Programs of Religious Activities with Youth

P.R.A.Y. Girl Scout News Bulletin

Second Quarter 2006

Welcome to the P.R.A.Y. Girl Scout News Bulletin. This Bulletin is how we share information about the religious awards programs and ways to strengthen relationships with the religious community.

COMING IN AUGUST … NEW “TO SERVE GOD” PATCH

A new “TO SERVE GOD” patch has been designed specifically for Girl Scouts. This patch highlights the first part of the Girl Scout Promise “to serve God.”

The purpose of this patch is to learn about and promote the religious awards programs.

The requirements are simple:

1) Attend or make a presentation on religious awards, and

2) Make a commitment “To Serve God”

Both girls and adults may earn this patch. It is available to girls and adults of all faiths. This patch signifies that the wearer has learned about the religious awards programs and has made a commitment. This patch does not replace the religious awards. On the contrary, P.R.A.Y. hopes that this patch will increase usage of the religious awards.

The new patch is a four-segment puzzle patch. Only one segment will be offered in any given year. The first patch features the kneeling Girl Scout. It will become available August 2006 from P.R.A.Y. at www.praypub.org or 1-800-933-7729. Patches may be pre-ordered for distribution at the presentation/information seminar. Click here for a brochure/order form.

More information is available on the P.R.A.Y. web site. Click here to read the Frequently Asked Questions. If you are a Girl Scout Leader and want to make a presentation to your Troop, click here for a sample script. If you want to make a presentation to your Service Unit, click here.

NEW BROCHURE AVAILABLE FROM PRAY

P.R.A.Y. has revised the “To Serve God” brochure to include information about the new puzzle patch. The new brochure now has four pages and includes the following features and information:

· Full color photos of all the religious awards available to girls and adults

· Full color photo of the To Serve God puzzle patch

· Contact information on the national religious organizations and committees

· Basic information about religious awards: what are they, how do you get started, why promote them, and how to make a presentation.

Girl Scout councils are encouraged to order these brochures to distribute one per Troop plus extra for staff, training events, the resource center, etc. To order brochures or to find out if your council has already ordered a supply, please contact Jennifer at jenniferh@praypub.org.

Click here to view this brochure on the P.R.A.Y. web site.

CATCH THE SPIRIT, A GSUSA RESOURCE

A “Catch the Spirit: Pluralism in Practice” CD-ROM was released by GSUSA in January 2006. It is designed “to promote the innovative, pluralistic and recent program activities that Girl Scout councils and their faith and culture community partners are engaged in. Faith and culture communities are portals of diversity and many Girl Scout councils are successfully collaborating with their neighbors toward pluralism and inclusion.” The CD-ROM includes PSAs, sample letters and recruitment flyers, and badge and try-it activity curricula. Copies were sent directly to local councils. For more information, contact GSUSA.

RELIGIOUS AWARDS UPDATES

· The Islamic Committee on Girl Scouting has a web site at www.nicgs.com. Their email is nicgs@sbcglobal.net

· The Baha’i National Center has a web site at www.education.usbnc.org. Their new phone number is 847-733-3492.

UPDATE ON P.R.A.Y. TRAININGS

· Black Diamond (Charleston, WV) – Carol Eker, P.R.A.Y. Relationships Director, visited in January 2006 to make a presentation to field staff in preparation for their Plans of Work. The council covers 57 counties in West Virginia, Ohio, Tennessee, and just a small part of Pennsylvania.

· San Antonio Area (San Antonio, TX) – Carol Eker made two presentations to council staff. About thirty people were in attendance. There was plenty of interest and participation by staff members. Following the presentation, the staff had a short Q&A session to discuss how they would put into action what they had learned. San Antonio has an interfaith committee and a very active Catholic committee.

· Mid-Continent (Kansas City, MO) – P.R.A.Y. CEO Mark Hazlewood was asked to lead a workshop on interpreting the religious awards as resources for both the program and membership departments. The workshop was held in May to coincide with Plan of Work week. Participants included field staff and members from the program and adult training departments. Sheri Levingston, Field Director, was pleased with the ideas and enthusiasm that was generated from this workshop.

