Boy Scout Troop 325
Scoutmaster Minute
The Scout Handshake
January 23, 2007
Larry Polyak, Scoutmaster

The Scout salute and handshake are ancient signs of bravery and respect. The normal right-hand handshake comes from the times when men carried weapons such as swords or guns for their own protection. When they met one another, there was an uneasy moment as each watched the other's right hand. If it went to his sword or gun, there was a battle, but if it went to his hat it was a salute of friendship or respect.  The handshake is similar - outstretching your right hand shows it is empty, you are not holding a weapon, and that you are friendly. 

Sometimes the handshake is a symbol of mutual agreement, as in "Let's shake on it.". It has even been held up in our court system as the sign that a contractual verbal agreement has been made.

But why do scouts use a left-hand handshake? Well, the Webelos Scout Book says that the Scout handshake is a token of friendship and that we use our left hands because it is the one closest to the heart.

But there is more evidence that the left-hand shake comes to us from the Ashanti warriors whom Baden-Powell met long ago in South Africa. Normally a warrior would carry a shield in his left hand and a weapon in his right. Baden-Powell saluted with his right hand, but the Ashanti chieftain offered his left hand and said: 'In our land only the bravest of the brave shake hands with the left hand, because to do so we must drop our shields and our protection.' The Ashanti knew of General Baden-Powell's bravery, for they had fought against him and with him, and were proud to offer him the left-hand shake of bravery.

So Baden-Powell brought the tradition of the left-hand handshake to scouting as a symbol of bravery and respect.

Thanks for listening.