The Guiding Promise and Laws since the beginning

This is an extract from a Guiding training resource:

"In 1908 Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of Scouting and Guiding, had strong beliefs and convictions including a strong sense of stewardship of the earth and all living things and the value of small groups working and playing together. Out of Baden-Powell’s convictions grew the Scout Promise and Law from which the Girl Guide Promise was slightly modified. The Promise and the Law gives a purpose and a new meaning to life. It provides members with a set of values such as honesty, responsibility, integrity, loyalty, respect, tolerance, self-awareness and a moral framework. 

The guiding Promise has changed 13 times since the organisation was founded. With each change the Promise has remained true to the principles on which guiding was founded over 100 years ago"


1910 
The Original Promise and Law 

On my honour, I promise that I will do my best:
To do my duty to God and the King (Or God and my country);
To help other people at all times;
To obey the Guide Law

Law

1. A Guide’s honour is to be trusted
2. A Guide is loyal to the King and her Guiders, and to her parents, her country and her employers or employees.
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, no matter what social class the other belongs.
5. A Guide is courteous.
6. A Guide is a friend to animals.
7. A Guide obeys orders of her parents, patrol leader or
8. Captain, without question.
9. A Guide smiles and sings under all difficulties.
10. A Guide is thrifty.
11. A Guide is pure in thought, word and deed.

Baden-Powel added

 "......[This law is unwritten, but it is understood]"
"A Guide is not a fool"

Moto: Be prepared



















1912
Guide Promise
I promise, on my honour

1 To be loyal to God & the King, 

2 To try and do daily good turns to other people

3 To obey the law of the Guides
Guide Law
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, no matter what social class the other belongs.
5. A Guide is courteous.

6. A Guide is pure in thought, word and deed.
7. A Guide is a friend to animals.
8. A Guide obeys orders
9. A Guide smiles and sings
10. A Guide is thrifty.


1914
Brownie Promise
On my Honour I promise to do my best
1 To do my duty to God and the King, and
2 to do a good turn to somebody every day.


1916
Brownie Promise
On my Honour I promise to do my best
1 To be loyal to God and the King, and
2 to to try to help other people, especially those at home.


1918
Guide Promise
I promise on my honour
1 To be loyal to God and the King
2 To try to help other people at all times
3 To keep the Law of the Guides

Guide Law
1. A Guide’s honour is to be trusted
2. A Guide is loyal
3. A Guide’s duty is to be useful
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.


1920
Brownie Promise
I promise on my honour to do my best
1 To do my duty to God and the King, and to be loyal to the Law of the Brownie Pack
2 To help other people every day, especially those at home.
Brownie Law:
The Law of The Brownie Pack is:
1. The Brownie gives in to the older folk
2. The Brownie does not give in to herself


1921
Guide Promise
On my honour I promise that I will do my best
1 To do my duty to God and the King
2 To help other people at all times
3 To obey the Guide Law

1926
Brownie Promise
I promise to do my best
1 To do my duty to God and the King, and to keep the Law of the Brownie Pack
2 To help other people every day, especially those at home.


1929
Brownie Promise
I promise to do my best
1 To do my duty to God and the King
2. To help other people every day, especially those at home.


1938
Brownie Law:
The Law of The Brownie Pack is:
1. A Brownie gives in to the older folk
2. A Brownie does not give in to herself.


1947
Guide Law
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.


1950
Guide Promise
I promise on my honour that I will do my best 

1 To do my duty to God & the King (Queen from 1953)

2 To help other people at all times

3 To obey the Guide Law

1952
Brownie Promise
I promise to do my best
1 To do my duty to God and the Queen
2. To help other people every day, especially those at home.

1957

Guide Promise

I promise on my honour that I will do my best 

1 To do my duty to God & the Queen

2 To help other people at all times

3  And to obey the Guide Law

1967 
Brownie Promise
I promise that I will do my best
To do my duty to God, to serve the Queen
and help other people, and
To keep the Brownie Guide Law.
Brownie Law
The Brownie Guide Law is:
A Brownie Guide thinks of others before herself and does a good turn every day.
Brownie Motto
Lend A Hand

Guide Promise
I promise that I will do my best
To do my duty to God
To serve the Queen and help 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. 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 possessions and those of others people
10. A Guide is self-controlled in all she thinks, says and does.




Rangers
I promise that I will do my best to do my duty to God, to serve the Queen and help other people, and to keep the Guide Law with the further responsibility to be of service to the community.


1969
A recruit of foreign nationality wishing to be enrolled as a member of the association in the united kingdom makes a promise in one of the following ways:
I promise that I will do my best
To do my duty to God, to my country
and to the country in which I am a guest
to help other people
and to keep the  (Brownie) Guide Law.

or she may make the promise in the accepted form of words used in her own country and the addition "To do my duty the country in which I am a guest"

or a recruit unable to live in her own country and not wishing to promise loyalty to its government may use the following form of words
"I promise that I will do my best
To do my duty to God
To serve the country in which I am a guest
and help other people
and to keep the (Brownie) Guide Law."

1987
Rainbow Promise
I will do my best to love God and to be kind and helpful.






1990
Alternative working for the "duty to God" clause
"where in religion God has a name which is more commonly used, that name may be substituted, in order to make the promise more meaningful to each girl or woman"


1994

Brownie Promise
I promise that I will do my best:
To love my God,
To serve the Queen and my Country,
To help other people,
and
To keep the Brownie Guide Law

Rainbow Promise
I will do my best to love my God and to be kind and helpful.

Guide Promise
I promise that I will do my best:
To love my God
To serve the Queen and my Country,
To help other people,
and
To keep the Guide Law
 (unofficially Rangers add: ‘and to be of service to the community’)


1996
Guide Law
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.



2013
The Current Promise and Law 

Brownies, Guides, Senior Section (Rangers) and adults:
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.

Rainbows
I promise that I will do my best to think about my beliefs and to be kind and helpful.


The Guide Law for Guides, Senior Section (Rangers) and adults:
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.

Brownie Guide Law:
A Brownie Guide thinks of others before herself and does a Good Turn every day.

2022 (20th September)

Rainbows

‘I promise that I will do my best to think about my beliefs and be kind and helpful.’

Brownies

‘I promise that I will do my best,
to be true to myself and develop my beliefs,
to serve the King and my community,
to help other people and to keep the Brownie Guide Law.’

Guides, Rangers, young leaders and adult volunteers

‘I promise that I will do my best,
to be true to myself and develop my beliefs,
to serve the King and my community,
to help other people and to keep the Guide Law.’

In the century since the founding of guiding, tens of millions of girls and women around the world have made the Promise, each in her own language.  Tens of millions of girls and women all committed to a moral framework. It can only be a good thing.