# Scout Motto

The Scout Motto of the Scout movement is, in English, "Be Prepared", with most international branches of the group using a close translation of that phrase. These mottoes have been used by millions of Scouts around the world since 1907. Most of the member organizations of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) share the same mottoes.
In the first part of Scouting for Boys, Robert Baden-Powell explains the meaning of the phrase:
   The scouts' motto is founded on my initials, it is:
   BE PREPARED,
   which means, you are always in a state of readiness in mind and body to do your DUTY;
   Be Prepared in Mind by having disciplined yourself to be obedient to every order, and also by having thought out beforehand any accident or situation that might occur, so that you know the right thing to do at the right moment, and are willing to do it.
   Be Prepared in Body by making yourself strong and active and able to do the right thing at the right moment, and do it.

## Baden-Powell on "Be Prepared"

Baden-Powell provides several descriptions of how and for what situations a Scout must be prepared elsewhere in Scouting for Boys. In his explanation of the third point of the Scout Law, Baden-Powell says:
   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.
In the opening chapter of Scouting for Boys, Baden-Powell says:
   Every boy ought to learn how to shoot and to obey orders, else he is no more good when war breaks out than an old woman, and merely gets killed like a squealing rabbit, being unable to defend himself.
Baden-Powell discuses more skills required of Scouts in Chapter IV of Scouting for Boys, which addresses camp life, and he lists:
* Tying knots
* Making a bivouac shelter for the night, or a hut for longer-term camping
* Using an axe or bill-hook to fell small trees and branches
* Mending and even making clothes and boots
* Cooking meat and vegetables, and making bread without regular cooking utensils
* Driving sheep, cattle and horses
* Killing and butchering cattle
* Milking cows or goats
Advice given by Baden-Powell in Chapter V on campaigning includes the requirements of:
* Being able to find one's way by night and by day
* Being able to read a barometer, and signs of the weather
* Judging distance from an inch up to a mile or more
* Knowing the points of a compass
In a chapter discussing endurance, Baden-Powell writes that a scout should be able to:
* Smell well in order to find his enemy by night
* Hear well
* Have good eyesight to notice things rapidly and at distance
In Chapter VII, Baden-Powell discussed how Scouts prepare themselves to protect women and how they can improve themselves. He says a scout should walk with a woman on his left "so that his right is free to protect her", walking on the other side in the streets to protect her from traffic. Baden-Powell adds to "Be Prepared" for the future by learning a trade and saving up pay.
Chapter VIII of Scouting for Boys discussed saving life. On this topic, Baden-Powell says that a scout should be prepared by:
* Learning beforehand what to do in the event of likely accidents
* Being prepared to do what is required the moment that an accident does occur
* Knowing how to deal with a mad dog, and being prepared to take the necessary action
* Knowing how to react to a person's suicide attempt
In the chapter on patriotism, Baden-Powell says to "Be Prepared to die for your country if need be, so that when the moment arrives you may charge home with confidence, not caring whether you are going to be killed or not."
The first handbook for Girl Guides, How Girls Can Help to Build Up the Empire by Agnes and Robert Baden-Powell, similarly explains:
   The motto of the Girl Guides is "Be Prepared". Why is this? It is because, like the other Guides, you have to be prepared at any moment to face difficulties and even dangers by knowing what to do and how to do it.
(The "other Guides" of this quote are the Khyber Guide Regiment.)

## Acrostic

Hilary Saint George Saunders' book The Left Handshake: The Boy Scout Movement during the War, 1939–1945 had the first name of each chapter spell out the Scout motto. The chosen names are: Bravery, Enterprise, Purpose, Resolution, Endurance, Partnership, Assurance, Reformation, Enthusiasm and Devotion.

