Girl Guides Don't Have to Pledge to God and Country Anymore

Girl Guides, the rest of the world’s version of Girl Scouts, were always fascinating to me. As a 12-year Girl Scout who stuck with it until senior year of high school (I sold Thin Mints out of my locker and in the school parking lot. What of it?), Girl Guides were the Annie James to my Hallie Parker: basically the same, but British and therefore bizarre. But one thing Girl Scouts and Girl Guides have in common is the pledge. Both have a pledge that everyone solemnly takes before crafting or scheming how to sell boxes of cookies to grandmas with diabetes, and both pledges read like they were meant to prepare little girls to become dutiful patriots and servants of the Lord.

But now, Girl Guides are godless and left without a nation to pledge allegiance to. Instead of pledging allegiance to God and their country, Girl Guides will no promise to “be true to myself and develop my beliefs” and “to serve the Queen and community.” The move is meant to make non-religious heathen girls feel just as welcome as the God-fearing ones, but anyone who hates the Queen need not apply. Everyone loves the Queen.

Here’s the new oath:

“I promise that I will do my best: to be true to myself and develop my beliefs, to serve the Queen and my community, to help other people and to keep the (Brownie) Guide law.”

I’m hoping little girls will interpret “to serve the Queen” as doing everything for the Diva Queen that resides in every girl’s psyche instead of this lady, but I guess either will do.