Programs of Religious Activities with Youth

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

Fourth Quarter 2005

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.

P.R.A.Y. Board Passes “Katrina” Policy

The P.R.A.Y. Board of Directors at their September meeting expressed concern for Girl Scouts whose lives were disrupted by Hurricane Katrina. The Board voted unanimously to implement the honor system among Scouts whose work on the God and Country program was lost due to Hurricane Katrina and to grant them the right to wear the medal. Girl Scouts who have lost all paperwork should go to the P.R.A.Y. web site to submit a request for a special application/order form.  The P.R.A.Y. office will then email the special application/order form to be submitted in order to receive the awards. Those Girl Scouts will be registered as God and Country recipients.

Plan Now to Recognize Adult Leaders on Scout Sunday/Sabbath

Girl Scout Sunday / Sabbath in March is the perfect time to honor the adult leaders who are also active in their faith communities. Now is the time to start the process. The adult recognitions are not work/study programs like the youth awards; they are by nomination only. The adult recognitions are awards given jointly by the Girl Scout Council and the local congregation (signatures and/or letters of support must be secured from both organizations). What better way to honor your adult leaders and to encourage them in their service than to present them with an award on behalf of both the local council and congregation. Visit the P.R.A.Y. web site for additional information and/or to obtain the nomination forms.

P.R.A.Y. Participates at National Convention

·        Exhibit – Carol Eker, Relationships Director, represented P.R.A.Y. at the Girl Scout National Convention in Atlanta, GA as well as the AGSES Meetings. Carol reports that the P.R.A.Y. booth was well visited. Most Girl Scouts are aware of the religious awards programs … what a wonderful contrast to the first convention that P.R.A.Y. attended back in 1986.

·        Interfaith Committee Meeting: P.R.A.Y. also attended the National Interfaith Committee for Girl Scouting hosted by GSUSA at the National Convention. The following organizations were represented: Buddhist National Committee on Scouting, National Jewish Girl Scout Committee, the United Methodist Church, and P.R.A.Y.

Update on P.R.A.Y. Trainings

Carol Eker, Relationships Director, has conducted several trainings for various Girl Scout Councils and provides the following update on her travels:

·        Pine to Prairie, Fargo, ND – Carol visited in October and gave a presentation on religious recognitions for girls and adults to volunteers at the Super Saturday training. Leaders were surprised to learn that several Protestant and Independent Christian churches worked from the same workbooks and that boys and girls both work from the same books. After the meeting, Carol met with staff members to talk about recruiting girls and adults and building stronger ties in the faith community.

·        Red River Valley, Paris, TX – At the Annual Volunteer Training Conference, volunteers were interested to learn about interfaith committees and the work that they can do to support the Council in helping build stronger relationships in the faith community as well as plan for programs for girls and adults.

·        Red Lands, Oklahoma City, OK – Council volunteers heard Carol present on girl and adult recognitions. They were excited to know that adults could be awarded recognitions from faith communities for their work with girls in Girl Scouting.

·        Sooner, Chickasha, OK – Sooner Girl Scout Council has invited P.R.A.Y. to train their staff and volunteers at the January Council training. Two sessions on religious recognitions and one session on collaborating with faith communities will be offered.

·        Goldenrod, Kearney, NE – P.R.A.Y. will make a presentation to the staff in November. Content will include troop, council and national support to girls working on religious recognitions as well as tips on strengthening relationships in the faith community.

P.R.A.Y. works with Girl Scout Councils on a case-by-case basis. Councils who are interested in receiving training for staff and volunteers should contact Carol Eker at gramek@swbell.net.

Religious Award is option to earn Sign of the Sun

Many Junior Girl Scouts aspire to earn the Bronze Award – the highest award that a Junior Girl Scout can earn. Did you know that earning your Religious Award could be a part of this quest?

Requirement #2 for the Bronze Award states that a Junior Girl Scout must earn one of the Signs found in the Junior Girl Scout Handbook.

One of those Signs focuses on values. It is called the Sign of the Sun, which is described in the Handbook on pages 194-195. Requirement 3 states: “Earn one of these badges:  ‘It’s Important to Me,’ ‘The Choice is Yours,’ or ‘High on Life’.  Or you can earn the religious recognition of your choice.” 

All Girl Scouts make the promise “to serve God” and should be encouraged to earn the religious award of their faith. Click here for a sample script to help make a presentation on the religious awards to your troop.

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 second quarter of 2005, the following Girl Scout Councils recognized adults for their outstanding service:

Central Maryland (Baltimore, MD) – Karen Nordman, Lutheran Lamb

Coastal Carolina (Goldsboro, NC) – Gray O. Bruton, Presbyterian God & Service

Connecticut Trails (North Haven, CT) – Vanessa Ballantine, Protestant God & Service

Greater Minneapolis (Minneapolis, MN) – Siri Hauge, Episcopal St. George

Greater St. Louis (St. Louis, MO) – Dana Hammons, AME God and Service

Greater St. Louis, (St. Louis, MO) – Tamara Lewis, AME God and Service

Homestead (Lincoln, NE) – Rhonda Rene Stokebrand, Lutheran Lamb

Lenni-Lenape (Butler, ND) – Ellen Tosi, Orthodox Prophet Elias

Tarheel Triad (Colfax, NC) – Michele A. Grattan, Presbyterian God and Service

Please note that P.R.A.Y. does not handle all of the religious awards. The list above includes only those awards administered by P.R.A.Y. Click here for adult award applications.

Stores Stock God and Country Booklets

The following Girl Scout Councils stock the God and Country booklets in their stores. P.R.A.Y. offers a Trade Discount to Girl Scout Stores that stock the God and Country booklets for resale. Store Managers may request a copy of the Trade Discount by contacting Joan Walker at joanw@praypub.org or 1-800-933-7729.

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