Programs of Religious Activities with Youth

Boy Scout News Bulletin

Fourth Quarter 2006

BELIEVE IN BSA VALUES? WANT AN EASY WAY TO REINFORCE THEM?

The answer is promoting Religious Emblems.

A recent study by the Greater St Louis Area Council, BSA revealed that all stake-holders from parents, leaders, staff, donors, and even executive Board members say that they are involved with the Boy Scout movement because they believe in the values that BSA teaches. Religious emblems reinforce these values. By supplementing the teaching of these values you should see an increase in retention as all of your stakeholders are satisfied.

Here are some easy ways to promote religious emblems: Make a 10-minute presentation at roundtable, a 15-minute presentation to your unit, or a 50-minute presentation at a Pow Wow, University of Scouting or College of Commissioners Science on promoting religious emblems of all faiths. As the youth earn their various emblems programs with their clergy, the values of the BSA are automatically reinforced. Click here for free resources on making presentations on religious emblems http://www.praypub.org/dutytogod.htm. Thank you for building values in the youth of America.

DON SHAPLEY JOINS P.R.A.Y. STAFF

Don Shapley brings to P.R.A.Y. an expertise in finances: he has experience in small business, income tax and non-profit consulting and management. He also has experience in not-for-profit boards helping agencies achieve financial success and serving as an ED/CEO with accountability to directors and contributors and serving in a variety of fund development positions including United Way. Don graduated with a degree in Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Rockhurst University in Kansas City, MO.

Shapley brings more than just leadership and experience to P.R.A.Y. – he brings his heart and passion. “My passion and calling is serving families and supporting the advocacy of children and their welfare.  I consider myself a servant and wish to make use of that gift. I have nothing but admiration and awe for those individuals who are in position to impact the lives of so many kids. I feel that God creates children, but that it’s our job as adults to help them become what God intended them to be in the first place. I try to be a servant to the people who can do that.”

Don Shapley is a God and Country recipient and supports Scouting as ministry, because it was Scouting that brought Don to faith in Jesus Christ. “I have always felt passionately about Scouting as ministry. I’m living proof of it. I feel very blessed to be part of the P.R.A.Y. ministry.”

In announcing this position, CEO Mark Hazlewood said, “Don is coming onboard at the right time. His experience and background is uniquely suited to the P.R.A.Y. ministry. He will help move our mission forward.”

Don can be reached at dons@praypub.org or 913-485-6299.

A-Musing                                        

Don Shapley

Relationships Director serving Boy Scout Councils

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, leaders, staff and boys I see things that amaze me and, as I muse over these things, I want to share them with you.

We hear so many stories of young people who have come to a greater understanding of God and a deepening of their faith.  Over 80,000 young people explore their personal faith through the religious emblems programs.  We don’t really know how many use the materials without our having a record of that occurrence.  But, whatever that total is, there are that many more individuals who are volunteering their time and energy to make that happen.

I see folks at the unit level and council level who work selflessly to assure the opportunity for boys to hear about God and practice their “Duty to God”.  All faiths joining together and setting aside the differences in their beliefs to share the story of God’s love are fulfilling God’s commandment. 

People who serve councils by making religious emblem presentations, who spend large segments of time for religious emblem training, who offer their time to serve at display booths at council events or Jamboree, who train or work with the chaplain programs and, in particular, those who work directly with the youth to help them earn their religious emblems are, truly, changing the world. 

May God richly bless each one of you.  It is an honor and a pleasure to work alongside you.

NEED MEMBERSHIP GROWTH?

·        You are sitting on a potential 40% unit growth

·        No cold calls

·        Religious emblems are the key!

64% of all units are chartered to religious organizations

70% of chartered partners only have one unit

98% of clergy are not aware of the religious emblems programs

10% national unit drop rate

Find out how religious emblems can help the chartered partner see how their goals can be furthered by the Scouting program and thus shore up the drop rate and encourage new units and recruit new leaders.

64% + 10% + 70% + 98% = 40% sustainable growth

Interested in a P.R.A.Y. training session for your staff?

Contact Don Shapley for more information.

Email: dons@praypub.org

Phone: 913-485-6299

DUTY TO GOD T-SHIRTS

Looking for a gift for a Scout on your shopping list?

Are you planning on making a Duty to God presentation to your unit?

Making plans for Scout Sunday in February?

Order a Duty to God T-shirt from P.R.A.Y.

P.R.A.Y. is offering a limited supply of Duty to God T-shirts at $15 apiece with no postage/handling charge. Sizes: S, M, L, XL, 2X

The navy blue T-shirt features the puzzle patch on the back and “Duty to God” on the front left chest. The shirts have been so well received that P.R.A.Y. has extended its offer online and even added a SMALL size (for younger Scouts). Quantities are still limited.
Click here to order your T-shirt today.

·        The LDS office has moved. The phone number is the same but please note the new address: LDS Relationships, 15 West South Temple, Suite 1070, Salt Lake City, UT 84101-1531, Phone: (801) 530-0004

·        National Jewish Committee on Scouting has updated its web site. Please visit www.jewishscouting.org.

“THANK YOU” NOTES RECEIVED BY P.R.A.Y. 

