 Programs
of Religious Activities with Youth
P.R.A.Y. Boy Scout News Bulletin Second Quarter 2007 Welcome to P.R.A.Y.’s Boy Scout News Bulletin. This Bulletin is how we share information about the religious emblems programs and ways to strengthen relationships with the religious community. RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS COURSE OFFERED AT PHILMONT TRAINING CENTER There’s still time to enroll in the Religious Emblems Course at the Philmont Training Center in Cimarron, New Mexico July 29th through August 4, 2007. The course will present ways to promote religious emblems and how to use religious emblems as a membership tool to increase BSA membership in faith communities. An added benefit this year will be a celebration of the 100th Anniversary of World Scouting including special commemorative items for participants. The course director is P.R.A.Y. CEO Mark Hazlewood. Click here for more information http://www.praypub.org/ptc_syllabus.htm. CASCADE PACIFIC COUNCIL The Protestant Committee on Scouting in the Cascade Pacific Council (Portland, OR) has shared what they have done in the hope that it may be helpful to other councils and religious committees.
– Cliff Mansley BLUE MOUNTAIN COUNCIL Ted Woodlock, Asst. Scout Executive of the Blue Mountain Council in Kennewick, WA says that each month one of the staff members draws a “denomination” out of a box. It is their responsibility during the next month to learn what they can about that denomination, it’s practices and beliefs, who It’s local leaders are, how many units they sponsor, how many units are sponsored nationally by that denomination and their history with the council. They then report that back to the staff. What a great way to learn about denominations, recognize existing sponsors and become more “appropriate” when talking to potential new religious sponsors. HEART OF AMERICA COUNCIL Cindy Cone and several of her cohorts at the Heart of America Council in Kansas City do mass Religious Emblem class opportunities. Her team locates churches who will host these events, finds and trains qualified leaders and establishes classes in the north, south east and west sides of the city and makes them available to any kids who want to attend. This is where "you build it and they will come” really works. This group of volunteers put the walk in the talk and during 2006 Heart of America Council was the leading council with 777 God and Country awards representing a 27% increase over 2005!! CRADLE OF LIBERTY COUNCIL Cradle of Liberty Council serving the youth of Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties in Pennsylvania pulled off a GREAT scouting event this month. Over 7,500 people attended the “Rock the Cradle of Liberty Jamboree”. In beautiful Green Lane Lake park several rock bands and performers made up of primarily scouts performed and there were many, many interactive areas where the boys could enjoy and learn. PRAY was on hand with a religious emblems and “Duty to God” table. The scouts were required to learn which religious emblem was appropriate for their faith and age and promise to discuss earning it with their parents to receive a “Duty to God” segment patch. There was also much dialog with adults who weren’t aware of the programs, didn’t quite understand some of it or wanted resources to promote them. Thanks to Sarah Timtishin and Ann Perrone who made it possible for PRAY to attend and to all of the folks who made this fantastic day possible. 2007 AD ALTARE DEI TOUR The Catholic Committee on Scouting for the Diocese of Ft Worth is proud to announce the 2007 Ad Altare Dei Tour. This tour combines work on Catholic Scouting religious awards with a pilgrimage to religious shrines and a visit to Philmont Scout Ranch. The tour will enable youth Scouts to complete many of the requirements for their religious award and have the opportunity to meet inspirational religious men (Bishop Vann, Bishop Yanta, and ArchBishop Sheehan). Some of the sites they will visit include Loretto’s Chapel (home of the miraculous staircase), San Miguel Mission, St Francis Cathedral, Bandolier Monument (Indian cliff dwellings), and Capulin Volcano. The tour begins on Thursday, July 26, 2007 and will conclude on Wednesday, August 1st. Click here for more information on this Inaugural tour http://www.angelfire.com/tx6/patch/AADtour.html. RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS UPDATES
Summer camp Duty to God programs can elevate the role of the Chaplain Aide by requiring Scouts to obtain the Chaplain Aide’s signature to certify completion of the requirements. Duty to God programs typically require the following: a. Attend religious services or chapel b. Participate in at least three daily devotionals with your troop or group c. Say grace before meals (or memorize the camp grace and explain it to a Chaplain) d. The Troop Chaplain Aide and the Scout leader must promise to make a presentation on the religious emblems programs at a regular troop meeting. There are various resources to help Chaplain Aides put an added focus on Duty to God while at summer camp. Here are few of them: http://www.scouting.org/relationships/chaplains/index.html http://www.praypub.org/partnerships/dtg_summer_camp.htm Catholic Prayer Booklet – A pocket-sized prayer manual for Boy Scouts and Venturers of the Catholic Faith available from P.R.A.Y. https://www.praypub.org/praypub/ProductList.asp Don’t forget that you can order a T-shirt featuring the Duty to God promotion patch on the back and “Duty to God” on the front left chest. Visit https://www.praypub.org/praypub/dutytogodProductList.asp to order your T-shirt today. (Sizes are limited) A-MUSING, WRITTEN BY DON SHAPLEY, RELATIONSHIPS DIRECTOR You may or may not find this amusing but what it really amounts to is a “musing” from me. As I work with Boy Scout councils, volunteers, staff and boys I see things that amaze me and, as I muse over these things, I want to share them with you. Here’s what I’m seeing. We must be aggressive in helping scouts attain their Religious Emblems and achieve Duty to God. We still need to promote the programs but we really need to go beyond that and “Get er Done”. We offer merit badge forums and classes, rank opportunities at summer camps and in our units, specific activities and trips to accomplish requirements for advancement and all sorts of training on scouting skills and citizenship. Do we also offer “Duty to God” opportunities???? Believe me I am not being critical of scout training; that’s’ what the program is all about but it is also about learning and practicing a religious faith. Following is a segment from the “Declaration of Religious Principle from the BSA Manual for Chaplain Aides and Chaplains”: “The Boy Scouts of America maintains that no member can grow into the best kind of citizen without recognizing an obligation to God and, therefore, recognizes the religious element in the training of the member, but it is absolutely nonsectarian in its attitude toward that religious training. Its policy is that the home and organization or group with which a member is connected shall give definite attention to religious life. ……………………” We need to be about finding ways to make religious training and emblems programs happen. Work with your local church(s). Ask them to develop and offer the programs, set times and publish them. Parents, leaders and clergy have way too much on their plates already to make this happen and, often, just don’t understand how it works. We must, as volunteers who do know and believe in the program, and care about the lives of these boys, make opportunities readily available. There are many resources available on the PRAY website and feel free to contact me if I can help in any way. God bless your caring heart. dons@praypub.org 913.485.6299 GOD AND COUNTRY FOUR-STAR RECIPIENTS God and Country Four-star recipients are individuals who have completed all four levels of the Protestant/Christian religious award series (i.e. God and Me, God and Family, God and Church, and God and Life). Four-Star recipients receive a certificate and letter from the P.R.A.Y. CEO congratulating them on their accomplishments.
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