The Purpose of the Scout Movement is to contribute to the development of young people in achieving their full physical, intellectual, emotional, social and spiritual potentials as individuals, as responsible citizens and as members of their local, national and international communities.

We remember the five developmental areas mentioned in the Purpose using the acronym “SPICES”. A sixth letter, the letter ‘C’, is added to mean ‘Character’. A person’s character development can be thought of as the sum of their development in the other five areas.

The Three Principles of World Scouting

The Scout program enjoyed by youth and adult volunteers is based on three broad Principles which represent the Movement’s fundamental beliefs. They are known as Duty to God, Duty to Others, and Duty to Self. All Scouts commit to a code of living as expressed in the Australian Scout Promise and Law, which embodies the three Principles.

Duty to God

This Principle refers to the spiritual values of life. It is described by the World Organization of the Scout Movement as “adherence to spiritual principles, loyalty to the religion that expresses them, and acceptance of duties resulting therefrom.”

Scouts Australia defines spirituality as:

Spirituality refers to the feelings or beliefs of a person regarding their purpose in life, connection to others and place in the world around them. These spiritual feelings or beliefs may change as a person develops and guide their actions throughout their life.

Duty to Others

This Principle refers to participation in the development of society, recognition and respect for others and the natural world, and the promotion of peace, understanding, and cooperation. This Principle is also embodied in the World Movement’s tagline “Creating a Better World”, and is globally enacted by all Scouts as Messengers of Peace.

Duty to Self

This Principle refers to the responsibility for the care and development of oneself. Scouts have a commitment to improving themselves in all areas of their lives.

Scouting is non-formal education and complements the formal education of young people. Scouting aims to assist with the development of the whole person. This is further supported by the Mission of Scouting:

The Mission of Scouting is to contribute to the education of young people, through a value system based on the Scout Promise and Law, to help build a better world where people are self-fulfilled as individuals and play a constructive role in society.

Update: Individual resources have been made available for download.