International Girl Guide & Girl Scout Promises

Recently I’ve been reading about Girl Guides and Girl Scouts. The World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) represents ten million girls in 150 countries around the globe. All of these girls are united by making a promise and sharing core values, however the exact promise varies from country to country. I’ve looked at the Girl Guide or Girl Scout promises from eight countries: the UK, the USA, Australia, Malawi, Nigeria, Syria, India, and Portugal. I find it interesting how similar the promises and laws are even with the diversity of these cultures. They have more in common than they have things that separate them. However, there are also subtle differences that perhaps reveal something about the countries’ cultures.

God

The UK and Australia, as increasingly secular countries, have removed God from their promises to make it more inclusive to girls of different beliefs. However, they both encourage girls to learn and develop their own beliefs about spirituality. The USA has kept the wording of ‘serve God’, although they allow girls to adjust this to accommodate different beliefs. Religiously diverse India also allows the wording to be adjusted from God to Dharma if so desired. Dharma is a concept in several Indian religions about duties and the right way of living. Portugal, by contrast, as a predominantly Roman Catholic country has additional references to God in their promise and law. This includes saying they will keep their promise ‘with God’s help’ and that they will see ‘the hand of God in nature’. Malawi, Nigeria, and Syria all include ‘duty to God’ in their promises.

It’s interesting to note the differences of language such as ‘serve God’, ‘duty to God’, or ‘love God’. Before Girlguiding UK introduced its current secular promise with ‘to be true to myself and develop my beliefs’, the promise used to say ‘to love my God’ – which was the promise I made as a child. The ‘my’ meant it was inclusive to girls of different religions with different gods, although it didn’t recognise atheists or agnostics. However, the wording of ‘love’ also suggests a different relationship to God than the promise of my mother’s generation – which said ‘to do my duty to God’.

Optimism

In Australia, Girl Guides strive to be optimistic. In Nigeria, they promise to be cheerful and to smile and sing under all difficulties. Likewise in Malawi, the Guide law declares they should be ‘cheerful in all difficulties’. Interestingly, for whatever reason, there is no mention of positivity in the Girl Guide and Girl Scout promises and laws of the UK, USA, or India – despite it being a repeated theme in other countries. Yet, although not outright optimism, there is an implied hopefulness in the USA Girl Scouts striving to make the world a better place. The UK Guides also find a subtle silver lining in aiming to learn and hence move forward from the challenges that face them. Guides in Syria promise to smile under all difficulties. Presumably this must be a genuine smile, since they also promise to be truthful! Meanwhile, in Portugal girls promise that they will be ‘always cheerful’, or at least ‘with God’s help, to do my best’.

Authority

In Nigeria, Guides promise to be obedient and obey orders – although it doesn’t specify who can give these orders or what the orders might be. In Malawi Guides promise to be obedient and self-controlled, whilst in Syria and Portugal they also promise to be obedient. It’s interesting to note that these more traditional countries use the term ‘obedient’ whereas the UK, USA, and Australian promises make no such requests. In the UK, as well as in Malawi, girls promise to serve the Queen, but since the Queen is a symbolic figurehead with little political power, she only represents their country and not an actual authority figure. Girl Scouts in the USA promise to ‘respect authority’, but only after promising to ‘respect myself and others’. Girl Scouts in the USA make no promises to necessarily obey or agree with that authority, especially if it conflicts with respecting themselves or other people.

The strongest statement about authority is in India where Bulbuls (the Indian equivalent of Brownies, aged 5-10) must ‘give in to elders’ – apparently every and all elders, regardless of what they are asking. This trusts that elders won’t ask the girls to do anything harmful, which is hopefully true most of the time but not necessarily always the case. However, when the Bulbuls grow up to become Guides there is no mention in the promise or laws of them giving in to elders or obeying authority. This is presumably because by that age they’re thought to be sensible enough to judge situations for themselves, and to no longer be troublesome or obstinate little children!

