“A Scout is reverent. Be reverent toward God. Be faithful in your religious duties. Respect the beliefs of others.”

Duty to God is a cornerstone of the Scouting program. The Scout Oath begins with duty to God; the Scout Law ends with reverence. The BSA recognizes that religious instruction comes from the family and faith community.

As the BSA’s Declaration of Religious Principle states, “The Boy Scouts of America maintains that no member can grow into the best kind of citizen without recognizing an obligation to God and, therefore, recognizes the religious element in the training of the member, but it is absolutely nonsectarian in its attitude toward that religious training. Its policy is that the home and organization or group with which the member is connected shall give definite attention to religious life.”

P.R.A.Y. upholds Duty to God by 1) promoting the Protestant Christian religious emblems program and 2) encouraging churches to embrace scouting as ministry i.e., Faith Based Initiative (FBI).

“I can tell you personally that through programs such as PRAY, our Council’s youth retention is positively affected.”

The P.R.A.Y. Award is the linchpin connecting scouting and churches to benefit young people. The result is stronger youth, stronger families, stronger congregations, and stronger councils.