Time for a Promise that atheists can keep Almost a century ago, Lord Baden-Powell described Scouting as "a movement, not an organisation." Our founder wanted to ensure that Scouting remained modern and relevant to society at all times, and we've strived to live up to his ideals. That's why for more than 40 years we have offered alternative versions of the Scout Promise in the UK for Christians, Jews, Sikhs, Muslims, Buddhists and Hindus. But today, adults and young people who cannot proclaim a commitment to a faith or a God are prevented from joining our movement as Scouts or volunteers. The Scout Promise, famously, declares: "On my honour, I promise that I will do my best, To do my duty to God and to the Queen, To help other people, And to keep the Scout Law." This Promise is integral to Scouting worldwide. It will not change, and no one is talking about throwing it away. The original Scout Promise will remain untouched. But for those who have no faith, there might be a new alternative. It's important not to force through such a change. Clearly we must listen to our members, to other interested parties, including the churches and other bodies, to understand how 21st-century British society feels about the fact that many feel excluded. And clearly too, we expect all our members to adhere to our values irrespective of whichever Promise they make. We expect that not everyone will agree with each other. But a confident organisation like the Scouts must stay in touch with the communities from which we draw our membership as well as ensuring we stay true to our fundamentals. A previous significant decision was to open up membership of Scouting to girls. Baden-Powell wrote a book called Scouting for Boys, but in the Seventies we reviewed how we offered our educational method, and decided to welcome young women into the movement. In the past decade, there's been a 70 per cent increase in girls and young women in Scouting, and we have reaffirmed our position as believing strongly in co-education. We believe that actions such as this show that the policy of maintaining our fundamentals while also staying relevant to today's society is proving a great success. Scouting is in a particularly strong and confident position. Over the past seven years we have enjoyed sustained growth. The secret of this success is down to the activities we pursue, the positive differences we make to young people's lives and the impact we have on communities. But it's also a result of one other crucial ingredient: we are inclusive and we are not an anachronism. It's my role as chief executive, along with other trustees, to ensure that Baden-Powell's founding principles are kept alive. Parents whose children are already Beavers, Cubs, Scouts or Explorers can be reassured that nothing will affect their membership and experience now or in the future. This isn't a cosmetic exercise; it's a real consultation, without foregone conclusions.It would take the best part of a year to implement, if that's what members want. We are a charity and the final decision must be taken by our trustees - and we would have to see how this might position us as but one country in a worldwide movement. But all bodies have to stay fresh and current, while remaining true to their founding principles. That's why we believe the time is right to discuss offering the opportunity for another historic change. Derek Twine is the chief executive of the Scout Association