Atheist Scouts and Guides in Chislehurst?

From 1^st September Guides in Chislehurst, Bickley and Petts Wood have a new Promise.

The words “to be true to myself and develop my beliefs” will replace “to love my God”, and the words “to serve the Queen and my community” will replace “to serve the Queen and my country”, following an “in-depth consultation process earlier this year” which we at Chislehurst Village News have yet to be able to lay ours hands on.

So it’s “goodbye God” and “goodbye country”. It is somewhat ironic that several Guide groups in the area meet, and are attached to, Christian churches.

Whilst local Guide leaders shrug their shoulders with an “oh, well” or something similar they don’t have the former Bishop of Rochester, Rt Rev Michael Nazir-Ali, on their side. Bishop Michael challenged the guide leadership to allow those who wished to retain the former promise to do so.

He said: “If there are others [like a group in Harrogate] – indeed I would hope that there are many others like it – why should they not be allowed to continue to have a reference to God?

“If [change advocates] really believe in diversity they would allow them to do that.

“Why should they face expulsion from the Girl Guides movement which is rooted in the Christian faith?"

Meanwhile, up at the 5^th Chislehurst Scouts, promises also appear to be on the march - or not? Today it has been announced that with effect from 1^st January 2014 there will be an additional promise which allows Cubs and Scouts to “uphold our Scout values” instead of “To do my duty to God”, following an “extensive consultation”. Again we have been unable to lay our hands on the report and findings despite having been asking since last July.

 

5^th Chislehurst’s Scout Leader commented that although the existing promise will remain “on the books”, as far as he’s concerned the alternative won’t be on offer.

“The daft thing about all this,” he said, “is that it is already possible for atheist young people to be full members as the Scout Association’s policy does not prohibit any young person from joining”.

So, in Chislehurst at least, it appears that if you want to make a promise that involves God you need to join Scouts. And if you don’t want to make such a promise you will have to be a Guide.

Then again, you can’t be a Guide if you’re a boy.....

In the meantime, we wait for the first atheist scout challenge. Why do we here think that that wait won’t be very long?!

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