The Scout Oath


It is the mission of the Boy Scouts of America to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law. To that end, scouts have been taking an Oath since the founding of Scouting.

"On my honor, I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law, to help other people at all times, to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight."

Scout Oath

When saying the Scout Oath, scouts are to make the scout sign.



The Three Points of the Scout Oath


The Oath has always been constructed so that it contains three points. Each point in the Scout Oath begins with the word "to." "On my honor, I will do my best (1) to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law, (2) to help other people at all times, (3) to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight."

Scout Oath 3 points



Symbolism of the three points


Scouting is filled with symbolism, tradition, and legend. Various customs practiced by scouts are symbols and therefore reminders of the three points of the Scout Oath:

  • The scout sign is performed with three fingers
  • The scout salute is performed with three fingers
  • The scout badge has three points
  • The old version of the Scout Handshake before 1972 was with the left hand with the pinky separated so that the remaining fingers in the clasp numbered three. (Today Scouts just give a regular handshake but with the left hand).

Three Pointed Symbols



The Original scout Oath


In the book Scouting for Boys published in 1908, Baden Powell, the founder of Scouting, gave the following Scout Oath:

On my honour I promise that I will do my duty to God and the Queen.
I will do my best to help others, whatever it costs me.
I know the scout law, and will obey it.

In my father's 1943 Handbook for Boys, the same Scout Oath appears as the one we say today. Below it is a copy of The Oath of an Athenian Young Man presented as an example of a fine oath which is very similar to the Scout Oath we say today.

Boy Scouts of America is a member of the World Organization of Scouting Movement (WOSM). There are many Scouting associations like BSA from other countries which are members, and their oaths are all based on Baden Powell's original oath. They all have three points: do your duty, help others, and obey the Scout Law.



More about the Scout Oath


The Scout Promise - Wikipedia Article