Adventure

Out of the eight countries we’ve been looking at here, the UK is the only one in which the promise or law actively promotes the girls seeking adventures and challenging themselves. Guides in the UK promise to ‘face challenge and learn from her experience’, while acting in accordance to the integrity of the rest of the Guide laws. These challenges are seen as personal and positive self-growth experiences. Girl Scouts in the USA aim to be ‘courageous and strong’ with the bigger picture goal of making the world a better place. Australian Guides ‘live with courage and strength’, but may do that in their everyday lives rather than seeking out opportunities for personal challenges. Portugal has no reference to courage or adventure at all in its promise or law, aiming simply to be ‘thrifty’ and ‘pure in thought, word and deed’. Indian Guides strive to be ‘courageous’ and ‘thrifty’, whilst Guides in Nigeria and Syria also endeavour to be thrifty.

What is notable is that Malawi, Nigeria, and Syria seem to have a different understanding of courage to the UK and USA, for example. From ‘has courage and is cheerful in all difficulties’ and ‘smiles and sings under all difficulties’ it sounds like they have experienced real difficulties. Guides in these countries know the meaning of true hardship that they have to be courageous though. Perhaps they’re presented with enough challenges and don’t feel the need to seek out more. However, they likely also have fewer opportunities than their Girl Guide and Girl Scout sisters in more affluent countries.

Girl Guiding was banned in Malawi for several decades until 1995, as it was replaced by a youth movement associated with the country’s only political party. All youth organisations, including Guiding and Scouting, were banned in Syria from the 1980s because of dangerous influences from extremist groups, however since Guiding has been allowed to restart it’s successfully gained trust and credibility from the people. Girl Guides have never been banned in Nigeria, however Nigeria has had plenty of other conflict and political struggles, despite being the second most affluent country in Africa

Below I’ve shared the Girl Guide and Girl Scout promises and laws from the eight countries that I’ve talked about in this blog article. I’ve only commented on a few differences that I’ve noted between them. Can you identify any other themes of interest?

UK

Rainbows Promise (age 5-7): I promise that I will do my best to think about my beliefs and to be kind and helpful.

Promise (age 7+): I promise that I will do my best, to be true to myself and develop my beliefs, to serve the Queen and my community, to help other people and to keep the (Brownie) Guide Law.

Brownie Guide Law (age 7-10): A Brownie Guide thinks of others before herself and does a good turn every day.

Guide Law (age 10+): 1) A Guide is honest, reliable and can be trusted.
2) A Guide is helpful and uses her time and abilities wisely.
3) A Guide faces challenge and learns from her experiences.
4) A Guide is a good friend and a sister to all Guides.
5) A Guide is polite and considerate.
6) A Guide respects all living things and takes care of the world around her.

USA

Promise: On my honour, I will try:
To serve God* and my country,
To help people at all times,
And to live by the Girl Scout Law.

*Girls may substitute the word God in accordance with their own spiritual beliefs.

Girl Scout Law: I will do my best to be
honest and fair,
friendly and helpful,
considerate and caring,
courageous and strong, and
responsible for what I say and do,
and to
respect myself and others,
respect authority,
use resources wisely,
make the world a better place, and
be a sister to every Girl Scout.

Australia

Promise: I promise that I will do my best
To be true to myself and develop my beliefs
To serve my community and Australia
And live by the Guide Law.

Guide Law: As a Guide I will strive to:
Respect myself and others.
Be considerate, honest and trustworthy.
Be friendly to others.
Make choices for a better world.
Use my time and abilities wisely.
Be thoughtful and optimistic.
Live with courage and strength.

Malawi

Promise: I promise that I will do my best: To do my duty to God, To serve the Queen and my country and other people, and To keep the Guide Law.

Guide Law: 1) A Guide is loyal and can be trusted.
2) A Guide is helpful.
3) A Guide is polite and considerate.
4) A Guide is friendly and a sister to all Guides.
5) A Guide is kind to animals and respects all living things.
6) A Guide is obedient.
7) A Guide has courage and is cheerful in all difficulties.
8) A Guide makes good use of her time.
9) A Guide takes care of her own possessions and those of other people.
10) A Guide is self-controlled in all she thinks, says and does.

Nigeria

Brownie Promise (age 7-10): I promise to do my best: To do my duty to God and my country, To help other people every day, especially those at home.

