Other Scout Affiliations
Considerations for presenting the religious emblems to your unit:
Make the presentation at a meeting when parents will be present
Provide information on all religious emblems (do not assume that your youth members will be of the same faith)
Explain that the scouting program encourages “Duty to God”
Emphasize that young people will earn the religious emblem for their particular faith
Ask older Scouts who have earned their religious emblems to talk to your unit
Resources:Video “Promoting Duty to God (Religious Emblems)” No. 05-883 – Available from your council library or download it or purchase it from P.R.A.Y.
Download P.R.A.Y. video (Caution: it is over 6MB)
Duty to God brochure (No. 5-879B) – Available from your local council (your council may order these brochures from BSA National Religious Relationships) or view it at http://www.scouting.org/awards/religious/index.html.
“ Dear Parent” Handout
Post the address to the P.R.A.Y. web site (for information on religious emblems):
Religious Emblems Presentation Script:
Introduce the connection between religious emblems and the Scouting program. Hold up the “Duty to God” brochure for everybody to see. Then say, “The title of this brochure is ‘Duty to God.’ What is it referring to? [Scouts should reply that it’s referring to the Scout Oath; also to the 12th point of the Scout Law] Will all Scouts please stand and join in the Scout Oath? ‘On my honor I will do my best To do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; To help other people at all times; To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.’ Duty to God is related to the 12th point of the Scout Law: ‘A Scout is reverent toward God.’ How can you show your reverence to God? Allow Scouts to volunteer answers. Then explain: "One way that Boy Scouts can show their reverence to God is to earn the religious emblem of their faith and to wear the emblem on their uniform. The video you are about to see will talk about the importance of the religious emblems.”
Show video, “Promoting Duty to God (Religious Emblems).” After watching the video continue by saying, “When you earn your religious emblem, the badge you wear indicates much more than achievement: it indicates who you are and what you believe. It shows your duty to God. I challenge all our Boy Scouts to earn their religious emblem.”
Explain the universal religious square knot. “When you earn your religious emblem, you also earn the right to wear the universal religious square knot. This knot will always be on your uniform (it even carries up to the adult uniform).”
Explain that most religious emblems programs have more than one level. “If you have earned your religious emblem as a Cub Scout or Webelos Scout, and you have already received your religious square knot, it doesn’t mean that you are through. Most religious programs have more than one level. You can go on and earn another emblem as a Boy Scout. When you earn more than one religious emblem, you pin a special device in your square knot to show that you have earned your religious emblem at different levels.”
Explain that the Scout leader is not the instructor for the religious emblems. These are enhancement programs. Parents and guardians will decide whether or not their boy participates in these programs. “Your parents and religious leaders will help you earn your religious emblem. This is not a badge we earn together as a Troop. We are of different faiths and we belong to different congregations. Each Boy Scout will earn the emblem for his own faith. These emblems provide opportunities for you to get to know your clergy better and to be more involved with your congregation.”
Here’s how you get started on these programs [Read “How Do We Get Started on These Programs?” from page 3 of the Duty to God Brochure].
Distribute the “Dear Parent” handout. Find out the religious affiliation for each Boy Scout and provide him with the name and address to obtain more information and/or to purchase the booklets. Please note that the Protestant churches (i.e. AME, Baptist, Christian, Episcopal, Lutheran, Presbyterian, UCC, Methodist, etc.) all use the God and Country program. Show him what the emblem for his faith looks like. Be prepared for some boys not to know what religion or denomination they are or not to be active in a religious institution. Remind boys that the religious emblems are additional programs.
Encourage the boys to talk to their parents and religious leaders about earning a religious emblem for their faith. Help the boys get started by setting a target date: “Let’s set our first goal together as a Troop. The important thing is to get started! I’d like everybody to talk to your parents and clergy about earning a religious emblem. Together decide whether or not you will earn your religious emblem, and if so, get the booklet and talk about setting up a schedule to earn it. Then at our next Troop meeting on _________ (date), I want to find out how many of you decided to earn your religious emblem. Even though this is a project that you will be doing with your family and clergy, I am interested in your progress and will encourage you to complete it. Let’s work together to fulfill our Duty to God. Thank you for your attention today.”
Continue to encourage your Boy Scouts by setting goals and asking about their progress. Try to find activities for your Troop that will include all faiths. Can you plan a joint field trip or service project related to the religious emblems programs? Can you visit each other’s church, synagogue or temple? This would be a wonderful opportunity for the Scouts to experience pluralism.
Religious emblems are presented to the Scouts by clergy, usually in a worship service in the recipient’s congregation. Scout leaders should also plan to recognize the religious emblems recipients and present the square knot to them in a special award ceremony in the Troop (i.e. Court of Honor).
If your Scouts are looking for a project for their Eagle Scout Award, make a suggestion that they consider a project related to the religious awards (i.e. organizing workshops to promote religious emblems).
Please duplicate.P.R.A.Y. 8520 Mackenzie Road, Ste. 3, St. Louis, MO 63123-3413
1-800-933-7729 / www.praypub.org
