Considerations for presenting the religious awards to your troop:

• Notify parents and invite them to the meeting
• Provide information on all religious awards (do not assume that your girls will be of the same faith)
• Explain that Girl Scouting encourages girls to grow strong in faith and that Girl Scouting recognizes that religious instruction must come from families and faith communities
• Emphasize that each girl will earn the religious award for her own faith
• Ask an older Girl Scout who has earned her religious award to talk to your troop

Resources:

• “To Serve God” brochure

Religious Awards Presentation Script:

1. Hold up the brochure for everybody to see. Then say, “The title of this brochure is ‘To Serve God.” What does this title refer to?” (It refers to the Girl Scout Promise) “We hold up three fingers when we make the Girl Scout Promise because there are three parts to the promise. But the first part of the promise is the most important. We promise to “serve God.” One way a Girl Scout can “serve God” is to earn the religious award of her faith and to wear the award on her uniform. The religious awards are very special recognitions. Look at them. They are not like ordinary patches. They are special pins and medallions. You would make me very proud if you earned your religious award.”
    
2. Explain that the Girl Scout leader is not the instructor for the religious awards. These are optional programs. Parents and guardians will decide whether or not a girl participates in them. “Your parents and religious leaders will help you earn your religious award. This is not a badge we earn together as a troop. We are of different faiths and we belong to different congregations. Each girl needs to earn the award for her own faith. These awards are fun opportunities for you and your family to work on something together.”
    
3. Here’s how you get started on these programs [the following information is adapted from the To Serve God Brochure].
   
   First, you must obtain the specific booklet for your religion. This booklet will contain information on all the lessons and service projects that you will need to complete. Each of you will need your own booklet to document progress. Some religions also offer adult manuals for counselors and mentors. You can check with our council store to see if they stock these booklets, or you can contact the religious organization directly (addresses and phone numbers are listed on the To Serve God brochure).
   
   Second, parents must review the specific guidelines for their particular program: some programs require that the girl be an official “member” of the local religious institution, other programs may not. Age/grade requirements also vary from program to program. In addition, each program sets its own guidelines as to who may serve as counselor. Some programs require clergy to serve as counselor, others allow parents or other family members to serve as counselor. Parents must check specific eligibility guidelines!
   
   Third, families should talk to their religious leaders and show them the booklet before beginning any program. Most of the religious recognitions programs require that they be completed under the auspices of that religious organization, and many require the signature of the local religious leader.
   
   Fourth, you need to complete the requirements, obtain the proper signatures, and follow the instructions to order the recognition or pin. (These awards are not available in our Girl Scout store.)
    
4. Find out the religious affiliation for each girl and provide her with the name and address to obtain more information and/or to purchase the booklets. Please note that the Protestant churches (i.e. AME, Baptist, Christian, Episcopal, Lutheran, Presbyterian, UCC, Methodist, etc.) all use the God and Country program. Show her what the award for her faith looks like. Be prepared for some girls not to know what religion they are or not to be active in a religious institution. Remind girls that the religious awards are optional programs.
    
5. Help the girls get started by setting a target date: “Let’s set our first goal together as a troop. The important thing is to get started! Can everybody try to get a copy of her booklet and show it to her clergy by ________(date)? I’ll ask each of you to give a “progress report” to the troop at that time.
    
6. Continue to encourage your girls by setting goals and keeping track of their progress. Try to include some activities for your troop. Can you plan a joint field trip or service project related to the religious awards programs? Can you visit each other’s church, synagogue or temple? This would be a wonderful opportunity for the girls to experience pluralism. Plan now to recognize the religious award recipients in a special award ceremony.

Please duplicate.

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1-800-933-7729 / www.praypub.org