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Religious Emblems Presentation
Script:
A Presentation by Unit Leaders to Cub Scouts and their Parents
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
- Preview the requirements for
the "Duty to God Promotion Patch" at www.praypub.org and
decide whether you will pre-order these patches for your
participants, both youth and adults.
Resources:
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- Video “Promoting Duty to God
(Religious Emblems)” No. 05-883 – Available from your council library;
may be viewed on the P.R.A.Y. web site at www.praypub.org
- Duty to God brochure (No.
5-879D) – Available from your local council (your council may
order these brochures from BSA National Religious
Relationships); also available in printable from at
www.praypub.org
- "Dear Parent" Handout -
Available at www.praypub.org
- Post the address to the
P.R.A.Y. web site (for information on religious emblems):
www.praypub.org
- Square knot and “devices” for
display (optional)
- Display medals and sample
booklets (optional)
- “Resources for Promoting
Duty to God” DVD – This DVD contains all the above resources
(including the video) and is available for sale on the
P.R.A.Y. web site at www.praypub.org
Religious Emblems Presentation
Script:
Slide 1.
Welcome your group: “Welcome to our
presentation on religious emblems. We’re going to tell you all
about religious emblems, but more importantly, we’re going to
challenge you to earn the religious emblem of your faith.”
Slide 2. Ask all Cub Scouts to stand. Then
say, “Parents, please listen very
carefully to what your child is about to say. Cub Scouts, please
join together in saying the Cub Scout Promise: I promise to
do my best, To do my duty to God and my country, To help other
people, and To obey the Law of the pack. Thank you. Please
be seated.”
Slide 3. Explain how the religious emblems are
connected to the scouting program and how important they are.
Hold up the “Duty to God” brochure for everybody to see. Then
say, “The title of this brochure is
‘Duty to God.’ You just heard your child say these very words,
and it was a promise to do his Duty to God. One way that Cub
Scouts can show their Duty 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.”
Slide 4. Show
video, “Promoting Duty to God (Religious Emblems).” After
watching the video continue by saying,
“Religious emblems are very special. When your Cub Scout wears
his religious emblem on his uniform, it tells who he is and what
he believes. It shows his duty to God. We would be very proud if
our Cub Scouts earned their religious emblems.”
Slide 5. Explain the universal religious square knot. “Boys,
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 carries up to your Boy Scout uniform,
even to your adult uniform).”
Slide 6. Explain that most religious emblems programs have more than one
level. “After you have earned your
religious emblem as a Cub Scout and have received your religious
square knot, it doesn’t mean that you are through. Most
religious programs have more than one level. Check to see if
your program offers an emblem for Webelos Scouts. When you earn
more than one religious emblem, you may pin a special device in
your square knot to show that you have earned your religious
emblem at different levels.
Slide 7. Explain that the Cub 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 Cub Scout Pack. We are of
different faiths and we belong to different congregations. Each
Cub Scout will earn the emblem for his own faith. These emblems
are fun opportunities for you and your family to work on
something together.”
Slide 8. Here’s how you get started on
these programs: There are four basic steps:
Step 1: Youth
members must obtain the specific booklet for their religion.
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Use the “Duty to God” brochure to identify the
program for your faith
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Check with your council store or contact the
religious organization directly.
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Each Cub Scout needs his own booklet to document
progress.
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Some religions offer adult manuals for counselors
and mentors.
Step 2: Parents
must review the program guidelines.
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Some programs require participants to be official
“members” of the religious institution.
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Age/grade requirements vary from program to
program.
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Each program sets its own guidelines as to who
may serve as counselor. Some programs require clergy to serve
as counselors; other programs allow parents or other family
members to serve as counselors.
Step 3: Families
should talk to their religious leaders and show them the booklet
before beginning any program
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Most programs require that they be completed
under the auspices of that religious organization.
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Many programs require the signature of the local
religious leader.
Step 4: The
youth member needs to complete the requirements, obtain the
proper signatures, and follow the instructions to order the
emblem.
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These emblems are not available from your local
council store (follow instructions in your booklet).
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The emblem should be presented in a meaningful
ceremony, preferably in the member’s religious institution.
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The award can be presented at anytime of the
year. Boy Scout Sunday/Sabbath in February is a perfect time to
recognize recipients.
Slide 9. Distribute the Duty to God grid and/or the “Dear Parent”
handout. “The Duty to God grid provides the name and address
of where to obtain more information and/or to purchase the
booklets. The “Dear Parent” handout is a short summary of how to
get started on the programs. It also provides space for you to
copy the contact information” (if copies of the grid are not
provided). Please note that most of the Protestant,
independent, and non-denominational churches use the God and
Country program which is listed in the grid under “Protestant.”
Show the boys what the emblem for their 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 optional programs.
Slide 10. 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 Pack. I’d
like everybody to talk to their 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. At our next Pack 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.”
Slide 11. Explain the special Duty to God patch:
“I have a special announcement about a Duty to God Promotion
Patch. This patch is for youth or adults who 1) learn about
religious emblems, and then 2) make a commitment to Duty to
God. Because you are here today at this presentation, and are
taking information about religious emblems to show your parents,
you have fulfilled the first requirement for this patch. The
second requirement is making a commitment. You may commit to
earning your religious emblem, helping younger Scouts earn
theirs, making a presentation on religious emblems to another
unit, etc. How many Cub Scouts want to make that commitment
today? Please stand.
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If
you ordered patches to distribute to your Cub Scouts, hand them
out now: “Congratulations on making a
commitment to do your Duty to God. Here is your Duty to God
patch that shows you are committed to earning your religious
emblem.”
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If
you plan on ordering patches for your Cub Scouts, make an
announcement: “Congratulations. You
will be presented with a Duty to God patch on _______(date).
This will be a good reminder to fulfill your Duty to God.”
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If
you want each Cub Scout to order his own patch, distribute the
order form and make the following announcement:
“Congratulations. Every person standing is
eligible to wear a Duty to God Promotion patch. Here is an order
form so that you can purchase your own patch.”
Briefly describe
the patch: “The Duty to God Promotion
Patch is a four-segment puzzle patch. You can only earn one
segment a year. Every year that you learn about the religious
emblems or earn an emblem or help make a presentation about
them, you can earn the next segment.”
Slide 12. Conclude your presentation: “By
learning about religious emblems and making a commitment to Duty
to God, you are living up to your Cub Scout Promise. Thank you
for your attention. This concludes our presentation.”
13. In the coming weeks, continue to encourage your
boys by setting goals and asking about their progress. Try to
include some activities (for all faiths) for your Pack. 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 boys to experience pluralism.
14.
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 ceremony at a Pack meeting.
Please
duplicate.
P.R.A.Y. 8520
Mackenzie Road, Ste. 3, St. Louis, MO 63123-3413
1-800-933-7729 /
www.praypub.org
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