| Scout Motto |
The Scout Motto of the Scout movement is, in English, "Be Prepared", with most international branches of the group using a close translation of that phrase. These mottoes have been used by millions of Scouts around the world since 1907. Most of the member organizations of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) share the same mottoes.
In the first part of Scouting for Boys, Robert Baden-Powell explains the meaning of the phrase:
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:
In the opening chapter of Scouting for Boys, Baden-Powell says:
Baden-Powell discuses more skills required of Scouts in Chapter IV of Scouting for Boys, which addresses camp life, and he lists:
Advice given by Baden-Powell in Chapter V on campaigning includes the requirements of:
In a chapter discussing endurance, Baden-Powell writes that a scout should be able to:
In Chapter VII, Baden-Powell discussed how Scouts prepare themselves to protect women and how they can improve themselves. He says a scout should walk with a woman on his left "so that his right is free to protect her", walking on the other side in the streets to protect her from traffic. Baden-Powell adds to "Be Prepared" for the future by learning a trade and saving up pay.[1]
Chapter VIII of Scouting for Boys discussed saving life. On this topic, Baden-Powell says that a scout should be prepared by:
In the chapter on patriotism, Baden-Powell says to " 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."
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.[2]
(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.[3]
Many languages have masculine and feminine forms of words – where gender changes the Scout Motto, differences are reflected here.
| Language | Countries | Boy Scouts | Girl Guides or Girl Scouts | Organizational variant | Translation (if other than "Be prepared") | Transliteration or pronunciation | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afrikaans | Namibia, South Africa | Afrikaans: Wees geréed! | |||||||
| Albanian | Albania | Albanian: Ji gati | Pergatitu | "Always prepared" | |||||
| Amharic | Ethiopia | Amharic: ዝግጁ | "Ready" | pronounced as /am/ | |||||
| Arabic | Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestinian Authority, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Western Sahara, Yemen | Arabic: كُن مستعداً | in Jordan, Libya, and Syria Arabic: وَأَعِدُّوا | pronounced as /ar/ pronounced as /ar/ | |||||
| Armenian | Armenia | Armenian: Միշտ պատրաստ | Partsratsir partsratsour | "Always ready" "Elevate yourself and others with you" | Misht Badrast | ||||
| Azeri | Azerbaijan | Azerbaijani: Daima hazır | |||||||
| Belarusian | Belarus | Belarusian: Будзь гатоў | Belarusian: | Budz' hatoǔ! | |||||
| Bengali | Bangladesh | Bengali: সেবার জন্য সদা প্রস্তুত থাকতে যথাসাধ্য চেষ্টা করা | Bengali: সদা প্রস্তুত | "Do your best to be prepared for service" | Sebar jannoa sada prastut thakte jathasadhya chesta kara Sada prastut | ||||
| Bislama | Vanuatu | Bislama: Rerem | "Prepare" | ||||||
| Bosnian | Bosnia and Herzegovina | Bosnian: Budi spreman! | Bosnian: Uvijek spreman! | ||||||
| Bulgarian | Bulgaria | Bulgarian: Бъди готов | Bulgarian: Бъди готова | Bădi gotov Bădi gotova | |||||
| Burmese | Burma | Burmese: အဆင်သင့် | "Ever ready" | A-sin-thint | |||||
| Cantonese | Hong Kong, Macau | 準備 | "Prepare" | Zeon2 bei6 | |||||
| Chinese (Traditional) | Taiwan | Chinese: 準備 | "Prepare" | Zhǔnbèi | |||||
| Catalan | Andorra, Catalonia, Balearic Islands, Valencia | Catalan; Valencian: Sempre a punt | "Always ready" | ||||||
| Chavacano | Zamboanga | Pirmi alisto! | "Always prepared!" | ||||||
| Chichewa | Malawi | Chichewa; Chewa; Nyanja: Konzekerani | |||||||
| Cook Islands Māori | Cook Islands | Rarotongan; Cook Islands Maori: Kia vai teateamamao! | |||||||
| Croatian | Croatia | Croatian: Budi pripravan! | Croatian: Uvijek spreman! | ||||||
| Czech | Czech Republic | Czech: Buď připraven | Czech: Buď připravena | ||||||
| Danish | Denmark | Danish: Vær beredt! | Danish: Værn og tjen! | "Protect and serve!" | |||||