·        Northeastern Pennsylvania (Moosic, PA) - Just a note to let you know that we received our Presentation Kit today, and we want to thank you so much. This will be very useful when doing our University of Scouting, Chaplain training, etc. Thank you! Sincerely, Pat Gibbons

·        Five Rivers (Horseheads, NY) – I received the packet in the mail today. Thank you so much. We will use it at our next Religious Relations Committee meeting, and as a program resource. Your help is greatly appreciated. Peter Baker, DE, Religious Relations Committee Advisor

·        Email received 10/30/06 – “Just wanted to thank you for posting this 10 Commandments hike info to your web site, and to let you know how powerful and useful the information on the web site is. Because I have a booklet already in hand when I go to see these pastors, I am receiving a warm response. This information you posted has made it possible to jump start this inaugural event with confidence, enthusiasm, and without a lot of hesitation.” Mike Kahanca, Program Chair, Eagle District, Central Florida Council

RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS TAUGHT THROUGH VBS PROGRAM

St. John Presbyterian Church in Arlington, Texas charters a Pack, Troop and Crew and was, in fact, recognized by the National Association of Presbyterian Scouters this past year. As is the case with most church-sponsored units that don't have schools, the vast majority of the scouts in the Units originate from the local public elementary schools and resultantly belong to a wide variety of congregations.

St John offers annually a Vacation Bible School, which is open to youth in the community in the first through sixth grades. This past year they promoted the VBS program to their Scouts and their siblings and offered separate classroom times for the Christian God & Me and God & Church awards, and the Catholic Light of Christ, and Ad Altare Dei awards. (The dates conflicted with the District Cub Scout Day Camp so they didn’t offer classes for that age group.)

Much to their surprise – and great pleasure – eighteen boys, led by four counselors, participated in the religious emblems program, and five siblings participated in the VBS program.

The Scouts participated in the VBS opening and closing sessions in the sanctuary, but then attended their individual classes. Each Scout paid a fee. Part of the fee went to the church for the VBS T-shirt and refreshments, and the other part paid for the religious emblems workbooks and supplies.

Much planning went into the religious emblems classes. Scouts received assignments prior to the VBS session. They also received daily homework assignments during the week. Some assignments were modified. For example, instead of completing individual photo albums, the God and Church participants each contributed to a huge collage which they added to daily based on the lessons they were studying. This collage was placed on the altar during the awards presentation.

According to William Spencer, “We are planning on presenting the Scouts with their knots in their Units and all will be invited back this year on Scout Sunday when, for the first time, the Unit will be presented with the Presbyterian Unit Award of Excellence! So successful was this program that we are already making plans for another special session, perhaps over the Christmas Holidays, for the God & Family and the older Scout God & Life programs. We are definitely planning to repeat this opportunity again next year and hopefully can avoid the Day Camp/Summer Camp conflict by pre-planning and scheduling the dates.”

The program was well received. A comment on the evaluation form at the conclusion of the program sums it up best: "I didn't know God could be fun!"

[At the conclusion of the VBS Program, the Pastor called forward and presented 9 God & Family Awards and 4 God & Church Awards. Certificates of completion were presented to 3 Light of Christ youth and Certificates of Progress and Participation to 2 Ad Altare Dei Candidates. The Catholic youth, in that Diocese, after completing the requirements and having them approved by the pastor or his delegate, forward the application to the Diocesan Catholic Committee on Scouting and the Awards are presented by the Bishop at the Annual Scout Sunday observance in the Cathedral in Fort Worth. Please note: Special consideration must be made when organizing the religious emblems classes. Appropriate religious organizations must be contacted and program requirements and guidelines must be adhered to.]

THIRD QUARTER FOUR-STAR RECIPIENTS

The following individuals were recognized in the third quarter of 2006 for completing all four levels of the God and Country 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 CEO Mark Hazlewood congratulating them on their accomplishments.

·        Buckeye (Canton, OH) – Jonathan Angel

·        Cascade Pacific (Portland, OR) – Eric Severson

·        Chickasaw (Memphis, TN) – Ross Boone

·        Chief Seattle (Seattle, WA) – Jonel Bloxham

·        Connecticut Rivers (East Hartford, CT) – Eric Grulke

·        Great Sauk Trail (Ann Arbor, MI) – Spencer Baily

·        Greater Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh, PA) – Andrew Shrump

·        Heart of Virginia (Richmond, VA) – Landon James

·        Hoosier Trails (Bloomington, IL) – Brian Lewis

·        Lincoln Trails (Decatur, IL) – Paderic Waggoner

·        Mid-America (Omaha, NE) – Jonathan Stilwell

·        National Capital Area (Bethesda, MD) – Joseph Bailey

·        Occoneechee (Raleigh, NC) – Ben Doyle

·        Pee Dee Area (Florence, SC) – Jody McAllister

·        Penn’s Woods (Johnstown, PA) – Reid Nedimyer, Kent Nedimyer

·        Pikes Peak (Colorado Springs, CO) – Michael Maloof

·        Sam Houston Area (Houston, TX) – Jefferson Wisdom, Bernard Clark, Greg Thorne, Robert Barnum

·        Tuscarora (Goldsboro, NC) – David Brogden, John Brogden

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