Religious emblems programs (Boy Scouts of America)

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Religious emblem
Knot for Adult Religious Emblem Knot for Youth Religious Emblem Devices for Youth Religious Emblem
Award data
Country	United States of America
Created	1926
Awarded for	To encourage members to grow stronger in their faith
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A variety of religious emblems programs are used by the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) to encourage youth to learn about their faith and to recognize adults who provide significant service to youth in a religious environment. These religious programs are created, administered and awarded by the various religious groups, not the BSA, but each program must be recognized by the BSA.

Contents 1 Award 2 Origins 3 Program approval 3.1 Programs of Religious Activities with Youth 3.2 Smaller programs 4 Approved programs and awards 5 Other decorations 6 Unitarian Universalist Association 7 See also 8 Footnotes

[edit] Award

The award given by the religious organization consists of a unique medal for each program— usually only worn on formal occasions. The award is also recognized by the wear of an embroidered square knot emblem— silver on purple for youth and purple on silver for adults. The knot emblem is universal in that it does not represent any specific religion or religious award program. Each medal is designed and produced by the religious institution, while the knot emblems are produced by the BSA. Many Protestant churches use the God and Country program series consisting of God and Me, God and Family, God and Church and God and Life; although they use the same program, the medals are unique in design according to each denomination.

The youth religious knot may be further identified as to level by the wear of a miniature pin-on device. The first-level program is identified by the Cub Scout device and the second by the Webelos device. The third-level uses the Boy Scout device. The fourth-level program for Venturers, senior Boy Scouts and senior Varsity Scouts is recognized by the use of the Venturer device, regardless of the program division of the youth.^[1]

[edit] Origins

The Scout Law states in part: "A Scout is reverent. He is reverent toward God. He is faithful in his religious duties and respects the convictions of others in matters of custom and religion."^[2] The BSA "Declaration of Religious Principle" states that "no member can grow into the best kind of citizen without recognizing an obligation of 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."^[3]

The first religious recognition program for Scouts began in 1926 when the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles began the Ad Altare Dei for altar boys who were Boy Scouts.^[4] The program was expanded nationally in 1939 and the BSA approved the medal for uniform wear.

The first Protestant religious emblem program was established in 1943 by the Lutheran church as Pro Deo Et Patria.^[5] The Jewish Ner Tamid program began in 1944 and the God and Country program used by several Protestant denominations followed in 1954. As of 2007 there are over 35 religious groups represented by over 75 recognized emblems. The knot for the youth emblems was introduced in 1971 and for the adult emblems in 1973.^[6]

[edit] Program approval

Prior to 1993, the BSA simply reviewed the programs developed by each faith. After requests for new awards in 1993, the BSA established a policy statement outlining requirements for recognition.^[7] To gain recognition, a proposed program must be approved by the BSA Religious Relationships Committee, the religious organization must charter at least 25 units, and the program must have a national scope. The medal or badge design must also be approved and must be different from the emblems of other programs.

[edit] Programs of Religious Activities with Youth

Programs of Religious Activities with Youth, more commonly known as P.R.A.Y., is a not-for-profit organization that administers a series of religious recognitions programs that may be used by agencies such as the BSA, Girl Scouts of the USA, Camp Fire USA, American Heritage Girls, and other youth groups.^[8]

P.R.A.Y. consists of a national board and a business office. The national board of directors is a Christian organization with representatives from churches and national youth agencies. The board develops the curriculum and establishes guidelines for the God and Country religious awards program used by many Protestant churches.^[9] The P.R.A.Y. business office processes orders for the medals and reference materials used in the God and Country program and the programs of other religious organizations.

Other religious organizations have requested that the P.R.A.Y. business office administer their awards since they handle religious recognitions orders on a full-time basis. The requests are taken to the board of directors for consideration on a case-by-case basis. The religious organizations which contract with the P.R.A.Y. business office retain all responsibility for curriculum development and establishing program guidelines, and the P.R.A.Y. business office processes their orders. Thus, P.R.A.Y. has become an interfaith resource.

Each agency such as the BSA determines which P.R.A.Y.-administered programs meet their standards before giving their recognition. All of the BSA recognized programs are listed through P.R.A.Y.

[edit] Smaller programs

The Covenant of the Goddess is one of the oldest and largest cross-traditional groups among Wiccans and neopagans. In the early 1990s, they created the Over the Moon and the Hart and Crescent programs for youth and the Distinguished Youth Service Award for adults.^[10] The Covenant of the Goddess approached the BSA for recognition of these programs. The BSA declined and later adopted the policy requiring that a religious group must first charter at least 25 BSA units before its religious awards program may be recognized. P.R.A.Y. currently does not list any of the Covenant of the Goddess religious programs.