| Divehi | Maldives | Divehi; Dhivehi; Maldivian: އަބަދުވެސް ތައްޔާރްށް | Abadhuves thayyarah | ||||||
| Dutch | Belgium, the Netherlands, Suriname | Dutch; Flemish: Wees paraat! | Dutch; Flemish: Steeds bereid! in Belgium, Dutch; Flemish: Wees bereid! in the Netherlands, Dutch; Flemish: Weest paraat! in Suriname | ||||||
| Dzongkha | Bhutan | Dzongkha: གྲ་འགྲིག་འབད་ | "Dra drig bay" | ||||||
| English | Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Dominica, The Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Liberia, Namibia, Nigeria, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Trinidad and Tobago, United Kingdom, United States, Zambia, Zimbabwe | Be prepared | |||||||
| Esperanto | (Skolta Esperanto Ligo) | Esperanto: Estu preta | |||||||
| Estonian | Estonia | Estonian: Ole valmis! | |||||||
| Faroese | Faroe Islands | Faroese: Ver til reiðar | |||||||
| Fijian | Fiji | Fijian: Tu Vakarau Fijian: Meda tu vakarau Fijian: Tu vakarau ena vei gauna | |||||||
| Filipino | Philippines | Laging Handa! | Filipino; Pilipino: Laging handa! | "Always ready!" | |||||
| Finnish | Finland | Finnish: Ole valmis! | Swedish: Var redo! (in Swedish) | ||||||
| French | Belgium, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Canada, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, France, Gabon, Guinea, Haiti, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritius, Monaco, Morocco, New Caledonia, Rwanda, Seychelles, Switzerland, Togo, Tunisia | French: Toujours prêt! | French: Toujours prête! | French: Prêt(e) à servir ("Ready to serve") in Burkina Faso; French: Sois prêt(e)! ("Be prepared!") widespread; French: Être prêt(e) ("To be prepared") in Haiti and Lebanon; French: Toujours tout droit ("Always straight"/"Always upstanding") in Senegal | "Always ready!" | pronounced as /fr/ | |||
| Georgian | Georgia | Georgian: იყავი მზად | Ikavi mzad | ||||||
| German | Austria, Germany, Liechtenstein, Namibia, Switzerland | German: Allzeit bereit! | German: So gut ich kann! | German: Seid bereit! in Namibia | "Always prepared!" "As good as I can | " | pronounced as /de/ | ||
| Gilbertese | Kiribati | Gilbertese: Mena tauraoi | |||||||
| Greek | Cyprus, Greece | Greek, Modern (1453-);: Έσo έτοιμος! | Greek, Modern (1453-);: Έσo έτοιμη! | Éso étoimos! Éso étoimi | |||||
| Hawaiian | Hawaii | Hawaiian: Ho{{okina | |||||||
| Modern Hebrew | Israel | Hebrew: היה נכון | Heye nachon | ||||||
| Hindi | India | Hindi: तैयार | "Prepared" | Taiyar | |||||
| Hungarian | Hungary | Hungarian: Légy résen! | Hungarian: Jó munkát! | "Be watchful!" | |||||
| Icelandic | Iceland | Icelandic: Ávallt viðbúinn! | "Always prepared!" | ||||||
| Indonesian | Indonesia | Indonesian: Satyaku kudarmakan, darmaku kubaktikan[4] | "My promise becomes my law, my law becomes my devotion" | ||||||
| Interlingua | Interlingua (International Auxiliary Language Association);: Sempre preste | ||||||||
| Irish | Ireland | Irish: Bí ullamh! | |||||||
| Italian | Italy, San Marino, Switzerland | Italian: Siate pronti! | Italian: Siate pronte! | CNGEI uses Italian: Sii preparato (feminine Italian: Sii preparata) and the Catholic organization AGESCI uses the Latin translation Estote parati from Lc 12,40 and Mt 24,44 | pronounced as /it/ pronounced as /it/ | ||||
| Japanese | Japan | Japanese: そなえよつねに | "Always be prepared" | Sonae-yo tsuneni pronounced as /ja/ | |||||
| Kazakh | Kazakhstan | Kazakh: Дайын бол! | Russian: Будь готов! (in Russian) | Dayyin bol! Bud' gotov | |||||
| Kinyarwanda | Rwanda | Kinyarwanda: Ube maso! | |||||||
| Kirundi | Burundi | Rundi: Ube maso | |||||||
| Korean | South Korea | Korean: 준비 | "Preparation" | Junbi | |||||
| Kyrgyz | Kyrgyzstan | Kirghiz; Kyrgyz: Даяр бол | Russian: Будь готов (in Russian) | Dayar bol Bud' gotov | |||||
| Khmer | Cambodia | Central Khmer: ត្រៀមខ្លួន | Central Khmer: ត្រៀមខ្លួន | Triam kloun | |||||
| Lao | Laos | Lao: ຕຣຽມພຣ້ອມ | "Prepared" | pronounced as /lo/ | |||||
| Latin | Latin: Estote parati | Some Italian associations (usually Catholic) use this form | |||||||
| Latvian | Latvia | Latvian: Esi modrs!
