LONDON (AP) — Britain's Girl Guides have dropped a reference to God in their pledge.
Gone is the reference to loving God, replaced by a call to "be true to myself and develop my beliefs." The new pledge unveiled Wednesday retains a reference to serving the queen.
The organization — officially named Girlguiding — says some 44,000 people responded to a call for consultations on the new pledge.
Chief Guide Gill Slocombe says she hopes the change will encourage girls who may have been reluctant to join to consider becoming part of the organizations.
The pledge was last changed in 1994. The reference to God dates back to the founding of the Girl Guides in 1910.
