beliefs. The values you practice as a Scout will help you shape a life of virtue and self-reliance. 


Note that the Boy Scout Oath has traditionally been considered to have three promises. Those three promises are delineated by the semicolons in the Oath, which divide it into three clauses. The three promises of the Scout Oath are, therefore:

   °Duty to God and country, 

   °Duty to other people, and 

   °Duty to self. 


DUTY TO GOD AND COUNTRY: Your FAMILY and religious leaders teach you to know and serve God. By following these teachings, you do your duty to God. 

Men and women of the past worked to make America great, and many gave their lives for their country. By being a good family member and a good citizen, by working for your country's good and obeying its laws, you do your duty to your country. Obeying the Scout Law means living by its 12 points. 


DUTY TO OTHER PEOPLE: Many people need help. A cheery smile and a helping hand make life easier for others. By doing a Good Turn daily and helping when you're needed, you prove yourself a Scout and do your part to make this a better world. 


DUTY TO SELF: To keep myself physically strong, means taking care of your body. Eat the right foods and build your strength. Staying mentally awake means learn all you can, be curious, and ask questions. Being morally straight means to live your life with honesty, to be clean in your speech and actions, and to be a person of strong character. 

Bryan on Scouting - Scouting Magazine


What was John Wayne's take on the Scout Law? 

Posted on August 13, 2015 by  in History of Scouting, Scouting archives,Throwback Thursdays. 


   In 1979, dignitaries including President Gerald Ford honored Academy Award-winning actor John Wayne at a dinner hosted by the BSA's Los Angeles Area Council. 

   The council named the John Wayne Outpost Camp after The Duke, paying tribute to the actor only a few months before his death on June 11th, 1979. 

   It was at this dinner that Wayne shared his own interpretation of the Scout Law and what it means to him. 

   "A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent," he said. 

   "Nice words. Trouble is, we learn them so young we sometimes don't get all the understanding that goes with them. I take care of that with my family. As each boy reaches Scout age, I make sure he learns the Scout Law. Then I break it down for him with a few things I've picked up in the more than half century since I learned it."

(This script is from the May-June 1979 issue of Scouting found in our archives.)


 

A Scout is... 


Trustworthy - The badge of honesty. Having it lets you look any man in the eye. Lacking it, he won't look back. Keep this one at the top of your list. 


Loyal - The very word is life itself, for without loyalty we have no love of person or country. 


Helpful - Part sharing, part caring. By helping each other, we help ourselves, not to mention mankind. Be always full of help - the dying man's last words. 


Friendly - Brotherhood is part of that word. You can take it in a lot of directions - and do - but make sure and start with brotherhood. 


Courteous - Allow each person his dignity, which means a lot more than saying "yes ma'am" and "Thank you, sir." It reflects an attitude that later in life you "wish you had honored more... earlier in life." Save yourself that problem. Do it now. 


Kind - This one word would stop wars and erase hatreds. But it's like your bicycle. It's just no good unless you get out and use it. 


Obedient - Start at home, practice it on your family, enlarge it to your friends, share it with humanity. 


Cheerful - Anyone can put on a happy face when the going's good. The secret is to wear it as a mask for your problems. It might surprise you how many others do the same thing. 


Thrifty - Means a lot more than putting pennies away, and it's the opposite of cheap. Common sense covers it just about as well as anything. 


Brave - You don't have to fight to be brave. Millions of good, fine, decent folks show more bravery than heavyweight champs just by getting out of bed every morning, going out to do a good day's work, and living the best life they know how against a lot of odds. Brave. Keep the word handy every day of your life. 


Clean - Soap and water help a lot on the outside. But it's the inside that counts and don't ever forget it. 


Reverent - Believe in anything that you want to believe in, but keep God at the top of it. With Him, life can be a beautiful experience. Without Him, you are just biding time. 


   Wayne thanked the hosts for putting his name on the Scout camp, adding, "I would rather see it here than on all the theater marquees the world over." 
   
 
 
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