Brownie Law (age 7-10): 1) A Brownie is truthful, obedient and cheerful.
2) A Brownie thinks of others before herself.

Promise (age 10+): I promise, on my honour, to do my best: To do my duty to God and my country, To help other people at all times, and To obey the Guide Law.

Guide Law (age 10+): 1) A Guide’s honour is to be trusted.
2) A Guide is loyal.
3) A Guide’s duty is to be useful and to help others.
4) A Guide is a friend to all, and a sister to every other Guide.
5) A Guide is courteous.
6) A Guide is a friend to animals.
7) A Guide obeys orders.
8) A Guide smiles and sings under all difficulties.
9) A Guide is thrifty.
10) A Guide is pure in thought, word and deed.

Syria

Promise: On my honour, I promise that I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country, to help others and to obey the Girl scout/Girl Guides law.

Guide Law: 1) A girl scout is truthful.
2) A girl scout is loyal.
3) A girl scout is useful.
4) A girl scout is a brother to all other girl scouts.
5) A girl scout is courteous.
6) A girl scout is a friend to the environment.
7) A girl scout is obedient.
8) A girl scout smiles under all difficulties.
9) A girl scout is thrifty.
10) A girl scout is pure in thought in word and in deed.
11) A girl scout’s honour is to be trusted and relied on.

India

Bulbul Promise (age 5-10): I promise to do my best: To do my duty to God* and my country, To keep the Law of the Bulbul flock and To do a good turn every day.

*The word Dharma can be substituted for God if so desired.

Bulbul Law (age 5-10): 1) The Bulbul gives in to the elders.
2) The Bulbul is clean and courteous.

Promise (age 10+): On my honour, I promise that I will do my best: To do my duty to God* and my country, To help other people, and To obey the Guide Law.

*The word Dharma can be substituted for God if so desired.

Guide Law (age 10+): 1) A Guide is trustworthy.
2) A Guide is loyal.
3) A Guide is a friend to all and a sister to every other Guide.
4) A Guide is courteous.
5) A Guide is a friend to animals and loves nature.
6) A Guide is disciplined and helps protect public property.
7) A Guide is courageous.
8) A Guide is thrifty.
9) A Guide is pure in thought, word and deed.

Portugal

Little Bird Promise (age 6-10): A Little Bird is obedient. A Little Bird is always clean and tidy. A Little Bird is cheerful. A Little Bird always tells the truth.

Promise (age 10+): I promise, on my honour and with God’s help, to do my best: To do my duty to God and country, To help other people at all times, and Obey the Guide Law.

Guide Law (age 10+): 1) A Guide’s honour is sacred, and her word worthy of complete trust.
2) A Guide is loyal.
3) A Guide is useful and does a good deed every day.
4) A Guide is a friend to all and a sister to every other Guide.
5) A Guide is kind and courteous.
6) A Guide sees the hand of God in nature and protects plants and animals.
7) A Guide is obedient.
8) A Guide is always cheerful.
9) A Guide is thrifty, likes good order and respects the property of others.
10) A Guide is pure in thought, word and deed.

British Seasonal Celebrations

‘For thousands of years, awareness of seasonal changes was enhanced by ritualistic celebrations. Nobody is going to forget the passing of the winter solstice when it was accompanied by a fire festival and the biggest party of the season, in the way that it’s successor, Christmas, does not go unnoticed now.’
From ‘Wild Signs and Star Paths’ by Tristan Gooley (2018)

I love nature and I love history, so perhaps it’s not surprising that I find myself drawn to the idea of seasonal celebrations. They bring the two together after all. Seasonal celebrations connect communities to their heritage as part of a greater story. They also reinforce an appreciation for the changing seasons and natural world, which is needed more than ever now so many of us are disconnected from the environment. I also think seasonal celebrations have a real potential to bring communities and families together through wholesome bonding traditions, fun shared memories, and enjoying this life that we’ve been blessed with.