## Motto in various languages

Many languages have masculine and feminine forms of words – where gender changes the Scout Motto, differences are reflected here.
Motto in various languages :
| Language | Countries | Boy Scouts | Girl Guides or Girl Scouts | Organizational variant | Translation (if other than "Be prepared") | Transliteration or pronunciation |
| Afrikaans | Namibia, South Africa | Wees geréed! | | | | |
| Albanian | Albania | Ji gati | | Pergatitu | "Always prepared" | |
| Amharic | Ethiopia | ዝግጁ | | | "Ready" | |
| Arabic | Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestinian Authority, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Western Sahara, Yemen | كُن مستعداً | | in Jordan, Libya, and Syria وَأَعِدُّوا | | [kun musˈtaʕidan] [wa ʔaˈʕidduː] |
| Armenian | Armenia | Միշտ պատրաստ | | Partsratsir partsratsour | "Always ready" "Elevate yourself and others with you" | Misht Badrast |
| Azeri | Azerbaijan | Daima hazır | | | | |
| Belarusian | Belarus | Будзь гатоў | | | | Budz' hatoǔ! |
| Bengali | Bangladesh | সেবার জন্য সদা প্রস্তুত থাকতে যথাসাধ্য চেষ্টা করা | সদা প্রস্তুত | | "Do your best to be prepared for service" | Sebar jannoa sada prastut thakte jathasadhya chesta kara Sada prastut |
| Bislama | Vanuatu | Rerem | | | "Prepare" | |
| Bosnian | Bosnia and Herzegovina | Budi spreman! | | Uvijek spreman! | | |
| Bulgarian | Bulgaria | Бъди готов | Бъди готова | | | Bădi gotov Bădi gotova |
| Burmese | Burma | အဆင်သင့် | | | "Ever ready" | A-sin-thint |
| Cantonese | Hong Kong, Macau | 準備 | | | "Prepare" | Zeon$^2$ bei$^6$ |
| Chinese (Traditional) | Taiwan | 準備 | | | "Prepare" | Zhǔnbèi |
| Catalan | Andorra, Catalonia, Balearic Islands, Valencia | Sempre a punt | | | "Always ready" | |
| Chavacano | Zamboanga | Pirmi alisto! | | | "Always prepared!" | |
| Chichewa | Malawi | Konzekerani | | | | |
| Cook Islands Māori | Cook Islands | | Kia vai teateamamao! | | | |
| Croatian | Croatia | Budi pripravan! | | Uvijek spreman! | | |
| Czech | Czech Republic | Buď připraven | Buď připravena | | | |
| Danish | Denmark | Vær beredt! | | Værn og tjen! | "Protect and serve!" | |
| Divehi | Maldives | އަބަދުވެސް ތައްޔާރްށް | | | | Abadhuves thayyarah |
| Dutch | Belgium, the Netherlands, Suriname | Weest paraat! | | Steeds bereid! in Belgium, Wees bereid! in the Netherlands, Weest paraat! in Suriname | | |
| Dzongkha | Bhutan | གྲ་འགྲིག་འབད་ | | | | "Dra drig bay" |
| English | Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Dominica, The Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Liberia, Namibia, Nigeria, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Trinidad and Tobago, United Kingdom, United States, Zambia, Zimbabwe | Be prepared | | | | |
| Esperanto | (Skolta Esperanto Ligo) | Estu preta | | | | |
| Estonian | Estonia | Ole valmis! | | | | |
| Faroese | Faroe Islands | Ver til reiðar | | | | |
| Fijian | Fiji | Tu Vakarau Meda tu vakarau Tu vakarau ena vei gauna | | | | |
| Filipino | Philippines | Laging Handa! | | Laging handa! | "Always ready!" | |
| Finnish | Finland | Ole valmis! | | Var redo! (in Swedish) | | |
| French | Belgium, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Canada, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, France, Gabon, Guinea, Haiti, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritius, Monaco, Morocco, New Caledonia, Rwanda, Seychelles, Switzerland, Togo, Tunisia | Toujours prêt! | Toujours prête! | Prêt(e) à servir ("Ready to serve") in Burkina Faso; Sois prêt(e)! ("Be prepared!") widespread; Être prêt(e) ("To be prepared") in Haiti and Lebanon; Toujours tout droit ("Always straight"/"Always upstanding") in Senegal | "Always ready!" | |
