B. THE SCOUT PROMISE

On my honour I will try—

Duty to God

An old British chieftain, some thirteen hundred years ago, said:

“Our life has always seemed to me like the flight of a sparrow through the great hall, when one is sitting at meals with the log-fire blazing on the hearth, while all is storm and darkness outside. He comes in, no one knows from where, and hovers for a short time in the warmth and light, and then flies forth again into the darkness. And so it is with the life of a man; he comes no one knows from where; he is here in the world for a short time, till he flies forth again, no one knows whither. But now you show us that if we do our duty during our life we shall not fly out into darkness again, when life is ended, since Christ has opened a door, for us to enter a brighter room, a heaven where we can go and dwell in peace for ever.”

Religion seems a very simple thing:

The Knights

The old knights, who were the scouts of the nation, were very religious. They were always careful to attend religious service, especially before going into battle or undertaking any serious difficulty. They considered it was the right thing always to be prepared for death. In the great church of Malta you can see to-day where the old knights used to pray, and they all stood up and drew their swords during the reading of the Creed, as a sign that they were prepared to defend the gospel with their swords and lives. Besides worshipping God in church, the knights always recognised His work in the things which He made, such as animals, plants, and scenery. And so it is with the Scouts to-day, that wherever they go they love the woodlands, the mountains, and the prairies, and they like to watch and know about the animals that inhabit them, and the wonders of the flowers and plants. No man is much good, either to himself or to others, unless he believes in God and obeys His laws. So every Scout should have a religion.

Regiments in God’s Army

There are many kinds of religion, such as Roman Catholics, Protestants, Jews, Mohammedans, and so on, but the main point about them is that they all worship God, although in different ways. They are like an army which serves one king, though it is divided into different branches, such as cavalry, artillery, and infantry, and these wear different uniforms. So, when you meet a girl of a different religion from your own, you should not be hostile to her, but recognise that she is still serving the same king as you.

In doing your duty to God always be grateful to Him. Whenever you enjoy a pleasure or a good game, or succeed in doing a good thing, thank Him for it, if only with a word or two, just as you say grace after a meal. And it is a good thing to bless other people. For instance, if you see a train starting off, just pray for God’s blessing on all that are in the train.

In doing your duty towards man be helpful and generous, and also always be grateful for any kindness done to you, and be careful to show that you are grateful.

How to Become a Star

Remember that a present given to you is not yours until you have thanked the giver for it. While you are the sparrow flying through the hall, that is to say, while you are living your life on this earth, try and do something good which may remain after you. One writer says:

“I often think that when the sun goes down the world is hidden by a big blanket from the light of heaven, but the stars are little holes pierced in that blanket by those who have done good deeds in this world. The stars are not all the same size; some are big, some little, and some men have done great deeds and others have done small deeds, but they have made their hole in the blanket by doing good before they went to heaven.”

Try and make your hole in the blanket by good work while you are on the earth.

It is something to be good, but it is far better to do good.

Duty to God and Country

Have you ever thought what a lot we owe to the Kaiser William of Germany. If he had not tried for world power, we should never have come together so closely as we have done with all our brothers and sisters overseas.