Scout Motto

Scout badge "For merit", with the text "Be prepared"

In English, the Scout Motto is most commonly Be Prepared. In the first part of Scouting for Boys, Robert Baden-Powell explains the meaning of the phrase:

The scouts' motto is founded on my initials, it is:

BE PREPARED,

which means, you are always in a state of readiness in mind and body to do your DUTY;

Be Prepared in Mind by having disciplined yourself to be obedient to every order, and also by having thought out beforehand any accident or situation that might occur, so that you know the right thing to do at the right moment, and are willing to do it.

Be Prepared in Body by making yourself strong and active and able to do the right thing at the right moment, and do it.

— Lieut. Gen. Baden Powell C.B., Scouting for Boys (1908), "Camp Fire Yarn.—No. 4. Scout Law." (Part I, p. 48)

Baden-Powell provides several descriptions of how and for what situations a Scout must be prepared elsewhere in Scouting for Boys. In his explanation of the third point of the Scout Law, Baden-Powell says:

A Scout's Duty is to be Useful and to Help Others.

And he is to do his duty before anything else, even though he gives up his own pleasure, or comfort, or safety to do it. When in difficulty to know which of two things to do, he must ask himself, "Which is my duty?" that is, "Which is best for other people?"—and do that one. He must Be Prepared at an time to save life, or to help injured persons. And he must do a good turn to somebody every day.

— Lieut. Gen. Baden Powell C.B., Scouting for Boys (1908), "Camp Fire Yarn.—No. 4. Scout Law." (Part I, p. 49)

In the opening chapter of Scouting for Boys, Baden-Powell says:

Every boy ought to learn how to shoot and to obey orders, else he is no more good when war breaks out than an old woman, and merely gets killed like a squealing rabbit, being unable to defend himself.

— Lieut. Gen. Baden Powell C.B., Scouting for Boys (1908), "Camp Fire Yarn.—No. 1. Mafeking Boy Scouts." (Part I, Chapter I, pp. 9–10)

Baden-Powell discuses more skills required of Scouts in Chapter IV of Scouting for Boys, which addresses camp life:

So every scout ought to be able to tie knots.

— Lieut. Gen. Baden Powell C.B., Scouting for Boys (1908), "Camp Fire Yarn.—No. 11. Pioneering." (Part III, Chapter IV, p. 144)

To live comfortably in camp a scout must know how to make a bivouac shelter for the night, or a hut if he is going to be for a long time in camp.

— Lieut. Gen. Baden Powell C.B., Scouting for Boys (1908), "Camp Fire Yarn.—No. 11. Pioneering." (Part III, Chapter IV, p. 147)

A scout must know how to use an axe or bill-hook for chopping down small trees and branches.

— Lieut. Gen. Baden Powell C.B., Scouting for Boys (1908), "Camp Fire Yarn.—No. 11. Pioneering." (Part III, Chapter IV, p. 149)

Also scouts must know how to mend and even to make themselves clothes and boots.

— Lieut. Gen. Baden Powell C.B., Scouting for Boys (1908), "Camp Fire Yarn.—No. 11. Pioneering." (Part III, Chapter IV, p. 152)

Every scout must, of course, know how to cook his own meat and vegetables and to make bread for himself without regular cooking utensils.

— Lieut. Gen. Baden Powell C.B., Scouting for Boys (1908), "Camp Fire Yarn.—No. 13. Camp Life." (Part III, Chapter IV, p. 164)

Scouts ought to know how to drive sheep and cattle and horses...

Scouts should also know how to kill and cut up their cattle...

A Scout should also know how to milk a cow or a goat, else he may go thirsty when there is lots of milk available.

— Lieut. Gen. Baden Powell C.B., Scouting for Boys (1908), "Camp Fire Yarn.—No. 13. Camp Life." (Part III, Chapter IV, pp. 168–169)

Advice given by Baden-Powell in Chapter V on campaigning includes:

Scouts must be able to find their way equally well by night as by day.

— Lieut. Gen. Baden Powell C.B., Scouting for Boys (1908), "Camp Fire Yarn.—No. 14. Life in the Open." (Part III, Chapter V, p. 180)

Every scout ought to be able to read signs of the weather, especially when going mountaineering or cruising, and to read a barometer.

— Lieut. Gen. Baden Powell C.B., Scouting for Boys (1908), "Camp Fire Yarn.—No. 14. Life in the Open." (Part III, Chapter V, p. 181)

Every scout must be able to judge distance from an inch up to a mile and more.

— Lieut. Gen. Baden Powell C.B., Scouting for Boys (1908), "Camp Fire Yarn.—No. 15. Pathfinding." (Part III, Chapter V, p. 187)

Every sailor boy knows the points of a compass by heart and so should a scout.

