All members of the Scout Movement are required to adhere to a Scout Promise and a Law reflecting, in language appropriate to the culture and civilization of each National Scout Organization and approved by the World Organization, the principles of Duty to God, Duty to others and Duty to self, and inspired by the Promise and Law conceived by the Founder of the Scout Movement in the following terms:

About the Scouting programme

WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) is one of the largest environmental organisations in the world with more than 2000 WWF conservation projects currently underway around the world. The vast majority of these focus on local issues. They range from school nature gardens in Zambia, to initiatives that appear on the packaging in supermarkets, from the restoration of orangutan habitats to the establishment of giant panda reserves. WWF have a long-standing relationship with WOSM and are happy to provide ongoing support for developing environment and sustainability programmes in Scouting.

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Alcoa Foundation is a nonprofit U.S. corporate foundation with assets of approximately US$542 million. Its mission is to actively invest in the quality of life in Alcoa communities worldwide. Throughout its history, Alcoa Foundation has invested in local community projects to be a source of positive community change and enhancement, with over US$465 million invested since 1952.

Alcoa Foundation and WOSM have developed a partnership focused on environment and sustainability education in Scouting. A two-year $US205,000 grant has supported the Environment Education Task Team in developing the World Scout Environment Programme. This grant also assisted environmental education activities at major events such as the World Scout Jamboree. In addition, five European countries (Germany, Hungary, Italy, Switzerland and the United Kingdom) are supported in further developing their environmental programmes. This partnership has been extended in 2008/09 with a $US50,000 grant to develop a leader training package to support the delivery of the World Scout Environment Programme.

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Clean Up the World is a not-for-profit, non-government, apolitical organisation that unites communities with a common focus to clean up the world. Scout groups in any city, town or village can get involved in Clean Up the World by simply having their National Scout Organization register. Scouts have been actively involved in this UNEP sponsored programme since it's beginning in 1993 and Scouts are further encouraged to be involved, with the primary focus over the Clean Up the World weekend annually held in the third weekend in September.

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The adoption of the Strategy for Scouting in 2002 was the result of the work done at all levels of the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) in recent years. The Strategy for Scouting recognises that each National Scout Organisation (NSO) has peculiar needs and challenges. Consequently each NSO adapts the Strategy to its own reality and develops coherent action plans. Therefore, the Strategy for Scouting is not rigid, it is a framework for integral action.

E-learning resource on 'Keeping Scouts Safe From Harm' was developed for Adults and the International Service Team (IST) of the 21st World Scout Jamboree in the UK (2007) and is now available online for global use. Inspired from the E-learning resources on Child Protection created by NSOs, the tool, which is currently in English and will soon be available in French as well, has been designed to develop worldwide awareness on this important subject.

The ILO has estimated that some 165 million children between the ages of 5 and 14 are involved in child labour. Many of these children work long hours, often in dangerous conditions. This year the World Day against Child Labour will be marked around the world with activities to raise awareness that Education is the right response to child labour. World Scouting, as the largest global youth movement which prides itself on its strong history of non-formal education, is encouraged to get involved and draw attention to the key issues related to Child Labour.

The e-learning resource on 'Keeping Scouts Safe From Harm' which was developed for Adults and the International Service Team (IST) of the recently concluded World Scout Jamboree in the UK, is now available online for global use. Inspired from the E-learning resources on Child Protection, created by NSOs, the tool, which is available in English and French, has been designed to develop worldwide awareness on the important subject.

Many recurring events are mentioned only the first time they were held.

There are more than 28 million Scouts, young people and adults, male and female, in 160 countries and territories. Some 300 million people have been Scouts, including prominent people in every field.

This is impressive considering that Scouting began with 20 boys and an experimental camp in 1907. It was held during the first nine days of August in 1907 at Brownsea Island, near Poole in Dorset, England.

The camp was a great success and proved to its organiser, Robert Baden-Powell, that his training and methods appealed to young people and really worked.

In January 1908, he published the first "Scouting for Boys", a book issued in fortnightly parts at four pence each. It was an immediate success. Baden-Powell had only intended to provide a method of training boys, something that existing youth organizations such as the Boys' Brigade and Y.M.C.A. could adopt. To his surprise, youngsters started to organise themselves into what was destined to become - and is today - the world's largest voluntary youth movement.

Lord Robert Baden-Powell of Gilwell (1857-1941) was a decorated soldier, talented artist, actor and
free-thinker. Best known during his military career for his spirited defense of the small South
African township of Mafeking during the Boer War, he was soon to be propelled to extraordinary
fame as the Founder of Scouting.

Scouting does not exist in isolation; it is part of the community and it needs to work in partnership with others, from individuals to organisations and institutions at local, national and world levels.

Following the ongoing successful partnership between the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) since the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) of 2004, a renewed MoU has been signed in 2008 to continue to enhance the opportunities for Scouts and young people at local, national, regional and world levels to engage in environmental education actions.

External relations were addressed many times during 38th WSCon Jeju Island in Korea. Workshops were conducted and a report launched on the past triennium and the successes and challenges both of past and also for the future. Many honourable guests were also attending the Conference.

On Wednesday 16th July in one of the conferences workshops around 40 top leaders debated the external relations in World Scouting on all levels. They addressed the challenges that they face in the work of the national Scout organizations. In the future the participants of the workshop hope to find more efficient ways to take care of the relations between their own scout organizations and other in their societies.

The ILO has estimated that some 165 million children between the ages of 5 and 14 are involved in child labour. Many of these children work long hours, often in dangerous conditions. This year the World Day against Child Labour will be marked around the world with activities to raise awareness that Education is the right response to child labour. World Scouting, as the largest global youth movement which prides itself on its strong history of non-formal education, is encouraged to get involved and draw attention to the key issues related to Child Labour.

For almost 100 years the Scout Movement has contributed to building a better world through the personal commitment of hundred of millions of women and men living up to their Scout Promise. In many countries, people with leadership roles (politics, civil society, international organizations, business) are former Scouts. This does not happen by chance.

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You may choose to give a donation to World Scouting to support these projects or, if you prefer, you may choose to have your donation used in one of our six regions: Africa, Arab, Asia-Pacific, Eurasia, Europe, Interamerica. A drop-down menu is provided on our donations page for this purpose.

Donations are vital in helping Scouts help others. Scouting has a wide variety of programmes and projects that need big and small contributions.

So, by supporting World Scouting's work today, you are making a direct contribution to bringing the values of Scouting to more young people who can help to make a better, more peaceful world.

Some examples:

The World Scout Foundation Board is composed of volunteers committed to Scouting, and who are successful in their fields of endeavour. It meets twice each year, with the active participation of its Honorary Chairman, His Majesty the King of Sweden.