The Scout Association has recently announced the consultation on the revised fundamentals of the movement.
You can find the updated fundamentals on scouts.org.uk/fundamentals
But what does this actually mean?
The revised fundamentals updates the purpose of Scouting and the Scout method but most importantly replaces ‘the principles of Scouting’ with ‘the values of Scouting’.
But how does that make a more inclusive and diverse movement?
The old principles of Scouting were;
Duty to Self
Duty to Others
Duty to God
The new values of Scouting are;
As Scouts we are guided by these values:
Integrity – We act with integrity; we are honest, trustworthy and loyal.
Respect – We have self-respect and respect for others.
Care – We support others and take care of the world in which we live.
Beliefs – We explore our faiths, beliefs and attitudes.
Cooperation – We make a positive difference; we cooperate with others and make friends.
What is important here is without requiring a duty to God in the fundamentals the opportunity has been created to amend other aspects of the movement’s policies.
In particular, at present The Scout Association does not allow atheists to become full members of the movement. With the updated fundamentals this can be changed, Atheists could be given a different version of the Scout promise to make in order to become full members.
The Association now has one of the biggest decisions to make since deciding in 1976 that they were to accept girls for the first time.
Together we can make a difference, simply complete the online survey and let the Association know your thoughts.
Let’s make Scouting in the UK more inclusive than ever before in it’s 105 year history. The time is right…