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Venturer Crew Leader Script
A Presentation by Unit Leaders to Venture
Crew Members and their
Parents
Considerations for presenting the religious emblems to your
unit:
- Make the presentation at a
meeting when parents will be present (if possible)
- 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 members who have earned
their religious emblems to talk to your crew
- 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.
Resources:
-
- Video “Promoting Duty to God
(Religious Emblems)” No. 05-883 – Available from your council library;
may be viewed on the P.R.A.Y. web site at www.praypub.org
- Duty to God brochure (No.
5-879D) – Available from your local council (your council may
order these brochures from BSA National Religious
Relationships); also available in printable from at
www.praypub.org
- "Dear Parent" Handout -
Available at www.praypub.org
- Post the address to the
P.R.A.Y. web site (for information on religious emblems):
www.praypub.org
- Square knot and “devices” for
display (optional)
- Display medals and sample
booklets (optional)
- “Resources for Promoting
Duty to God” DVD – This DVD contains all the above resources
(including the video) and is available for sale on the
P.R.A.Y. web site at www.praypub.org
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. Introduce the connection between religious emblems and the
Scouting program. Hold up the “Duty to God” brochure for
everybody to see. Then say, “The title of this brochure is
‘Duty to God.’ What is it referring to? [Venture members
should reply that it’s referring to the Venturing Oath; also to
the Venturing Code]
Slide 3. Ask
all Venturers to stand and join in the Venturing Oath: “As a
Venturer, I promise to do my duty to God and help strengthen
America, to help others, and to seek truth, fairness, and
adventure in our world.” Continue by saying, “The
Venturing Code says, ‘As a Venturer, I believe that America’s
strength lies in our trust in God…’ How can you show your
trust in God? Allow Venturers to volunteer answers.
Then explain: “One way that
Venturers can show their reverence to God is to earn the
religious emblem of their faith and to wear the award 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,
When you earn your religious emblem, the badge you wear
indicates much more than achievement: it indicates who you are
and what you believe. It shows your Duty to God. I challenge all
our Venturers to earn their religious emblem. ”
Slide 5. Explain the universal religious square knot. “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 even carries up to the adult uniform).”
Slide 6. Explain that most religious emblems programs have more than one
level. “If you are a male Venturer and
have earned your religious emblem as a Cub Scout, Webelos Scout,
or Boy Scout and you have already received your religious square
knot, it doesn’t mean that you are through. Most religious
programs have more than one level. You can go on and earn
another award as a Venturer. When you earn more than one
religious award, you pin a special device in your square knot to
show that you have earned your religious award at different
levels. If you are a female member or a male that hasn’t earned
a religious award, now is the time to start.”
Slide 7. Point
out that the religious emblems are part of the Religious Life
Bronze Award and also part of the special Trust Award.
“The religious emblems count toward the
Religious Life Bronze Award and also the special Trust Award.
Both awards have options to earn your denomination’s
Venturing-age religious award.”
Slide 8. Explain that the Advisor is not the instructor for the religious
emblems. These are enhancement programs. Parents and guardians
will help decide whether or not their Venturer 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 crew. We are of different
faiths and we belong to different congregations. Each Venturer
will earn the award for his or her own faith. These awards
provide opportunities for you to get to know your clergy better
and to be more involved with your congregation.”
Slide 9. 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
participant needs his or her own booklet to document
progress.
-
Some religions offer adult manuals for counselors
and mentors.
Step 2: Parents
and clergy should 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 10. 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 God and
Country program which is listed in the grid under “Protestant.”
Have the Venturers find out what the emblem for their faith
looks like. Be prepared for some not to know what religion or
denomination they are or not to be active in a religious
institution. Remind them that the religious emblems are optional
programs.
Slide 11. Help
the youth get started by setting a target date: “Let’s set
our first goal together as a crew. The important thing is to get
started! I’d like everybody to talk to your 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. Then at our
next crew 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 12. 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 Venturers want to make that commitment
today? Please stand.
-
If
you ordered patches to distribute to your Venturers, 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 Venturers, 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 participants to order their own patches, 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 13. Conclude your presentation: “By
learning about religious emblems and making a commitment to Duty
to God, you are living up to your Venturing Oath. Thank you for
your attention. This concludes our presentation.”
14.
Continue to encourage your Venturers by setting goals and asking
about their progress. Try to find activities for your crew that will include all faiths. 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 Scouts to
experience pluralism.
15.
Religious emblems are presented to the Venturers by clergy, usually
in a worship service in the recipient’s congregation. Advisors should also plan to recognize the religious emblems
recipients in a special ceremony in the crew. Attend the
ceremony for each youth.
Please
duplicate.
P.R.A.Y. 8520
Mackenzie Road, Ste. 3, St. Louis, MO 63123-3413
1-800-933-7729 /
www.praypub.org |