| Georgian | Georgia | იყავი მზად | | | | Ikavi mzad |
| German | Austria, Germany, Liechtenstein, Namibia, Switzerland | Allzeit bereit! | So gut ich kann! | Seid bereit! in Namibia | "Always prepared!" "As good as I can!" | |
| Gilbertese | Kiribati | Mena tauraoi | | | | |
| Greek | Cyprus, Greece | Έσo έτοιμος! | Έσo έτοιμη! | | | Éso étoimos! Éso étoimi! |
| Hawaiian | Hawaii | Hoʻomākaukau! | | | | |
| Modern Hebrew | Israel | היה נכון | | | | Heye nachon |
| Hindi | India | तैयार | | | "Prepared" | Taiyar |
| Hungarian | Hungary | Légy résen! | | Jó munkát! | "Be watchful!" | |
| Icelandic | Iceland | Ávallt viðbúinn! | | | "Always prepared!" | |
| Indonesian | Indonesia | Satyaku kudarmakan, darmaku kubaktikan | | | "My promise becomes my law, my law becomes my devotion" | |
| Interlingua | | Sempre preste | | | | |
| Irish | Ireland | Bí ullamh! | | | | |
| Italian | Italy, San Marino, Switzerland | Siate pronti! | Siate pronte! | CNGEI uses Sii preparato (feminine Sii preparata) and the Catholic organization AGESCI uses the Latin translation Estote parati from Lc 12,40 and Mt 24,44 | | [ˈsjaːte ˈpronti] [ˈsjaːte ˈpronte] |
| Japanese | Japan | そなえよつねに | | | "Always be prepared" | Sonae-yo tsuneni |
| Kazakh | Kazakhstan | Дайын бол! | | Будь готов! (in Russian) | | Dayyin bol! Bud' gotov! |
| Kinyarwanda | Rwanda | Ube maso! | | | | |
| Kirundi | Burundi | Ube maso | | | | |
| Korean | South Korea | 준비 | | | "Preparation" | Junbi |
| Kyrgyz | Kyrgyzstan | Даяр бол | | Будь готов (in Russian) | | Dayar bol Bud' gotov |
| Khmer | Cambodia | ត្រៀមខ្លួន | ត្រៀមខ្លួន | | | Triam kloun |
| Lao | Laos | ຕຣຽມພຣ້ອມ | | | "Prepared" | |
| Latin | | Estote parati | | Some Italian associations (usually Catholic) use this form | | |
| Latvian | Latvia | Esi modrs!; response Arvien modrs! | Esi modra!; response Arvien modra! | | "Be watchful" "Always watchful!" | |
| Lithuanian | Lithuania | Budėk!; response Vis budžiu! | | | | |
| Luxembourgish | Luxembourg | Ëmmer bereet! | | Trei zum Land! | "Loyal to the country!" | |
| Macedonian | North Macedonia | Биди подготвен | | | | Bidi podgotven |
| Malagasy | Madagascar | Vonona hatrany hatrany! | | | "Always prepared" | |
| Malay | Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore | Selalu bersedia! | Selalu sedia! | Sentiasa (ber)sedia! in Malaysia | | |
| Maltese | Malta | Kun lest! | Kun lesta! | | | |
| Mongolian | Mongolia | Хэзээд бэлхэн! | Бэлэн бол! | | "Become prepared!" "(I am) ready forever!" | Belen bol! Hezeed belhen! |
| Montenegrin | Montenegro | Буди спреман | | | | Budi spreman |
| Nepali | Nepal | तयार होऊ | | | | Tayar hou |
| Netsilik Inuit | Nunavut | ᐃᔈᓗᐊᖖᓯᓯᒪᐃᓐᓇᓗᑎᑦ | | | | |
| Niuean | Niue | Kia mautali | | | | |
| Norwegian | Norway | Vær beredt!; response Alltid beredt! | | | "Be prepared!" "Always prepared!" | |
| Papiamento | Aruba, Netherlands Antilles | Wees bereid! (in Dutch) | | Sea prepará! in Netherlands Antilles | | |
| Pashto | Afghanistan | تیار اوسی | | | "Attention" | Tayar osay |
| Persian | Iran | آماده باش | | | | Âmâdeh bâsh |
| Polish | Poland | Czuwaj! | | | "Watch!" (imp.) | |
| Portuguese | Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal, São Tomé and Príncipe | Sempre alerta! | Semper parata! (in Latin) | | "Always alert!" | |
| Romanian | Moldova, Romania | Gata oricând | | Fii pregatit(a)! in Romania | "Always ready" | |
| Romansh | Switzerland | Adina pronto! | Adina pronta! | | | |
| Russian | Russia | Будь готов! | Будь готова! | | | Bud' gotov(a)! |
| Sakha | Yakutia | Бэлэм буол! | Бэлэм буол! | | | Belem buol! |
| Samoan | American Samoa, Samoa | Sauniuni | | | | |
