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Religious
Emblems Presentation Script:
A
Presentation by Unit Leaders to Cub Scouts and their Parents
Considerations for presenting the religious emblems to your
unit:
·
Make the
presentation at a meeting when parents will be present
·
Provide
information on all religious emblems (do not assume that your
youth members will be of the same faith)
·
Explain that
the Scouting program encourages “Duty to God”
·
Emphasize
that young people will earn the religious emblem for their
particular faith
·
Ask older
Scouts who have earned their religious emblems to talk to your
unit
·
Preview the
requirements for the “Duty to God Promotion Patch” at
www.praypub.org and decide whether you will pre-order these
patches for your participants, both youth and adults.
Religious
Emblems Presentation Script:
Slide 1.
Welcome your group: “Welcome to our presentation on religious
emblems. We’re going to tell you all about religious emblems,
but more importantly, we’re going to challenge you to earn the
religious emblem of your faith.”
Slide 2.
Ask all Cub Scouts to stand. Then say, “Parents, please
listen very carefully to what your child is about to say. Cub
Scouts, please join together in saying the Cub Scout Promise:
I promise to do my best, To do my duty to God and my country, To
help other people, and To obey the Law of the pack. Thank
you. Please be seated.”
Slide 3.
Explain how the religious emblems are connected to the scouting
program and how important they are. Hold up the “Duty to God”
brochure for everybody to see. Then say, “The title of this
brochure is ‘Duty to God.’ You just heard your child say these
very words, and it was a promise to do his Duty to God. One way
that Cub Scouts can show their Duty to God is to earn the
religious emblem of their faith and to wear the emblem on their
uniform. The video you are about to see will talk about the
importance of the religious emblems.”
Slide 4.
Show video, “Promoting Duty to God (Religious Emblems).” After
watching the video continue by saying, “Religious emblems are
very special. When your Cub Scout wears his religious emblem on
his uniform, it tells who he is and what he believes. It shows
his duty to God. We would be very proud if our Cub Scouts earned
their religious emblems.”
Slide 5.
Explain the universal religious square knot. “Boys, when you
earn your religious emblem, you also earn the right to wear the
universal religious square knot. This knot will always be on
your uniform (it carries up to your Boy Scout uniform, even to
your adult uniform).”
Slide 6.
Explain that most religious emblems programs have more than one
level. “After you have earned your religious emblem as a Cub
Scout and have received your religious square knot, it doesn’t
mean that you are through. Most religious programs have more
than one level. Check to see if your program offers an emblem
for Webelos Scouts. When you earn more than one religious
emblem, you may pin a special device in your square knot to show
that you have earned your religious emblem at different levels.
Slide 7.
Explain that the Cub Scout leader is not the instructor for the
religious emblems. These are enhancement programs. Parents and
guardians will decide whether or not their boy participates in
these programs. “Your parents and religious leaders will help
you earn your religious emblem. This is not a badge we earn
together as a Cub Scout Pack. We are of different faiths and we
belong to different congregations. Each Cub Scout will earn the
emblem for his own faith. These emblems are fun opportunities
for you and your family to work on something together.”
Slide 8.
Here’s how you get started on these programs: There are four
basic steps:
Step 1:
Youth members must obtain the specific booklet for their
religion.
·
Use the
“Duty to God” brochure to identify the program for your faith
·
Check with
your council store or contact the religious organization
directly.
·
Each Cub
Scout needs his own booklet to document progress.
·
Some
religions offer adult manuals for counselors and mentors.
Step 2:
Parents must review the program guidelines.
·
Some
programs require participants to be official “members” of the
religious institution.
·
Age/grade
requirements vary from program to program.
·
Each program
sets its own guidelines as to who may serve as counselor. Some
programs require clergy to serve as counselors; other programs
allow parents or other family members to serve as counselors.
Step 3:
Families should talk to their religious leaders and show them
the booklet before beginning any program
·
Most
programs require that they be completed under the auspices of
that religious organization.
