Читать книгу Scouting for Boys - Robert Stephenson Smyth Baden-Powell Baron Baden-Powell of Gilwell - Страница 20

The three fingers held up (like the three points of the scout's badge) remind him of his three promises in the scout's oath.

1. Honour God and the King.

2. Help others.

3. Obey the Scout Law.

When a scout meets another for the first time in the day, whether he is a comrade or a stranger, he salutes with the secret sign in the half salute.

He always salutes an officer—that is, a patrol leader, or a scout master, or any officer of His Majesty's forces, army, navy, or police in uniform—with the full salute.

Also the hoisting of the Union Jack, the colours of a regiment, the playing of "God Save the King," and any funeral.

A scout who has the "Wolf" honour is entitled to make the sign with the first finger and thumb opened out, the remaining fingers clenched, thumb upwards.

A man told me the other day that "he was an Englishman, and just as good as anybody else, and he was blowed if ever he would raise a finger to salute his so-called 'betters': he wasn't going to be a slave and kow-tow to them, not he!" and so on. That is a churlish spirit, which is very common among fellows who have not been brought up as scouts.

I didn't argue with him, but I might have told him that he had got hold of the wrong idea about saluting.

A salute is merely a sign between men of standing. It is a privilege to be able to salute anyone.

In the old days the free men of England all were allowed to carry weapons, and when they met each other each would hold up his right hand to show that he had no weapon in it, and that they met as friends. So also when an armed man met a defenceless person or a lady.

Slaves or serfs were not allowed to carry weapons, and so had to slink past the freemen without making any sign.

Nowadays people do not carry weapons; but those who would have been entitled to do so, such as knights, esquires, and men-at-arms, that is anyone living on their own property or earning their own living, still go through the form of saluting each other by holding up their hand to their cap, or even taking it off.

"Wasters" are not entitled to salute, and so should slink by, as they generally do, without taking notice of the free men or wage-earners.

To salute merely shows that you are a right sort of fellow and mean well to the other; there is nothing slavish about it.

If a stranger makes the scout's sign to you, you should acknowledge it at once by making the sign back to him, and then shake hands with the LEFT HAND. If he then shows his scout's badge, or proves that he is a scout, you must treat him as a brother-scout, and help him in any way you can.