· Faith-Based Initiative Training (Texas) – Representatives from the following councils attended a P.R.A.Y. training in March 2006: Circle T (Ft. Worth), Heart of Texas (Brownwood), Norcentex (Waco), Tejas (Dallas), Lone Star (Austin), Red River Valley (Paris). Participants had many positive comments: I enjoyed the time for networking and the time to work on plans and sharing of ideas … Gave us tools/dialogue to approach ALL faiths … I learned valuable information for areas of growth and partnerships for our organization … The course went way beyond my expectations. I now feel confident that I can present the programs! Councils were given time to create plans for collaborating with their faith communities and for promoting religious awards. Here are their plans:

Circle T Council

v Provide a staff training with Carol Eker, P.R.A.Y. Relationships Director. Have Carol talk more about common goals and collaborations.

v Next Inner faith recognition breakfast, plan to be on the agenda to garner more support.

v Fall Kick Off at the end of August and invite all leaders to the religious awards both

v Train interested Troop Leaders in September

Norcentex Council

v Advertise – Use the Poster, brochures, books, etc. concerning religious recognitions

v Talk about Faith Based Initiative starting tomorrow

v List all places where girls meet and give them letter for their churches about having GS become part of their fellowship.

v Add PRAY website to the council Website

v All publications will provide information on religious awards.

v Research the faith groups and see if there are some we are not serving.

v Research grants to see if money is available to pay for a Religious Recognition’s Person

v Have meeting in the summer and meet with the inter faith committee in the City

v Add the 10 Commandment Hike to the Fall Program

v Word of Month on the Monthly leader letter

v Word of the Day in the Quarterly Newsletter

v Have Carol Eker, P.R.A.Y. Relationships Director, come for 2 days and do staff training with volunteers and community faith leaders.

v Target 5 to 7 churches in first year

v Use inserts for church bulletins

Heart of Texas

v Report to Staff about P.R.A.Y.’s Faith Based Initiative training

v Research meeting places that Girl Scouts are already in and establish partnership agreements

v Meet with Ministerial Alliances to inform them about religious recognitions

v Have a Breakfast with Minister’s Wives

v Target UMC in the next 30 days

v Present religious awards at service unit meetings

Tejas Council

v Service unit update that goes out monthly and include the To Serve God brochure.

v Challenge girls to spend time with God over the Summer

v Mailing to the Juliettes

v Get a Yahoo Group going

v Starting Packets will include a “To Serve God Brochure”

v End of the year evaluation will direct questions to challenge leaders to serve and work with faith communities

v Advertise religious awards in stores with a display

v Kick Off promotion will have a skit that will include facts about religious awards

v Speaking Promotion at the Faith Community

v Programs and Form interfaith Committee

v Next Spring host a Golden Rule Hike

v Thanks to God Camp for Muslim Girls

v Open House Events hosted by faith groups to expose girls to other faiths

Red River Council

v Presentation to the Staff

v Do a data base to find out who meets where

v Predominate Denominations will be called upon first

v Interfaith Council will be formed

v FBI groups will be formed and trained (Faith Based Initiative)

v Religious Awards will be included in council trainings and recognition

Lone Star Council

v Share with Council staff what we learned in the P.R.A.Y. training. Key Points:

1. Girls and families don’t graduate from religious institutions (like they do from schools)

2. 50% of leaders come from religious institutions

3. GS should become part of the work of the faith community

v Train staff and establish need for infrastructure to buy and promote girl and adult recognition for religious awards

v Appoint staff to be accountable for faith based recruitment

v Train volunteers at ST conference

v Incorporate a piece for every department of the council to be accountable to implement something on religious awards training

FIRST QUARTER FOUR-STAR RECIPIENTS

The following individuals were recognized in the first quarter of 2006 for completing all four levels of the God and Country series. Four-Star recipients receive a certificate and letter from CEO Mark Hazlewood congratulating them on their accomplishments.

Ocean County – Sarah Jobes

Scranton Pocono – Amanda Tompkins

Cahaba – Shannon Edsall

Hornets Nest – Kayla Garcia

Pioneer – Tiffany Brown

Greater St. Louis – Elaine Kuntz, Lisa martin

Otahki – Melissa Manetz

Homestead – Stephanie Elwonger, Gillian Rolfe

Frontier – Stephanie McAvoy

ADULT AWARD RECIPIENTS

The adult recognitions are given to adults for outstanding service to young people through service to the faith community and Girl Scouts. During the fourth quarter of 2005, the following Girl Scout Councils recognized adults for their outstanding service:

Central Maryland (Baltimore, MD) – Ann Burt, Lutheran Servant of Youth

Nation’s Capital (Washington DC) – Susan Burgess, Methodist God & Service

Ouachita (North Little Rock, AR) – Nancie Straughan, Episcopal St. George

Santa Clara County (San Jose, CA) – Duon Zeroun, Episcopal St. George

Suncoast (Tampa, FL) – Mildred Carey, Methodist God & Service

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