As a child I always loved the magic of Christmas anticipation; hunting for Easter eggs around the churchyard (then sneaking out of church early to help hide them when I was older); learning maypole dances at school in preparation for the May Fayre; barn dances and barbeques in the summer; running around the local horticultural show with my friends; the beauty and colour of Guy Fawkes’ Night; taking part in the Remembrance Day parade with the Girl Guides; then the Christmas spirit beginning all over again with Christingle oranges and sparkling fairy lights. It’s been my experience that these festivities are often predominantly focused at children, but there’s no reason why they can’t be for all ages as they once were. Just because we’re now adults, it doesn’t mean we have to forget the magic in life or the value of innocent fun.

Below I’ve compiled a list of seasonal celebrations that were once traditional to my culture. It includes annual celebrations from the Church of England liturgical year, the British agricultural seasons, and more modern secular celebrations. Traditionally holidays were holy days – hence the name – and date back hundred of years. The word ‘holiday’ comes from the Old English ‘háligdæg’ and was first recorded during the Anglo-Saxon period around AD 950. For any international readers out there, in Britain the name ‘holiday’ is used to refer to any celebration, travel, or time off work, regardless of whether they’re religious or secular in nature. The more American ‘vacation’ instead comes from French and is connected to the word ‘vacate’ with the meaning to be unoccupied.

‘I sing of brooks, of blossoms, birds, and bowers,
Of April, May, of June, and July flowers.
I sing of May-poles, hock-carts, wassails, wakes,
Of bridegrooms, brides, and of their bridal-cakes.
I write of youth, of love, and have access
By these to sing of cleanly wantonness.
I sing of dews, of rains, and piece by piece
Of balm, of oil, of spice, and ambergris.
I sing of Time’s trans-shifting; and I write
How roses first came red, and lilies white.
I write of groves, of twilights, and I sing
The court of Mab, and of the fairy king.
I write of Hell; I sing (and ever shall)
Of Heaven, and hope to have it after all.’
‘The Argument of his Book’ by Robert Herrick (1648)

Advent

The liturgical year begins with the season of Advent in preparation and expectation for Christmas. Advent starts on the fourth Sunday before Christmas, which is usually in late November, and lasts until Christmas Eve on the 24th December. This period contains the winter solstice on the 21st December and is during the darkest time of the year. In England sunrise is around 8am and sunset is before 4pm at this time of year.

Late November – First Sunday of Advent.

30th November – St Andrew’s Day (the patron saint of Scotland).

December – Second Sunday of Advent.

6th December – St Nicholas’ Day (the patron saint of children, now known as Father Christmas).

13th December – St Lucy’s Day (previously coincided with the winter solstice).

December – Third Sunday of Advent.

17th December – O Sapientia (the seventh day before Christmas Eve).

December – Fourth Sunday of Advent.

21st December – Winter Solstice.

24th December – Christmas Eve.

Christmas

Christmas Day on the 25th December is followed by the 12 days of Christmas, celebrating and commemorating Christ’s birth – an event that changed history and demonstrated God’s love for us in the most amazing way. We don’t know exactly when Christ’s birthday was, but choosing to celebrate it around the time of the winter solstice (for the northern hemisphere) when light begins to return has symbolic significance that reinforces the story.

25th December – Christmas Day.

26th December – St Stephen’s Day (the first Christian martyr) or Boxing Day.

28th December – The Holy Innocents.

31st December – New Year’s Eve or Hogmanay.

1st January – The Naming & Circumcision of Jesus or New Year’s Day.

5th January – Twelfth Night.

Epiphany

The season of Epiphany starts with Epiphany itself on the 6th January, which celebrates the visit of the wise men to the infant Jesus and the recognition that Jesus Christ was the Son of God. The season lasts until Candlemas on the 2nd February, which commemorates the presentation of Jesus at the temple 40 days after his birth. This covers most of January and the coldest (although no longer darkest) month of the year in the northern hemisphere.

6th January – Epiphany.

First Sunday of Epiphany – The Baptism of Christ or Plough Sunday.

Monday after Plough Sunday – Plough Monday.

18th to 25th January – Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

21st January – St Agnes’ Day (the patron saint of virgins).

25th January – The Conversion of Paul or Burns’ Night.

