Comments

4 responses to “Atheists and Other Non-theists in Scouting”

1. 2006/04/29

   Chris Gerhard

   re: Atheists and Other Non-theists in Scouting

   IIRC when I was a scout the promise was:

   On my honour I promise to do my best to do my duty to God and the Queen to help other people and to keep the Scout Law.

   however I never noticed any one really checking!

   Google suggests that my recollection matches the current promise in meaning.

   Reply
2. 2006/05/01

   alecm

   horrifying memories

   That does sound terrifying familiar, although most of my memories of scouthood are of heatstroke obtained one hot day in Herefordshire by my patrol because the PL – a fairly dedicated scout, from a scouting family – misread a map and sent us in the wrong direction. I was the APL and I knew where we were on the map, and the PL and I even had a “no, it’s *that* way” argument about taking the wrong turn before he asserted authority and by votes the rest of the patrol went with him, including me.

   But that wasn’t the horrifying bit.

   That was when the scout leader found us three miles later, him driving around in his car looking for the lost patrol, and by way of mediation got us all to accept – or at least mutely nod along with in a “we’re tired and bored teenagers so please shut up” sort of way – that we *all* had to *share* the *responsibility* for being off-route. That it was “joint blame” and we should *all* accept this.

   Not merely had I been right, and dissented, but also gone through a democratic process, committed, and followed-through, and now I was being told I was still somehow at fault?

   My opinion of the principles that they were trying to instill in us took a slide from that point onwards.

   Still, I suppose it was preparation for SunSigma.

   Reply
3. 2006/05/01

   alecm

   re: horrifying memories

   ps: we had to walk back, too.

   Reply
4. 2007/01/05

   fahad(fahadgul0@hotmail.com)

   re: Atheists and Other Non-theists in Scouting

   Do all the good you CAN, By all the means you CAN, In all the ways you CAN, In all the places you CAN, At all the times you CAN To all the people you CAN As long as ever you CAN

   Together we CAN make a difference in the life of a boy scout Success does come in CANS, I CAN, YOU CAN, WE CAN!

   Reply