Get Ready For New Requirements In Faith

Hedgehog · April 15, 2015

SorrIf one has a problem with supporting all 12 of the Scout Laws, maybe one ought to be asking oneself these questions and not just the boys. So lets not start with A Scout is Reverent, lets start with A Scout is Brave and work from there.

I like the approach of asking questions related to the Scout Law and Oath. It's all right there really. Every time I see a scout not doing what they are supposed to, I go back to the scout law. All it takes is a "Bob, remember a scout is courteous" or "Tommy, remember a scout is helpful." Every time I see a scout accomplish something, it goes back to the oath. "Good job on making the 5 mile hike. You didn't think you could do it, but you tried and suceeded. A scout is brave." "I know you didn't want to do clean-up but thank you for not complaining. A Scout is cheerful."

I don't view Scouting as a faith-based program but as a program designed to build character. To me, character is embodied in the Scout Law and Scout Oath. Those values are what I was raised with and are the values that my wife and I are teaching to my son. We can't teach values without talking about them.

Is it odd to single out one part of the Law and Oath? Maybe. But each rank requirement in Cub Scouts has a faith requirement. I suspect that this is a reaction to the perception that the Duty to God was being passed over or ignored until an Eagle BOR.

The bottom line is that the program is only as good as the people who implement it. I've had discussions with boys regarding religion on backpacking trips. Many of them are at a point where they are questioning the existence of God and the idea of faith. They tell me their concerns, I tell them that it is normal to question their faith, I explain to them why I believe in my faith (which reasons would be applicable to most other faiths) and tell them that I think a faith that you choose to believe in is more powerful than one you are taught to believe in. One scout actually said that he wanted to talk to an adult about it other than his pastor or his parents.

moosetracker · April 15, 2015

My personal opinion is this is being added because BSA knows eventually they will fully drop the homosexual rules.. It is a battle lost.. This shoring up on duty to God is trying to head off loosing the battle against the acceptance of atheists..

Cub Scouts added a whole bunch of new requirements about duty to god also.. It was at least a year ago when I read about them, and I don't remember them exactly.. I know all the anxiety you have over the new changes in boy scouts I had reading the changes in Cub scouts.. I was UC of a pack at the time.. I talked to the pack leadership at the time and advised them where ever possible keep the requirements family oriented, and where the requirements prevent it being family oriented they had to remember that BSA is open to all but atheists so duty to god does not need to be well defined just some foggy belief that something greater then themselves was at work to create the universe and the world they live in.. Duty to God can just be treating others with respect, animals kindly, and/or the planet clean..

DuctTape · April 15, 2015

For duty to God, I have always fallen back on the words writtenin the 1911 Handbook. To paraphrase, a Scouts duty to God is demonstrated in their actions by helping others, doing ones good turn daily. It is practical religion. IIRC, the word faith wasnt part of the descriptio, it was a scouts deeds by which they demonstrated this virtue.

If the new regulation is as described, I can comply by asking a Scout during a SM conf "tell me about some of the good deeds you have done since we last talked."

Sentinel947 · April 15, 2015

I'll withhold my judgment till the meeting in May. It won't really change my Scoutmaster conferences. I discuss duty to God, Country, Self, Family whatever when I discuss Scout Spirit with my Scouts.

MattR · April 15, 2015

This just seems like one more in a long line of micromanaging the program. Instead of helping leaders understand how to make the patrol method work we get JTE. Instead of helping us have a discussion that could honestly help a boy grow we get a vague check box. I would certainly like more guidance but I'm not seeing that.

Some leaders will do well by this and some will abuse it. For the obvious situations most leaders will know how to handle it but there will certainly be cases where they are ill prepared. Unfortunately, the boys with the most to gain will likely be the ones that are hurt by this. It doesn't matter if it's Brave or Reverent, if a boy says he's not sure an adult has a delicate situation to work with.

Gone · April 15, 2015

I see in typical BSA fashion, they use the word "God" but fail to define "God".

So the enterprising non-believer will simply define "God" on his own and then tell how he served that duty.

Unless the BSA Police are out and about in every SMC I don't see them enforcing this one.

scoutldr · April 15, 2015

Gotta wonder who is pushing National with this agenda. I am with the others who are puzzled as to why this point of the Oath/Law is deserving of more attention than the others.

moosetracker · April 15, 2015

Mozartbrau - I am not concerned with the scout leaders who ignore this and do not discuss "duty to God" in a SM conference.. Or those who correctly accept scouts who do not have well defined concepts, but are just open and questioning and in search on this topic.. I am more concerned with the gung-ho religious person who feels their interpretation on religion is the only correct viewpoint, or at least people should be church-goers even if not their religion.

I went back to look up the CS new requirements.. Be happy that at troop level you have just the SM conference.. Here are the requirements of each rank, some of it looks more like sunday school then Cub Scouts.

Tiger - My Familyâ€™s Faith