Religious Emblems Display Team Manual

Religious Emblems Display (RED) Teams are groups of speakers who make presentations on the religious emblems programs in order to increase the awareness of these programs at district and unit levels. RED Teams do not provide religious instruction. They provide information - information about the religious emblems of ALL faiths so that all Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts and Venturers will have the opportunity to earn an emblem of their own faith.

This manual has three objectives: to explain why leaders and youth members should be informed about the religious emblems programs; to explain how to build RED Teams; and to provide the presentation materials and resources for RED Teams.

Section 1: Rationale

At the heart of the Scouting movement is “Duty to God.” The Cub Scout Promise, Boy Scout Oath, and Venturing Oath all stress the importance of reverence toward God.

The religious emblems programs are key spiritual components of the Scouting movement. These programs have been created by the national religious organizations/committees. They help young people to become more active members of their own faith group and encourage spiritual development by providing specific religious instruction. These programs are overseen by and/or taught by religious leaders and administered by religious organizations, not by the Boy Scouts of America.

Religious emblems can play a vital role in the overall development of young people. Besides providing specific religious instruction, the religious emblems programs share many of the values that are integral to the Scouting program, e.g., service to the community, intergenerational relationships, friendship-making skills, and positive self-esteem. The religious emblems programs provide opportunities for young people to reinforce and internalize the values they have learned in Scouting and to relate them to their faith.

Research has shown that when young people are involved in both a religious organization and a civic youth organization, the number of positive assets increases while their at-risk behaviors decrease. Search Institute of Minneapolis, Minnesota, has identified 40 developmental assets that are essential for a child’s healthy development. One of these assets is involvement in the religious community. Local Scout councils can turn to the religious emblems programs to help develop this asset for youth. The religious emblems programs will involve multiple sectors of the community: the religious institution, the family, and the local council. The more places that deliver the same message and teach the same values to youth, the stronger the youth will be.

Section 2: Building a Religious Emblems Display Team

The following items need to be taken into consideration when building a council/district RED Team:

1. Establish who the council support person will be.

If your council already has a staff person responsible for developing religious relationships, that staff member could also be the support person to the RED Team. Councils with large memberships or large geographic territories might want to consider dividing this responsibility among several staff members.

2. Determine how many RED Teams will be needed.

Small councils may need only one RED Team to serve the entire council. Larger councils may need several RED Teams to cover specific geographic areas. Council membership and geographic territory will be determining factors for this decision.

3. Establish a budget.

The budget for the RED Team will include the following items:

  • Sample curriculum booklets and recognition items. Having actual booklets and recognition items is an effective way to promote the religious programs. Initially, this could be a small sampling of medals and booklets, but make it part of the budget to increase your display materials to include as many faiths as possible. Contact the appropriate faith groups to purchase these materials. Decide how many sets will be needed.

  • A display case (for the sample recognition items). This can be a simple shadow box or a larger tabletop display. 
    · Printing of business cards for RED Team members.

  • Printing of the Interfaith Quick Reference Chart, Frequently Asked Questions and other brochures.

4. Recruit members for the RED Team.

  • Develop a position description for RED Team speakers (see Sample Position Description in the appendix).

  • Be intentional about recruiting representatives from the various faith groups.

  • Identify adults who have received an adult religious recognition. These adults have already demonstrated outstanding service to Scouting and their religious institution and may be potential RED Team members.

  • Identify older youth who have earned the religious emblem of their faith. Involve them in a youth/adult partnership with the RED Team.

  • Identify parents (whose children have earned a religious emblem). Parents who can speak from experience and who have had a positive experience with the program can make good spokespersons for the RED Team.

  • Identify potential team members via requests through district meetings and through the council newsletter.

5. Resources available to the District’s RED Team.

  • Local council relationships committee

  • Local council religious relationships committee

  • P.R.A.Y. – Programs of Religious Activities for Youth, a non-profit organization based in St. Louis, Missouri. 800-933-PRAY.

  • P.R.A.Y. will provide Red Teams with:
  • Startup kit

  • RED Team updates and news bulletins

  • Free subscription to Youthscope, P.R.A.Y.’s quarterly newsletter
  • Scouter associations and committees of various denominations (See Interfaith Quick Reference Chart for “WWW” addresses.)

6. Develop a presentation calendar.

Develop a calendar to keep track of presentation requests, schedule the display case and order necessary handouts and materials.

7. Publicize the RED Team.

The RED Team can be effective only if others know about it. Use a variety of ways to introduce the RED Team:

  • Write articles for the council newsletter (see sample article in appendix).

  • Make announcements at district meetings.

  • Talk to unit (pack/troop/crew) leaders – get invited to Cub Scout pack meetings and Boy Scout courts of honor (in order to contact the largest number of boys with parents present).

  • Arrange to display the religious emblems at roundtables, program fairs, camporees, pow wows and other appropriate events.

  • Work with the council staff adviser to identify potential opportunities for making presentations and contact appropriate persons to schedule presentations.
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