·
Many
programs require the signature of the local religious leader.
Step 4: The
youth member needs to complete the requirements, obtain the
proper signatures, and follow the instructions to order the
emblem.
·
These
emblems are not available from your local council store (follow
instructions in your booklet).
·
The emblem
should be presented in a meaningful ceremony, preferably in the
member’s religious institution.
·
The award
can be presented at anytime of the year. Boy Scout
Sunday/Sabbath in February is a perfect time to recognize
recipients.
Slide 9.
Distribute the Duty to God grid and/or the “Dear Parent”
handout. “The Duty to God grid provides the name and address
of where to obtain more information and/or to purchase the
booklets. The “Dear Parent” handout is a short summary of how to
get started on the programs. It also provides space for you to
copy the contact information” (if copies of the grid are not
provided). Please note that most of the Protestant,
independent, and non-denominational churches use the P.R.A.Y.
program which is listed in the grid under “Protestant.” Show
the boys what the emblem for their faith looks like. Be prepared
for some boys not to know what religion or denomination they are
or not to be active in a religious institution. Remind boys that
the religious emblems are optional programs.
Slide 10.
Encourage the boys to talk to their parents and religious
leaders about earning a religious emblem for their faith. Help
the boys get started by setting a target date: “Let’s set our
first goal together as a Pack. I’d like everybody to talk to
their parents and clergy about earning a religious emblem.
Together decide whether or not you will earn your religious
emblem, and if so, get the booklet and talk about setting up a
schedule to earn it. At our next Pack meeting on ________
(date), I want to find out how many of you decided to earn your
religious emblem. Even though this is a project that you will be
doing with your family and clergy, I am interested in your
progress and will encourage you to complete it.”
Slide 11.
Explain the special Duty to God patch: “I have a special
announcement about a Duty to God Promotion Patch. This patch is
for youth or adults who 1) learn about religious emblems, and
then 2) make a commitment to Duty to God. Because you are here
today at this presentation, and are taking information about
religious emblems to show your parents, you have fulfilled the
first requirement for this patch. The second requirement is
making a commitment. You may commit to earning your religious
emblem, helping younger Scouts earn theirs, making a
presentation on religious emblems to another unit, etc. How many
Cub Scouts want to make that commitment today? Please stand.
·
If you
ordered patches to distribute to your Cub Scouts, hand them out
now: “Congratulations on making a commitment to do your Duty
to God. Here is your Duty to God patch that shows you are
committed to earning your religious emblem.”
·
If you plan
on ordering patches for your Cub Scouts, make an announcement:
“Congratulations. You will be presented with a Duty to God
patch on _______(date). This will be a good reminder to fulfill
your Duty to God.”
·
If you want
each Cub Scout to order his own patch, distribute the order form
and make the following announcement: “Congratulations. Every
person standing is eligible to wear a Duty to God Promotion
patch. Here is an order form so that you can purchase your own
patch.”
Briefly
describe the patch: “The Duty to God Promotion Patch is a
four-segment puzzle patch. You can only earn one segment a year.
Every year that you learn about the religious emblems or earn an
emblem or help make a presentation about them, you can earn the
next segment.”
Slide 12.
Conclude your presentation: “By learning about religious
emblems and making a commitment to Duty to God, you are living
up to your Cub Scout Promise. Thank you for your attention. This
concludes our presentation.”
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In the
coming weeks, continue to encourage your boys by setting
goals and asking about their progress. Try to include some
activities (for all faiths) for your Pack. Can you plan a
joint field trip or service project related to the religious
emblems programs? Can you visit each other’s church,
synagogue or temple? This would be a wonderful opportunity
for the boys to experience pluralism.
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Religious emblems are presented to the Scouts by clergy,
usually in a worship service in the recipient’s
congregation. Scout leaders should also plan to recognize
the religious emblems recipients and present the square knot
to them in a special ceremony at a Pack meeting.
Thank you
for promoting religious emblems!
P.R.A.Y.
1-800-933-7729 / www.praypub.org
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