Left
Hand Shake
Left Hand Shake
The
left-handed Scout handshake is a formal way of greeting other
Scouts of both genders used by members of Scout and Guide organizations around
the world when greeting other Scouts. The handshake is made with the hand nearest
the heart and is offered as a token of friendship. In most situations, the
handshake is made firmly, without interlocking fingers, and many organizations
only use this handshake when both people are in uniform.
Meaning of the left-hand
Various
sources have attributed the origin of the handshake, as an ancient sign of
bravery and respect, to Lord Baden-Powell‘s encounter after battle with Prempeh
I, or to earlier published works by Ernest Thompson Seton. There exist various
versions of the Prempeh story, all centering around African warriors using the
left hand to hold their shields and to lower it and shake the left hand of the
person was to show they trusted each other.
According
to the Ashanti warrior version of the story, then-Colonel Baden-Powell saluted
them with his right hand, but the Ashanti chiefs offered their left hands 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
Ashantis knew of Baden-Powell’s bravery because they had fought against him and
with him, and they were proud to offer the left hand of bravery.
The left
hand is also closer to the heart, with that attendant symbology.
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