One Meeting Scout

[Stosh]

My opening ceremony for each meeting opens with a brief devotion, kept short and generic.

 

My closing ceremony for each meeting closes with a brief but generic prayer.

 

This is what a CA is for. If a Buddist is my CA, I expect him to do the same thing as a Christian, Muslim or Jewish boy would do. Keep it brief, generic but related to their faith. The brief prayer at the end can be either silent or spoken.

 

Is it restricted only to the CA? Nope. My CA didn't show last night and one of the boys stepped up from the ranks and offered a closing prayer.

 

Over the top? Maybe, but no one has questioned the practice. If they do, it will be a good opportunity for my boys to learn about someone else's faith. I have had a couple of boys begin to be more active in their religious practice once they see it's okay for their buddies to be involved with theirs.

 

Our CO is the American Legion, not a religious organization.

 

Your mileage may vary,

 

Stosh

[SeattlePioneer]

The church doesn't provide religious direction for our program.

 

I'll work a grace before our Blue and Gold dinner, and we might have a short prayer into a pack meeting, but I'm guided by suggested Scouting prayers rather than the church program.

 

I described the idea of "duty to God" I used earlier:

 

1) encouraging youth to follow the religious traditions of their family

 

2) Respecting the religious beliefs and practices of other people.

 

 

That hasn't been getting me into hot water so far....

 

 

 

Seattle Pioneer

[JMHawkins]

Seattle Pioneer, I think those two concepts are perfect.

[qwazse]

I've had complaints that our unit is not reverent enough ... two replies:

1. What would you expect from a Presbyterian CO? Our ministers instigated the whiskey rebellion!

2. This is a youth-led movement. Is your boy ready to be our new CA?(See jblake's reply about how to use chaplain's aids.)

 

Of course, that's only to the ones who've commented. So, I suspect the one-meeting thing could be working the other way in my neck of the woods.

 

[SMT224]

Engineer61 -

 

Only one way to find out: ask 'em!

 

It may have been something totally unrelated to the prayer... or not.

 

 

 

[boomerscout]

a personal visit to the kid's house is worthwhile

1) What exactly was the problem? It may not have been the prayer. You'll never know without going to the source.

 

2) Has he joined another troop? If not, invite him back to yours. If they're not interested in Scouting at all, ask for the uniform for the uniform closet

[SSScout]

Yep. Gotta ask'em.

We had a Hindu family join our Troop. We are sponsored and meet in a Methodist church. They came regularly and the boy made friends. Came time for the first campout together, they tried real hard to make allowances for the family's dietary concerns, everybody ate vegetarian for the weekend! Unfortunately, they dropped out over the dietary thing. Their boy couldn't resist the temptation his Scout buddies represented. No religious conflict seen, as the boys handled all that. No adults to muck it up.

[Gunny2862]

It could be many things, but in regard to the one you've pointed out.

For almost any occasion that involves "saying grace" "praying for our food" our Troop defaults to the Philmont Grace and either the Chief cook for that meal or the CA or SPL leads. It does reference a Lord and utilize Amen but is fairly generic enough to avoid antagonizing most, while covering the Spiritual minimums of most also.

 

Currently we have an Anglo, Hispanic, Asian bent to our Troop so we do have some diversity along racial lines and we also have a fair amount of economic diversity. But if they come in looking for diversity, we try to approach things as though we are all "Tan" - the color of our Scout shirt uniforms.

[Alabama Scouter]

Perhaps the membership application was handed out too soon. We invite parents and prospective scout to visit with us for a few weeks. We invite Webelos scouts and parents to camp with us, and we give them a copy of our parents guide. We spell out that we are a Christian based troop, and we act on and follow our faith. No one is turned away, as long as they will sign the Statement of Faith that is on the back side of the first page of the membership application. We are protestants. We have Methodists, Catholics, and a Jew in our membership. They all participate and pray when called on. Their families were comfortable with how we follow our faith, and understood it before they joined. Being upfront has worked for us. If a scout or family is uncomfortable with how we work the program, to include our religious belief, it is better for both that they find a troop more suited to them.

[Scoutfish]

You may never evr know.

Religion is a funny thing ain't it?

 

I have been to many diferent churches and seen the most variety of peoples beliefs.

 

Some folks think women who wear pants will go to hell.

 

Some older gentlemen think a church that allows a woman to preach is actually the devil's church in disguise.

 

Some people think that if you are not in a 3 piece suit...then you are damned for disrespecting the Lord.

 

Some think music from musical instruments is the devils work.

 

I've seen people get highly upset from another person not bowing their head during prayer( never mind it meant they weren't bowing either!)

 

People get bent out of shape over one mispoken or ommited word.

 

Other are more relaxed in that they feel that as long as you are dressed, then it'sokay because ...well..If God created the entire univers in 7 days - then what can we possibly wear that will impress him?

 

Other think as lont as you pay your tithes, you are instantly cleared of any wrongdoing and have aticket to heaven.

 

Then you have those guys in the midwest who protest at military funerals and the ones who drink spiked soad and chase comets.

 

Sometimes a family will agree with and follow along with 99% of the program, but that one tiny thing sets them off.

 

 

WE used to go to a local Church of God for a while. Personal differences are why I do not go still, but it was a very cordial and respectful seperation. I have full respect to those who go there and still remain frinds with alot of them.

 

Anyways, you ever go to a Church of God? They do the whole stand up and speak in tongues because you feel touched sorta tghing.

 

Funny thing was...only the same 4 people felt touched each week and their "dialog" was exactly the same. If you recorded it, you'd understand what I'm saying.

 

So one week, a new family joined up. They met alot of the congregation, felt the same way over soooo many things. But didn't know about the speaking thing.

 

First time somebody stodd up during the sermon, that family exited. VERY FAST!

 

It was almost funny.

 

So, anyays, that family may have found one tiny thing, and that's all it took.(This message has been edited by scoutfish)

[ChaiAdventure]

I find it interesting that there are so many replies, yet we still do not know what is at the heart of this issue. All that was said was the boy and his family came and left....at the end of the opening prayer.

 

Unless someone talks to the boy or the parents, this could have been over a stomach ache, a house on fire, or a sudden message that they won the lottery and had a limited amount of time to pick up their earnings.

 

 

[SeattlePioneer]

In my February 8th post, I provided an example of a prospective Cub Scout parent asking about the role of religion in our pack, and thye reply I made.

 

As it happens, I called the parent a few days later, and she said she didn't want to join Cub Scouts now because they didn't have time for it now.

 

 

I will be sending additional invitations to join in the fall, when she wants to consider Cub Sciouting again.

 

So apparently my reply and our program policy to encourage Cub Scouts to follow their family religious tradition were not off putting in this case.