2nd February – Candlemas.

Ordinary Time

The periods of the liturgical year outside Advent, Christmastide, Epiphanytide, Lent, and Eastertide are called ‘ordinary time’. This is because they are not focused on any of the major Christian celebrations. The period of ordinary time between Epiphany and Lent lasts about five Sundays. During this time the church stops looking back to Jesus’ birth and later looks forwards to Jesus’ death and resurrection. The last day of this ordinary time is celebrated as Pancake Day.

14th February – St Valentine’s Day (the patron saint of lovers).

February or March – Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Day.

Lent

Lent is a time of reflection, penitence, and solemn observance in preparation for the celebration of Easter. It lasts 40 days, which is about six weeks, in commemoration of the 40 days that Jesus spent journeying in the desert. During Lent many Christians fast from certain luxuries such as sugar, dairy, and meat or take up new spiritual disciplines. In England it historically coincided with the ‘hungry gap’ of late winter and early spring when there was no fresh produce available from vegetable gardens. Near the end of Lent is Good Friday, commemorating the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ.

February or March – Ash Wednesday.

1st March – St David’s Day (the patron saint of Wales).

March or April, Fourth Sunday of Lent – Mothering Sunday.

17th March – St Patrick’s Day (the patron saint of Ireland).

Fifth Sunday of Lent – Passiontide.

21st March – spring equinox.

25th March – Lady Day or The Annunciation.

March or April – Holy Week.

Sunday of Holy Week – Palm Sunday.

Thursday of Holy Week – Maundy Thursday.

Friday of Holy Week – Good Friday.

Easter

Easter lasts for 50 days from Easter Day until Pentecost. This time celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and with it how He has rescued us to give us new life. Along with Christmas, Easter is the most important celebration of the year. The date of Easter Day itself is determined by the moon and changes each year, as it is held on the Sunday following the paschal moon. Like several other celebrations, the meaning of Easter is reinforced by the symbolism of the natural season. In the northern hemisphere Easter takes place after the spring equinox when the earth is growing and coming to life again.

March or April, Sunday following the paschal moon – Easter Day.

March or April – Easter Week.

1st April – April Fool’s Day.

23rd April – St George’s Day (the patron saint of England).

1st May – May Day.

Three weekdays before Ascension Day – Rogationtide.

40th day after Easter Day, May or June – Feast of the Ascension.

31st May – The Visit of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Elizabeth.

50th day after Easter Day, May or June – Pentecost or Whit Sunday.

Ordinary Time

The season from Pentecost until Advent is designated as ‘ordinary time’ in the liturgical calendar. This period lasts about 24 Sundays from early summer until early winter, covering all of summer and autumn with the historically busy harvest season. Around the summer solstice on the 21st June, sunrise is before 5am while sunset is well after 9pm in England. This gives over 16 hours of daylight – double the just eight hours of daylight during the depths of winter.

May or June – Trinity Sunday.

Thursday after Trinity Sunday – Corpus Christi.

21st June – Father’s Day or summer solstice.

24th June – The Birth of John the Baptist or Midsummer’s Day.

15th July – St Swithun’s Day (traditionally associated with folklore about the weather).

1st August – Lammastide.

6th August – The Transfiguration of Our Lord.

15th August – The Blessed Virgin Mary.

14th September – Holy Cross Day.

Late September or early October, Sunday nearest the harvest moon – Harvest Festival or Harvest Thanksgiving.

21st September – autumnal equinox.

29th September – Michaelmas (the archangel).

First Sunday in October – Dedication Festival.

4th October – St Francis’ Day (the patron saint of animals).

31st October – All Hallows’ Eve or Hallowe’en.

1st November – All Hallows’ Day.

2nd November – All Souls’ Day.

5th November – Bonfire Night or Guy Fawkes’ Night.

11th November – Martinmas (the patron saint of the poor) or Remembrance Day.

23rd November – St Clement’s Day or Old Clem’s Night (the patron saint of blacksmiths).

25th November – St Catherine’s Day or Catterntide (the patron saint of lace makers).

Sunday before Advent – Christ the King.