| Serbian | Serbia | Буди спреман | | | | Budi spreman |
| Sinhala | Sri Lanka | සූදානම් ව සිටිනු! | | | | Soodhanamva sitinu! |
| Slovakian | Slovakia | Buď pripravený | | | | |
| Slovene | Slovenia | Bodi pripravljen! | | Vedno pripravljen!, Z naravo k boljšemu človeku! | "Always prepared!" "With nature to a better person!" | |
| Somali | Djibouti, Somalia | Diyaar ahaaw | | Is diyaari | | |
| Sotho | Lesotho | Dula o lokile | | | | |
| Spanish | Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica*, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea*, Guatemala*, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Spain, Uruguay, Venezuela | ¡Siempre listo (para servir*)! | ¡Siempre lista (para servir*)! | ¡Bien preparadas! ("Well prepared!") in Mexico; ¡Siempre activas! ("Always active!") in Nicaragua, ¡Estar preparadas! ("Being prepared!") in Peru and Puerto Rico | "Always ready (to serve*)!" | , |
| Sranan Tongo | Suriname | Sete sete! | | | | |
| Swahili | Comoros, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda | Uwe tayari | | | | |
| Swazi | Swaziland | Hlala ulungele! | | | | |
| Swedish | Sweden | Var redo! Alltid redo! | | | "Always prepared!" | |
| Syriac | Assyria | ܡܬܘܼܡ ܥܬܝܼܕܵܐ | | | "Always ready" | Mthoom 'teeda |
| Tagalog | Philippines | Laging handâ! | | | "Always prepared!" | |
| Tahitian | French Polynesia | Parau ha' amanaora! | | | "Always prepared!" | |
| Tamil | Sri Lanka | தயார் நிலையில் இரு! | | | | Thayaar nilayil iru! |
| Tajik | Tajikistan | Тайёр бош | | Будь готов! (in Russian) | | Taiyor bosh Bud' gotov! |
| Thai | Thailand | เสียชีพอย่าเสียสัตย์ | | | "Better to die than to lie" | Sia chip ya sia sat |
| Tibetan | Tibet (PRC) | Gtan gyi thugs rje | | | | |
| Tok Pisin | Papua New Guinea | Stap redi | | | | |
| Tongan | Tonga | Toka mateuteu | | Mo'ui mateuteu | | |
| Tswana | Botswana | Nna oi pokoulse! | Nna o ipaakantse! | | | |
| Turkish | Turkey | Daima hazır! | | Daima hazırız!, İzci daima hazırdır! | "Always prepared!" | |
| Turkmen | Turkmenistan | Daima hazır! | | Daima hazırız! | "Always prepared!" | |
| Tuvan | Tuva | Бэлэн бол! | | | "Become prepared!" | Belen bol! |
| Urdu | India, Pakistan | ١ڶمستعد | | Teyar raho! | "Prepared" | Almustaid |
| Ukrainian | Ukraine | Будь Готовий! | | СКОБ! (an acronym for Сильно! Красно! Обережно! Бистро!) | "With strength! With beauty! With care! With speed!" | Bud' hotoviy! SKOB! |
| Uyghur | Xinjiang (PRC) | تەييار بول | | | | Teyyar bol |
| Uzbek | Uzbekistan | Тайёр бўл | | Будь готов (in Russian) | | Tayyor bo'l Bud' gotov |
| Vietnamese | Vietnam | Sẵn sàng | | | | |
| Zarma | Niger | (Wa) soola | | | "Get ready" | |

## Similar mottoes in other organizations

* Aston Villa F.C.'s earliest documented club crest, the Lion Rampant To dexter (facing left) on a shield with motto "Prepared", was first documented in the club program of 1 September 1906.
* The motto of the Young Pioneers, Always prepared in various national languages, the Pioneers having been created as an alternative in countries under Communist rule where Scouting was banned.
* The motto of the United States Coast Guard, Semper Paratus or 'always ready'.
* The motto of the British Army's Parachute Regiment, Utrinque Paratus or 'ready for anything'.

## Another motto mentioned in Scouting for Boys

In Part IV, Chapter VI of the first edition of Scouting for Boys, Baden-Powell mentioned another Scout Motto:
   A scout's motto is "Never say die till you're dead"—and if he acts up to this it will pull him out of many a bad place when everything seems to be going wrong for him. It means a mixture of pluck, patience, and strength, which we call "Endurance."