| Latvian: Esi modra!
| "Be watchful" "Always watchful!" | |||||
| Lithuanian | Lithuania | Lithuanian: Budėk!
| |||||||
| Luxembourgish | Luxembourg | Luxembourgish; Letzeburgesch: Ëmmer bereet! | Luxembourgish; Letzeburgesch: Trei zum Land! | "Loyal to the country!" | |||||
| Macedonian | North Macedonia | Macedonian: Биди подготвен | Bidi podgotven | ||||||
| Malagasy | Madagascar | Malagasy: Vonona hatrany hatrany! | "Always prepared" | ||||||
| Malay | Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore | Malay: Selalu bersedia! | Malay: Selalu sedia! | Malay: Sentiasa (ber)sedia! in Malaysia | |||||
| Maltese | Malta | Maltese: Kun lest! | Maltese: Kun lesta! | ||||||
| Mongolian | Mongolia | Mongolian: Хэзээд бэлхэн! | Mongolian: Бэлэн бол! | "Become prepared!" "(I am) ready forever | " | Belen bol! Hezeed belhen | |||
| Montenegrin | Montenegro | Буди спреман | Budi spreman | ||||||
| Nepali | Nepal | Nepali: तयार होऊ | Tayar hou | ||||||
| Netsilik Inuit | Nunavut | Inuktitut: ᐃᔈᓗᐊᖖᓯᓯᒪᐃᓐᓇᓗᑎᑦ | |||||||
| Niuean | Niue | Niuean: Kia mautali | |||||||
| Norwegian | Norway | Norwegian: Vær beredt!
| "Be prepared!" "Always prepared | " | |||||
| Papiamento | Aruba, Netherlands Antilles | Dutch; Flemish: Wees bereid! (in Dutch) | Papiamento: Sea prepará! in Netherlands Antilles | ||||||
| Pashto | Afghanistan | Pushto; Pashto: تیار اوسی | "Attention" | Tayar osay | |||||
| Persian | Iran | Persian: آماده باش | Âmâdeh bâsh | ||||||
| Polish | Poland | Polish: Czuwaj! | "Watch!" (imp.) | ||||||
| Portuguese | Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal, São Tomé and Príncipe | Portuguese: Sempre alerta! | Latin: Semper parata! (in Latin) | "Always alert!" | |||||
| Romanian | Moldova, Romania | Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Gata oricând | Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Fii pregatit(a)! in Romania | "Always ready" | |||||
| Romansh | Switzerland | Romansh: Adina pronto! | Romansh: Adina pronta! | ||||||
| Russian | Russia | Russian: Будь готов! | Russian: Будь готова! | Bud' gotov(a)! | |||||
| Sakha | Yakutia | Yakut: Бэлэм буол! | Belem buol! | ||||||
| Samoan | American Samoa, Samoa | Samoan: Sauniuni | |||||||
| Serbian | Serbia | Serbian: Буди спреман | Budi spreman | ||||||
| Sinhala | Sri Lanka | Sinhala; Sinhalese: සූදානම් ව සිටිනු! | |||||||
| Slovakian | Slovakia | Slovak: Buď pripravený | |||||||
| Slovene | Slovenia | Slovenian: Bodi pripravljen! | Slovenian: Vedno pripravljen!, Slovenian: Z naravo k boljšemu človeku! | "Always prepared!" "With nature to a better person | " | ||||
| Somali | Djibouti, Somalia | Somali: Diyaar ahaaw | Somali: Is diyaari | ||||||
| Sotho | Lesotho | Sotho, Southern: Dula o lokile | |||||||
