Religious emblems

[jamist649]

Can anyone give me a quick rundown of the religious emblem program and how to aquire them? I have one den that is interested and I want to know how to handle it.

[ScoutLass]

Religious emblems are handed out and requirements set by the governing body of the religion the boy is working to get the emblem for. The contact info for each emblem is listed on this page:

 

http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/Awards/ReligiousAwards/chart.aspx

 

For our religion (Buddhist) it required a lot of commitment and work from my son when compared to the fairly easy requirements of Cub Scout awards. My family and son did find the deepened understanding of his faith worth it, though. I am assuming they are all that way.

[AnaMaria]

The booklets should be available at your scout shop as well as on scoutstuff.org.

 

Protestant is God and Me for 1-3 graders and God and Family for 4 & 5.

Comes in student book, adult partner book & leader book.

Designed to be used in a group, requires signature or religious leader for award. May be done at home if the religious leader agrees.

 

Catholic is Light of Christ for 1 & 2 and Parvuli Dei for 3-5.

These are designed to be done at home with family. Does require some signatures. (Not Catholic, so I haven't done this one.)

 

The awards themselves are not given by BSA. Earning the award does qualify the scout to wear the religious emblem square knot. If a scout earns both, there are devices for the square knot to indicate that.

 

There are other awards for other religions, these are the only two I have any personal knowledge of.

 

[ScoutNut]

Have the Parents talk to someone in their own, local, religious organization (pastor, priest, rabbi, etc).

 

If the boys are all members of the same religious organization, and if that organization is your Charter Organization (CO), then you could talk to the head of your CO, or to the religious education coordinator, about helping the boys earn the religious emblem of their faith.

 

Usually the boys will each work independently, with their parents as their mentor. When they have completed the booklet they usually must meet with a representative from their church/temple/etc. This person will go over it with the boy, approve his work, and sign the form at the back of the booklet. This signed form is then turned in to a location specific to the religious organization, and the emblems are then purchased.

 

 

[jhankins]

http://www.praypub.org/

 

All religions that have a working relationship with the BSA for wearing religious awards.

 

For a religion to be recognized by the BSA, they have to charter at least 25 units and write their own material for every age group.

[mpaull]

I found the Parvuli Dei Material at our local Scout Store, but have had mixed results on the material for the Religion Square Knot for Cubs. Can anyone point me in the right direction?

 

With thanks.

[AnaMaria]

"Light of Christ" is the program for Catholic Tiger and Wolf youth. The booklet is available at scoutstuff.org.

[Eagle92]

In reference to the youth religious knot, once they earn their religion's award, then they are authorized the knot, as well as the device for that level award. I know for Catholics the following devices should be worn on the knot: CS device for Tigers and Wolves earning the Light of Christ, Webelos device for Bears and Webelos earning Parvuli Dei, Boy Scout for Scouts earning the Ad Altari Dei, Varsity for Varsity Scouts earning the Ad Altari Dei, and Venturing or Sea Scout device for Boy Scouts, Sea Scouts or Venturers earning the Pope Pius.

 

 

[mpaull]

So, the two are the same? Do the requirements for the specific religion (Parvuli Dei, etc.,), receive the medal, then automatically get the Knot with no further requirements?

[Eagle92]

Correct, once you earn your religious award, you get the knot automatically. The knot represents the award for normal activities, as you usually don't wear the medals except for special ocassions. But I know most Cubs wear everythgin they got all the time.

[ScoutNut]

The religious emblem programs are NOT BSA programs.

 

The religious awards are created, and run, by the individual religious institutions, NOT BSA.

 

Many religious institutions allow BSA to sell their religious award booklets. They do this to make it easier for their youth to access them.

 

The religious awards themselves (the medals) are purchased from the individual religious organizations, or thru their authorized dealers.

 

BSA allows these medals from other organizations to be worn on it's uniform.

 

The BSA silver on purple square knot patch is the BSA recognition that the youth, or adult, has earned a religious emblem of their faith as a youth.

 

The BSA purple on silver square knot patch is the BSA recognition for an adult who has received a religious service award from their religious institution.

 

Bottom line - The medal is the religious institution's, and is usually awarded by them. The knot (and the devices for the knot that designate what level it was earned in) is BSA's, and is awarded by the BSA unit.

 

 

 

[SSScout]

Scoutnut has the correct answers.

 

see also http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/Awards/ReligiousAwards.aspx

 

and www.praypub.org

 

What is often not recognized is that ANY Scout may earn ANY religious award, with permission of the faith. I met a young man at a formal Scout event and recognized three religious awards on his pocket, the God and Country, the Ad Altare Dei, and the Ner Tamid. I asked him about this and this is the story he told me. His father was Jewish, his mother Catholic and the Troop was sponsored by a Methodist Church. He had no trouble finding the time to earn all three awards, the faith leaders involved evidently were very cooperative.