Principles of Scouting

The fundamental principles are laid down in the Constitution of the World Organization of the Scout Movement. Being the law, the conviction of everyone, they must be strictly observed in achieving the goal, representing the Code of Conduct that characterizes any member of the Scout Movement.

The three fundamental principles of Scouting act as a law for everyone, and the attitude of every Scout is:

• duty to God,

• duty to others,

• duty to yourself.

The first indicates the spiritual content of the life of the individual, the second – the relationship of the individual to society in the broadest sense of the word, the third – the duties of the individual to himself.

Duty to God

This principle is defined in the Scouting Movement as “commitment to spiritual values, loyalty to religion, acceptance of the obligations arising from this” and applies to any religion.

Duty to others

In this principle, the main positions of Scouting are concentrated, and above all, we are talking about the responsibility of the individual to society in various aspects. Duty to others is defined as “… loyalty to one’s country, participation in society with recognition and respect for the dignity of compatriots, mutual understanding and cooperation at the local, national and international levels, as well as recognition of the priority of universal human values, which ultimately guarantees the preservation of the integrity of all peace.”

The first sentence of the quote refers to the fundamental concept of Scouting: loyalty to one’s country, international friendship and mutual understanding. Since its inception, Scouting has attached particular importance to the development of a sense of brotherhood and understanding among the youth of all nations.

The second provision reflects the fundamental principle of service for the benefit of others. Service in a broader sense than contribution to the development of society. This development cannot be achieved at any cost, but must be based on respect for the dignity of man and the integrity of nature. The concept of respect for human dignity is a fundamental rule of the international community. It can be concluded that every action that is taken within the framework of Scouting is based on the recognition of the individuality of the individual. The concept of the integrity of the natural world reflects the idea of ​​preserving nature, which has always been important to Scouts. This means that in achieving any goal, a person uses natural resources in such a way as not to disturb the stability and harmony of the natural world.

Duty to self

This principle can be defined as “responsibility for one’s own development”. Scouting assumes that young people are responsible for improving their own abilities. The Scout Movement as an educational movement is focused on helping the young person to reveal his potential – a process that we call personality development.

Since the inception of Scouting, all the basic and most important principles of the Movement have been formulated in the Promise and the Law, set forth in an accessible and attractive form, they have been and have all the Scout Associations. Each National Association takes care that the Law and the Promise are formulated in a modern language, adequate to the cultural traditions and social development of a given country, while at the same time maintaining full compliance with the Fundamental Principles of the Scouting Movement. A Scout leader, like every Scout, must unquestioningly accept the Law and the Promise and be guided by them in his personal life and in his work with Scouts.

The Scout Promise

I swear on my honor that I will do everything in my power to do my duty to God and the Sovereign (or God and my country), to help others at all times, to obey the Scout Law.

Scout Law

1. The Scout’s honor is to be trusted.

2. The scout is correct.

3. The duty of a Scout is to be useful and to help others.

4. A Scout is a friend to all and a brother to every Scout.

5. Scout is polite.

6. Scout is a friend of animals.

7. The Scout obeys his parents without question, as well as the orders of the leader of the Patrol, the Scoutmaster.

8. Scout smiles and does not lose heart in any difficulties.

9. Scout is frugal.

10. A Scout is pure in thought, word and deed.

We have looked at the principles of the Scout Movement. They are fundamental both for the activities of the Scout leader with the Scouts, and his personal life. The leader of a Scout group or organization necessarily acts as an educator, and he needs to master the pedagogical method of Scouting, which has been used throughout the entire existence of the Movement.

Let us turn to how the Scout Method is presented in the basic documents.

Method is defined as a system of means used to achieve the goal of a Movement and based on the principles of that Movement.

The Scout Method is progressive education through:

• Promise and Law;

• learning through work;

• membership in small groups, where preparation for self-control is carried out, aimed at the formation of character and the acquisition of knowledge, at the development of self-confidence,reliability and capacity for both cooperation and leadership;

• Progressive and stimulating programs of diverse activities based on the interests and needs of the participants, developing useful community service skills and carried out predominantly in nature.