Religious award

[fgoodwin]

SWScouter writes:First, a girl earns the religious awards of her faith as a Girl Scout. If she then joins venturing, can't she wear the knot on her venturing uniform? Next, she becomes an adult and volunteers as a Scouter. Can't she now wear the knot on her uniform? It was my understanding that in both cases she could.Correct, according to the Uniforma and Insignia Guide:

 

page 3, under Special Regulations, "Badges of other Organizations."

 

"The Boy Scouts of America recognizes the religious emblems program, which belongs to each faith group. Anyone (youth or adult) who, as a member of another youth agency (e.g., Girl Scouts of the USA, Campfire Boys and Girls, a Sunday School class, etc.), has earned the religious emblem of their faith is eligible to wear the approved religious emblem on their respective uniform. Individuals would also be eligible to wear the religious square knot, without any device."

 

Thanx to Dr. Lawrence Ray Smith for pointing this out to me.

 

Fred G.

 

[Torveaux]

The big reason for that is simple:

 

Those approved religious programs usually have the same requirements for other organizations. I have 2 boys and 2 girls. I have noticed that while the paperwork is different, the requirements are the same.

 

On a side note: If the UU does not agree with Scouting's principles, why would they want to participate? If the boy is firm in his beliefs as a UU member, I would think another organization would be more to his liking.

 

As for wearing an unauthorized device, I would have to ask which Scouting value does that represent? Honesty? Respect?

[johndaigler]

Torveaux,

 

I'm curious about:

 

"As for wearing an unauthorized device, I would have to ask which Scouting value does that represent? Honesty? Respect?"

 

jd

 

 

[packsaddle]

jd, are you referring to the 13th and 14th points of the scout law?

 

Torveaux, the religious award is not a BSA award and therefore not subject to BSA approval. BSA merely no longer recognizes the UUA religious award and therefore it is not officially allowed on the scout uniform.

 

Hint, Hint.....if anyone would like to jump in at this time and bring some recent news to the forum, that would be just great. But that's just a hint.

 

I would note that the UUA probably agrees with many of the so-called 'scouting principles' but not with the policy toward gays. This is also a conflict with other faiths. The unique situation here is that the UUA actually wrote their objection in THEIR religous award materials and BSA, unable to stop them, decided to take it out on the boys.

This quite possibly has nothing whatsoever to do with a boy's individual belief. In fact the UUA supports a boy's right to come to his own personal ideas about these things. BSA responded to the UUA and NOT to any boy's personal statement of belief.

For the sake of argument let's hypothesize that the boy is NOT firm in his adherence to the UUA view. He could be a UUA youth and be in complete agreement with BSA on all this. He would still suffer the BSA penalty.

[fgoodwin]

Just received my 1Q05 newsletter from P.R.A.Y., and it says BSA has just approved "a Unitarian" religious emblems program:

 

===================

 

Updates on Religious Emblems

 

A Unitarian program has been approved by BSA Religious Relationships. For more information, contact the Unitarian Universalist Scouting Organization, 847 Washington Street, Holliston, MA 01746 or call 508-429-7700.

 

===================

 

So far, no confirmation on the UUA webpage:

 

http://www.uua.org/news/scouts/

[Trevorum]

fgoodwin is correct.

 

Please see the spun thread for more information.