Father of all, we come to Thee

Father of all, we come to Thee. Edwin Alec Blaxill* (1873-1953). Written in 1912, this remarkable and little known hymn is a neat versification of the Scout Promise (‘On my honour, I promise that I will do my best/ To do my duty to God and the Queen/ To help other people/ and to keep the Scout Law.’) Elements of the original Scout Law are found in stanzas 1 (‘A scout is loyal…’),  2 (‘A scout’s honour is to be trusted’), 3-4 (‘A scout’s duty is to help other people’), 6 (‘A scout smiles and whistles under all difficulties’) and 7 (‘A scout is clean in thought, word, and deed’): Father of all, we come to Thee:  We own Thy care, Thy praise we sing; Fill us with truest loyalty      To Thee,...