Religious Emblem approved for Unitarian Universalist youth!

[DanKroh]

hey pack, where does that leave us UU/Pagans? I guess we have a double whammy on us....

[Trevorum]

It HAS been a constant scrappy struggle. Two steps forward, one and a half back... (Fred, you may be correct - now that I think of it, you joined the committee just before the Jamboree, right?) In any event, there have been some maneuvering politics after the Vote. Ambivalance towards UU Scouts and residual feelings towards the UUA (possibly coupled with veiled obstructionism) has caused a frustrating inertia in getting the BSA and PRAY publications updated to reflect current reality. I hope that has now been overcome.

 

 

[packsaddle]

"hey pack, where does that leave us UU/Pagans?"

Heh, heh, I'm going to use my channeling skills [that I acquired by purchasing a 15-minute instructional video from the scientologists] and let you know the answer from Rooster7's vantage on the 'other side' of his micro-rapture - starting the Theremin music:

We..can..expect warmer..climes..in our..future..not..from..global...warming...

 

;)Not that either of us is worried about it...

 

[epalmer84]

Checking in on this issue, I find:

 

There is an agreement between the BSA and the UUSO. There is no date, so I don't know how old it is.

http://www.scouting.org/media/relationships/letters.aspx

 

P.R.A.Y. now shows the UUSO awards on the BSA list:

http://praypub.org/recognitions/boyscout.htm

 

But the GSUSA list shows the UUA awards, not the UUSO:

http://praypub.org/recognitions/girlscout.htm

 

P.R.A.Y. also has the 2008 update of the Duty to God brochure from the BSA #05-879 that lists the UUSO awards:

http://praypub.org/pdf_docs/DutytoGod2008.pdf

 

The UUSO awards are not listed on the BSA site:

http://scouting.org/applications//religiousawards.aspx

 

The UUSO sites still states "It is a goal of the UUSO to provide a fully recognized religious emblem program serving all ages and programs in the BSA."

http://www.uuscouters.org/awards.htm

 

So it appears that the awards are recognized, but the updates are slow.

 

Ed

 

PS: P.R.A.Y. has the numbers for all of the religious emblems awarded and for the BSA chartered organizations:

http://praypub.org/god_country/god_country_usage.htm

 

[Trevorum]

I never cease to be amazed at how slowly grind the wheels of bureaucracy. However, I am VERY glad to finally announce that the Unitarian Universalist (UU) religious award is now listed on the national BSA website. See http://www.scouting.org/applications/religiousawards.aspx

 

Unfortunately, some of the contact information is wrong, including the website and location for ordering pamphlets. That should be http://www.uuscouters.org/

 

Note that the BSA approved awards include Living Your Religion for Boy Scouts and Venturers aged 11-17 and the Religion and Family for Webelos aged 9-10. Approval of the Religion and Me award for Cub Scouts is in final review by the Religious Relationships Committee.

 

-trevorum

 

 

 

[Trevorum]

For those of you who are interested in the ongoing relationship between the BSA and us ever-troublesome Unitarians, BSA has now published a brochure in its outreach series for Unitarian Universalist potential chartering partners. It is listed on the BSA site (faiths are listed alphabetically - see bottom of page) at www.scouting.org/scoutsource/Membership/Charter_Partners/Religious.aspx

which also provides a link to the UUSO website. The bochure may be viewed at

 

http://www.scouting.org/filestore/membership/pdf/522-031_WB.pdf

 

 

-trevorum

[DeaconLance]

Trevorum writes: " As I have posted elsewhere, many organizations that sponsor religious awards progams have no offcial affiliation with the religious bodies they represent. For example, the National Catholic Committee on Scouting is not an official body of the Catholic Church - rather, it is a group of Catholic Scouters who want to serve Catholic youth."

 

Your statement regarding the National Catholic Committee on Scouting is incorrect. It is an official body of the Catholic Church founded by and under the oversight of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. The same is true of the Eastern Orthodox Committee on Scouting which was founded by and operates under the Standing Conference of the Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas.

 

 

[Trevorum]

Thank you for the correction.