— Lieut. Gen. Baden Powell C.B., Scouting for Boys (1908), "Camp Fire Yarn.—No. 15. Pathfinding." (Part III, Chapter V, p. 189)

In a chapter discussing endurance, Baden-Powell wrote:

A scout must be able to smell well in order to find his enemy by night...

A scout must be able to hear well...

A scout, of course, must have particularly good eyesight; he must be able to see anything very quickly and to see at a long way off.

— Lieut. Gen. Baden Powell C.B., Scouting for Boys (1908), "Camp Fire Yarn.—No. 17. How to Grow Strong." (Part IV, Chapter VI, pp. 213–214)

In Chapter VII, Baden-Powell discussed how Scouts prepare themselves to protect women and how they can improve themselves:

When walking with a lady or a child, a scout should always have her on his left side, so that his right is free to protect her. This rule is altered when walking in the streets: then a man will walk on the side of her nearest to the traffic, to protect her against accident, or mud-splashes, etc.

— Lieut. Gen. Baden Powell C.B., Scouting for Boys (1908), "Camp Fire Yarn.—No. 20. Chivalry to Others." (Part IV, Chapter VII, p. 247)

"Be Prepared" for what is going to happen to you in the future. If you are in a situation where you are earning money as a boy what are you going to do when you finish that job? You ought to be learning some proper trade to take up; and save your pay in the meantime, to keep you going till you get employment in your new trade.

— Lieut. Gen. Baden Powell C.B., Scouting for Boys (1908), "Camp Fire Yarn.—No. 22. Self-Improvement." (Part IV, Chapter VII, p. 267)

Chapter VIII of Scouting for Boys discussed saving life. On this topic, Baden-Powell says:

Remember your motto, "Be Prepared." Be prepared for accidents by learning beforehand what you ought to do in the different kinds that are likely to occur. Be prepared to do that thing the moment the accident does occur.

— Lieut. Gen. Baden Powell C.B., Scouting for Boys (1908), "Camp Fire Yarn.—No. 23. Be Prepared for Accidents." (Part V, Chapter VIII, p. 281)

Every scout should know what to do when there is a mad dog about, and should be prepared to do it.

— Lieut. Gen. Baden Powell C.B., Scouting for Boys (1908), "Camp Fire Yarn.—No. 24. Accidents and How to Deal with Them." (Part V, Chapter VIII, p. 295)

Where a man has gone so far as to attempt suicide, a Scout should know what to do with him.

— Lieut. Gen. Baden Powell C.B., Scouting for Boys (1908), "Camp Fire Yarn.—No. 25. Helping Others." (Part V, Chapter VIII, p. 305)

In the chapter on patriotism, Baden-Powell says:

Therefore think it over—Be Prepared to die for your country if need be, so that when the moment arrives you may charge home with confidence, not caring whether you are going to be killed or not.

— Lieut. Gen. Baden Powell C.B., Scouting for Boys (1908), "Camp Fire Yarn.—No. 28. United We Stand. Divided We Fall." (Part V, Chapter IX, pp. 331–332)

The first handbook for Girl Guides, How Girls Can Help to Build Up the Empire by Agnes and Robert Baden-Powell, similarly explains:

The motto of the Girl Guides is "Be Prepared". Why is this? It is because, like the other Guides, you have to be prepared at any moment to face difficulties and even dangers by knowing what to do and how to do it.[1]

(The "other Guides" of this quote are the Khyber Guide Regiment.)

Hilary Saint George Saunders' book The Left Handshake: The Boy Scout Movement during the War, 1939–1945 had the first name of each chapter spell out the Scout motto. The chosen names are: Bravery, Enterprise, Purpose, Resolution, Endurance, Partnership, Assurance, Reformation, Enthusiasm and Devotion.[2]

• Note-many languages have masculine and feminine forms of words – where gender changes the Scout Motto, differences are reflected here.

• The motto of the Young Pioneers, Always Prepared in various national languages, the Pioneers having been created as an alternative in countries under Communist rule where Scouting was banned
• The motto of the United States Coast Guard, Semper Paratus or Always Ready.

In Part IV, Chapter VI of the first edition of Scouting for Boys, Baden-Powell mentioned another Scout Motto:

A scout's motto is "Never say die till you're dead"—and if he acts up to this it will pull him out of many a bad place when everything seems to be going wrong for him. It means a mixture of pluck, patience, and strength, which we call "Endurance."

— Lieut. Gen. Baden Powell C.B., Scouting for Boys (1908), "Camp Fire Yarn —No. 17". How to Grow Strong. p. 210. Part IV, chapter VI

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