By Sir Baden-Powell
In the self-examination, the Rover Squire:
 | REVIEWS the past, |
| THINKS of future possibilities, and |
| DEDICATES himself the service of God and his fellow-men. |
Without this process, the Rover investiture cannot be what it is meant to be--an outward sign of an inward determination to pursue the right attitude to life in the world.
There need be no ceremony, or ritual, for this vigil because it can be kept in the quiet of a room. In a more definite form, a place of worship can be used, or a place in the open air, or the Crew Den, or any place where quiet and freedom from distraction is assured.
It is the Rover Skipper’s (RS) responsibility to see that no Rover Squires join the Crew without being fully determined to shape their life within Rover ideals.
The RS may accompany the Squire to the place of Vigil and then leave him alone without interruption to contemplate the questions. Any explanation or points not fully understood should be dealt with prior to the vigil in the form of preparation.
Whatever plan is adopted, SIMPLICITY and SINCERITY should be the keynotes and the spiritual strengthening of the individual should be the purpose.
Preparation
The Scout Promise:
| On my honor.... | Your honor should rule your conduct as an adult. It means you can be trusted implicitly to do what you know is right and what you agree to undertake. |
| I promise..... | This particular promise is a solemn undertaking not to be taken lightly by anyone. |
| That I will do my best | Though circumstances may hinder you from doing something completely as you wish, you will in any case try your utmost. |
| To do my duty to God | What is your duty to God? Firstly, realize the nature of God, and secondly, develop and use for good purposes only the body which you have been given. Develop the talents of mind and intelligence with which you have been endowed and cultivate by continual practice the spirit of love and goodwill to others. Remember, the only difference between the words God and Good is - what? "o" or zero! |
| And to my country | That is to our country under leadership constituted by the majority. |
| To help other people at all times.... | Putting into practice the divine law of loving others as yourself. |
| To obey the Scout Law | This does not mean sit and passively accept the Scout Law but rather to aim to improve your own character under its guiding principles and actively reflect it in your daily life and interactions with others. |
The Scout Law
The term "Rover" stands for a true man or women and a good citizen acting in the service of the community. The Law for a Rover is the same law, in wording and principle, as used for the younger Scouts, but it has to be viewed from an adult standpoint replacing self-centeredness with good will and helpfulness to others.
| 1. A Scout’s honor is to be trusted. | As a Rover, no temptation, however great or small, will persuade you to do a dishonest or shady action. You won’t go back on a promise once made. |
| 2. A Scout is loyal to his country, his leaders, his parents, his employers and to those under him. | As a good citizen, you are one of a team "playing the game" honestly for the good of everyone. You can be relied upon by the your country, by the Scouting Movement, by you friends and fellow workers, by your employers or employees; to do your best for them even when they do not come up to your expectations. Moreover, you are loyal to yourself and won’t lower your self respect by meanness or cheating. |
| 3. A Scout’s duty is to be useful and to help others. | Your highest aim is SERVICE. You may be relied upon at all times to be ready to sacrifice time, trouble, or if need be, life itself, for others. "Sacrifice is the salt of Service". |
| 4. A Scout is a friend to all and a brother to every other Scout. | Other people, along with yourself, are equally valuable in the sight of God, and you should disregard any prejudicial (unsupported) claims against any specific culture, cast, creed, color or country that you find. Shun prejudice (pre-judgment before all the relevant facts are known) of any kind for if you uphold a respect for the good in persons of other cultures and countries you will encourage international peace and goodwill. |
| 5. A Scout is courteous. | Rovers should be polite and considerate to other people, but more than this, they should be polite even to those in opposition to them. |
| 6. A Scout is a friend to animals. | You should recognize your interdependence with God’s other creatures, placed like yourself, in this world for a purpose and to perform some function, no matter how apparently insignificant. This is part of the science of ecology. For the well being of all life on earth, we should respect them, for not to do so would be a disservice to The Creator (God). |
| 7. A Scout obeys the orders of their Parents, Patrol Leader or Scoutmaster without question. | Be disciplined to put yourself readily and willingly at the service of constituted authority for the benefit of communal good. This discipline should come from within rather than be imposed. Hence, the importance of the example you set for others. |
| 8. A Scout smiles and whistles under all difficulties. | Keep your head and stick to your objectives in crises with cheery determination and optimism. This is the spirit that others expect of true Rovers. |
| 9. A Scout is thrifty. | Look ahead and do not fritter away time or money on trivial pleasures. Make the best of your opportunities with a view towards ultimate success and avoid being a burden to others. |
| 10. A Scout is clean in thought, word and deed. | Rovers are expected to be clean minded, clean willed and able to control intemperance and lead morally upright lives. Don’t forget to watch the language. |
Self- Examination
The older one gets, the more quickly time apparently passes for life only lasts only a short time [comparatively speaking] and soon is away. Rovers will obviously want to make the best use of their time and opportunities and perhaps consideration of the questions below will help shape up their life more positively.
| Am I making the best use of my life? |
| Am I frittering life away - doing nothing that counts and just wasting time? |
| Am I working at things that are not doing good to anyone? |
| Am I too self-centered and failing to try to help others? |
| Whom have I hurt or injured in life and what can I do to make amends? |
| Am I joining Rovers only for the fun I can get out of it? |
| Do I really think of others rather than myself in all my undertakings? |
| What kind of service am I best fitted to do at home, work, or in my spare time? |
| Am I determined to try to give up bad habits acquired in my past? |
| Am I determined to honor the Scout Promise and live by the Scout Law? |
Service is just not a spare time activity - it should be an attitude to life which will find outlets for its practical expression at all times. We neither expect nor get reward for doing service for we are not working for an employer but for fellow beings and our own conscience. We become better, and surprisingly, happier people by doing it.
As the success of our service will depend to a great extent on our personal character, we must discipline ourselves in order that we can be a good influence to others, and the Scout Law provides the guide to positive character building that symbolizes what a Rover should be. Re-read the Scout Law and consider it carefully and may God give you strength to go forward as a true citizen and a credit to your country.