| Spanish | Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica*, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea*, Guatemala*, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Spain, Uruguay, Venezuela | Spanish; Castilian: ¡Siempre listo (para servir*)! | Spanish; Castilian: ¡Siempre lista (para servir*)! | Spanish; Castilian: ¡Bien preparadas! ("Well prepared!") in Mexico; Spanish; Castilian: ¡Siempre activas! ("Always active | ") in Nicaragua, Spanish; Castilian: ¡Estar preparadas! ("Being prepared!") in Peru and Puerto Rico | "Always ready (to serve*)!" | pronounced as /es/, pronounced as /es/ | ||
| Sranan Tongo | Suriname | Sranan Tongo: Sete sete! | |||||||
| Swahili | Comoros, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda | Swahili: Uwe tayari | |||||||
| Swazi | Swaziland | Swati: Hlala ulungele! | |||||||
| Swedish | Sweden | Swedish: Var redo! Swedish: Alltid redo! | "Always prepared!" | ||||||
| Syriac | Assyria | ܡܬܘܼܡ ܥܬܝܼܕܵܐ | "Always ready" | Mthoom 'teeda | |||||
| Tagalog | Philippines | Tagalog: Laging handâ! | "Always prepared!" | ||||||
| Tahitian | French Polynesia | Tahitian: Parau ha' amanaora! | "Always prepared!" | ||||||
| Tamil | Sri Lanka | Tamil: தயார் நிலையில் இரு! | Thayaar nilayil iru! | ||||||
| Tajik | Tajikistan | Tajik: Тайёр бош | Russian: Будь готов! (in Russian) | Taiyor bosh Bud' gotov! | |||||
| Thai | Thailand | Thai: เสียชีพอย่าเสียสัตย์ | "Better to die than to lie" | Sia chip ya sia sat pronounced as /th/ | |||||
| Tibetan | Tibet (PRC) | Tibetan: Gtan gyi thugs rje|sc=Latn | |||||||
| Tok Pisin | Papua New Guinea | Tok Pisin: Stap redi | |||||||
| Tongan | Tonga | Tonga (Tonga Islands);: Toka mateuteu | Tonga (Tonga Islands);: Mo'ui mateuteu | ||||||
| Tswana | Botswana | Tswana: Nna oi pokoulse! | Tswana: Nna o ipaakantse! | ||||||
| Turkish | Turkey | Turkish: Daima hazır! | Turkish: Daima hazırız!, Turkish: İzci daima hazırdır! | "Always prepared!" | |||||
| Turkmen | Turkmenistan | Turkmen: Daima hazır! | Turkmen: Daima hazırız! | "Always prepared!" | |||||
| Tuvan | Tuva | Tuvinian: Бэлэн бол! | "Become prepared!" | Belen bol! | |||||
| Urdu | India, Pakistan | Urdu: ١ڶمستعد | Teyar raho! | "Prepared" | Almustaid | ||||
| Ukrainian | Ukraine | Ukrainian: Будь Готовий! | Ukrainian: СКОБ! (an acronym for Ukrainian: Сильно! Красно! Обережно! Бистро!) | "With strength! With beauty | With care! With speed | " | Bud' hotoviy! SKOB | ||
| Uyghur | Xinjiang (PRC) | Uighur; Uyghur: تەييار بول | Teyyar bol | ||||||
| Uzbek | Uzbekistan | Uzbek: Тайёр бўл | Russian: Будь готов (in Russian) | Tayyor bo‘l Bud' gotov | |||||
| Vietnamese | Vietnam | Vietnamese: Sẵn sàng | |||||||
| Zarma | Niger | (Wa) soola | "Get ready" | ||||||
In Part IV, Chapter VI of the first edition of Scouting for Boys, Baden-Powell mentioned another Scout Motto: