I think it would be really need to have a “saved the President” patch for one of the boys!
I love seeing the Scout Oath from different countries. My favorite part of this one is “smiles and whistles under all difficulties”!
According to the World Organization of the Scout Movement:
"For an Scouting organization to be a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement, the members must have a Scout Promise and Scout Law that reflect THREE THINGS "in language appropriate to the culture and civilization of each National Scout Organization and approved by the World Organization."
As for smiling and whistling, they were Point 8 of Baden-Powell's original Scout Law. From Scouting for Boys, 1908 edition:
"A SCOUT SMILES AND WHISTLES under all circumstances. When he gets an order he should obey it cheerily and readily, not in a slow, hang-dog sort of way. Scouts never grouse at hardships, nor whine at each other, nor swear when put out. When you just miss a train, or some one treads on your favourite corn---not that a scout ought to have such things as corns--- or under any annoying circumstances, you should force yourself to smile at once, and then whistle a tune, and you will be all right. A scout goes about with a smile on and whistling. It cheers him and cheers other people, especially in time of danger, for he keeps it up then all the same. The punishment for swearing or bad language is for each offence a mug of cold water to be poured down the offender's sleeve by the other scouts."
WOSM still has smiling and whistling under all difficulties as one of the ten suggested points of an organization's Scout Law.
One of the most moving events at the Sunrise Ceremony to celebrate the Centenary of Scouting at the 2007 World Scout Jamboree was when the Chief Scout of the U.K. asked all 43,000 Scouts and Scouters from 160+ countries to stand, to give his or her organization's Scout sign, and to simultaneously say the Scout Oath of his or her country, using the native language. While you were saying your Oath and pledging yourself to another century of Scouting, you could hear dozens of other Scout Oaths and languages, and sense thousands of other Scouts around you rededicating themselves to Scouting.
"I think it would be really need to have a “saved the President” patch for one of the boys!"
Great. I'll look for it and any other International Scouting goodies that may serve as awards or door prizes.
I think the same applies to the Scout Promise.
Among my favorites is Scouting Netherland's:
I promise to do my best
with the help of God
to be a good Scout
to search for and encourage the good consciously,
to help everyone where I can
and to live by the scouts law.
You can count on me.
I love the "you can count on me."
Most poetic may be Junák-Svaz Skautu a Skautek's (the Czech Republic's) Scout Promise:
On my honor I promise that I will do my best:
to serve the highest Truth and Love faithfully at all times,
to fulfill my own duties and to observe the Scout laws,
to be prepared to help my country and my neighbors with all my soul and body.
May God help me so!
Strange that these are two of my favorites. I believe the national Scout organizations of the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, and Israel are the only three WOSM members where the reference to "God" is optional (for example, you can delete "with the help of God" in the Netherlands, or delete "May God help me so!" in the Czech Republic).
A reference to God in the Scout Promise used to be optional in Belgium, France, Luxembourg, and Finland, as well, but no longer.
I think some of the internal Scout organizations (a WOSM country may have only one WOSM Scout organization, which may be made up of several country-specific Scout organizations) such as Scouting organizations sponsored by labor movements may not include God. However, it's required by the WOSM national organization unless WOSM's given a waiver -- and no more are being given. Israel doesn't have a waiver, it just makes the reference to God optional and WOSM hasn't acted on it.
Do you believe my kids when they say I have too much time on my hands?