Lịch sử Luật_Hướng

Lịch sử Luật_Hướng_đạo

Khi viết sách Hướng đạo cho nam, Robert Baden-Powell lấy cảm hứng từ việc làm của Ernest Thompson Seton, người sáng lập ra chương trình Woodcraft Indians năm 1902 và sau này trở thành phương tiện trong việc truyền bá Hướng đạo khắp Bắc Mỹ. Baden-Powell cũng lấy cảm hứng cho Luật Hướng đạo từ luật Võ sĩ đạo của các Samurai Nhật Bản, luật danh dự của người Bản xứ Mỹ (American Indians), luật hiệp sĩ hay Hiệp sĩ châu Âu, và các chiến binh người Zulu mà ông từng đánh nhau với họ.[1] Giống như Seton, Baden-Powell chọn dùng một bộ luật có tính cương quyết, khác lại với những điều cấm giống như Kinh Thánh Cựu Ước.[2]

Luật Hướng đạo gốc xuất hiện cùng với sự xuất bản sách Hướng đạo cho nam vào năm 1908 và như sau (cách trình bày, viết hoa, đánh số,...bởi Baden-Powell):[3][4][5]

(Phần dưới đây là nguyên mẫu tiếng Anh từ cách trình bày đến cách viết HOA hay đánh số là của Baden-Powell)

1.	A SCOUT'S HONOUR IS TO BE TRUSTED. If a scout says "On my honour it is so," that means it is so, just as if he had taken a most solemn oath. Similarly, if a scout officer says to a scout, "I trust you on your honour to do this," the Scout is bound to carry out the order to the very best of his ability, and to let nothing interfere with his doing so. If a scout were to break his honour by telling a lie, or by not carrying out an order exactly when trusted on his honour to do so, he would cease to be a scout, and must hand over his scout badge and never be allowed to wear it again---he loses his life.
2.	A SCOUT IS LOYAL to the King, and to his officers, and to his country, and to his employers. He must stick to them through thick and thin against anyone who is their enemy, or who even talks badly of them.
3.	A SCOUT'S DUTY IS TO BE USEFUL AND TO HELP OTHERS. And he is to do his duty before anything else, even though he gives up his own pleasure, or comfort, or safety to do it. When in difficulty to know which of two things to do, he must ask himself, "Which is my duty?" that is, "Which is best for other people?"---and do that one. He must Be Prepared at any time to save life, or to help injured persons. And he must do a good turn to somebody every day.
4.	A SCOUT IS A FRIEND TO ALL, AND A BROTHER TO EVERY OTHER SCOUT, NO MATTER TO WHAT SOCIAL CLASS THE OTHER BELONGS. If a scout meets another scout, even though a stranger to him, he must speak to him, and help him in any way that he can, either to carry out the duty he is then doing, or by giving him food, or, as far as possible, anything that he may be in want of. A scout must never be a SNOB. A snob is one who looks down upon another because he is poorer, or who is poor and resents another because he is rich. A scout accepts the other man as he finds him, and makes the best of him -- "Kim," the boy scout, was called by the Indians "Little friend of all the world," and that is the name which every scout should earn for himself.
5.	A SCOUT IS COURTEOUS: That is, he is polite to all—but especially to women and children and old people and invalids, cripples, etc. And he must not take any reward for being helpful or courteous.
6.	A SCOUT IS A FRIEND TO ANIMALS. He should save them as far as possible from pain, and should not kill any animal unnecessarily, even if it is only a fly---for it is one of God's creatures.
7.	A SCOUT OBEYS ORDERS of his patrol-leader, or scout master without question. Even if he gets an order he does not like, he must do as soldiers and sailors do, he must carry it out all the same because it is his duty; and after he has done it he can come and state any reasons against it: but he must carry out the order at once. That is discipline.
8.	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.
	A SCOUT IS THRIFTY, that is, he saves every penny he can, and puts it in the bank, so that he may have money to keep himself when out of work, and thus not make himself a burden to others; or that he may have money to give away to others when they need it.

Đấy là những gì đã được viết cho Hướng đạo sinh trên toàn thế giới, lẽ dĩ nhiên ban đầu là chỉ tập trung vào Hướng đạo tại Anh. Khi các nhóm khác bắt đầu các tổ chức Hướng đạo (thường là tại các quốc gia khác), mỗi tổ chức đều có sửa đổi lại điều luật, thí dụ 'trung thành với Nhà vua' được thay bởi cụm từ tương đương thích hợp cho mỗi quốc gia.

Trong suốt những năm sau đó, Baden-Powell cũng tự mình sửa đổi lời văn nhiều lần, đáng nói là năm 1911 ông thêm vào:

A SCOUT IS CLEAN IN THOUGHT, WORD AND DEED. Decent Scouts look down upon silly youths who talk dirt, and they do not let themselves give way to temptation, either to talk it or to do anything dirty. A Scout is pure, and clean-minded, and manly.