[edit] Approved programs and awards

The following awards are recognized by the BSA and the religious emblems knot may be worn upon completion of the program.^[11]

Faith Proponent association	Cub Scout	Webelos Scout	Boy Scout Varsity Scout	Venturer senior Boy Scout senior Varsity Scout	Adult recognition
African Methodist Episcopal Church P.R.A.Y.	God and Me	God and Family	God and Church	God and Life	God and Service
African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church P.R.A.Y.	God and Me	God and Family	God and Church	God and Life	God and Service
Armenian Apostolic Church of America (Western Prelacy)	none		Saint Mesrob		none
Armenian Church of America (Eastern Diocese)	Saint Gregory		Ararat		none
Baha'i Baha'i Committee on Scouting[12]	Unity of Mankind				Service to Humanity
Baptist P.R.A.Y., Association of Baptists for Scouting[13]	God and Me	God and Family	God and Church	God and Life	Good Shepherd
Buddhist National Buddhist Committee on Scouting[14]	Metta		Sangha		Bodhi
Catholic, Eastern National Catholic Committee on Scouting[15]	Light of Christ (Tigers and Wolves)	Parvuli Dei (Bears and Webelos)	Light Is Life	Pope Pius XII	Saint George
Catholic, Roman National Catholic Committee on Scouting	Light of Christ (Tigers and Wolves)	Parvuli Dei (Bears and Webelos)	Ad Altare Dei	Pope Pius XII	Saint George
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) P.R.A.Y.	God and Me	God and Family	God and Church	God and Life	God and Service
Christian Methodist Episcopal Church P.R.A.Y.	God and Me	God and Family	God and Church	God and Life	God and Service
Church of Christ, Scientist P.R.A.Y.	God and Country				God and Service
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Boy Scouts of America LDS Relationships[16]	Faith in God		On My Honor
Churches of Christ Members of Churches of Christ for Scouting[17]	Loving Servant	Joyful Servant	Good Servant		Faithful Servant
Community of Christ World Community Program[18]	none	Light of the World	Path of the Disciple	Exploring Community Together	International Youth Service Award
Eastern Orthodox Eastern Orthodox Committee on Scouting[19]	Saint George	Chi Rho	Alpha Omega		Prophet Elias
Episcopal National Episcopal Scouters Association[20]	God and Me	God and Family	God and Church	God and Life	Saint George Episcopal
General Church of the New Jerusalem (The New Church) Boy Scout Relations Committee	Ten Commandments Award		Open Word Award
Hindu North American Hindu Association[21]	Dharma		Dharma Karma	Dharma	Saathi/Bhakta
Islamic National Islamic Committee on Scouting	Bismillah		In the Name of God		Allaho Akber
Jewish National Jewish Committee on Scouting[22]	Maccabee / Aleph	Aleph	Ner Tamid	Etz Chaim	Shofar
Lutheran National Lutheran Association on Scouting[23]	God and Me	God and Family	God and Church	God and Life	Lamb
Meher Baba Committee for Meher Baba and Scouting	Love for God		Compassionate Father		The Ancient One
Moravian Church	none		God and Country		The Order of David Zeisberger
Polish National Catholic Church	Love of God (Milosc Boga)		God and Country (Bog I Ojczyzna)		Bishop Thaddeus F. Zielinski
Presbyterian Church in America P.R.A.Y.	God and Me	God and Family	God and Church	God and Life	God and Service
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) National Association of Presbyterian Scouters[24]	God and Me	God and Family	God and Church	God and Life	God and Service
Protestant and Independent Christian Churches * P.R.A.Y.	God and Me	God and Family	God and Church	God and Life	God and Service
Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) Friends Committee on Scouting[25]	That of God		Spirit of Truth		Friends
The Salvation Army	God and Me	God and Family Silver Crest	God and Church	God and Life	Scouter's Award
United Church of Christ P.R.A.Y.	God and Me	God and Family	God and Church	God and Life	God and Service
United Methodist National Association of United Methodist Scouters[26]	God and Me	God and Family	God and Church	God and Life	God and Service
United Pentecostal Church International	God and Me	God and Family	God and Church	God and Life	God and Service
Unity Churches	none	God in Me	Light of God	none	Distinguished Youth Service
Zoroastrian	none		Good Life		none

*This includes: Assemblies of God, Church of the Brethren, Christian and Missionary Alliance, Church of God, Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Mennonite, Church of the Nazarene, Pentecostal, Reformed, Seventh-day Adventist, United Church of Christ and Wesleyan churches.

While optional, the programs may be used to fulfill certain requirements of the Cub Scout Bear and Webelos ranks, the Venturing Religious Life Bronze Award and the Venturing TRUST Award.^{[27][28][29][30]} Instruction for these programs is provided by the religious organization; unit leaders are involved only if they are also part of the religious organization. Many of the religious programs involve the youth's parents.

Many of the religious organizations also have awards for adult BSA members; however, these awards are almost always recognition for service to the religion within Scouting. The adults are nominated for the award; they do not go through a program.

[edit] Other decorations

P.R.A.Y. has developed several other awards that are not specifically recognized by the BSA. Mentors may be recognized by a pin or pendant that may be worn on non-Scouting apparel.^[31] There is also a four-star recognition pin for youth who have earned all four levels of their program. Other groups may have similar awards for individuals and units that are not listed through P.R.A.Y. If approved by the local council, they may be worn as temporary insignia on the right pocket of the Scout uniform.

[edit] Unitarian Universalist Association

Further information: Unitarian Universalist Association

As of 2008, the Religion in Life program of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), a liberal religious association of Unitarian Universalist congregations, is the only religious emblem program listed through P.R.A.Y. that is not recognized by the BSA.

The UUA published statements opposing the BSA's policies on homosexuals, atheists and agnostics in 1992; and in 1993, the UUA updated Religion in Life to include criticism of these BSA policies.^[32] In 1998, the BSA withdrew recognition of Religion in Life, stating that such information was incompatible with BSA programs. The UUA removed the material from their curriculum and the BSA renewed their recognition of the program. When the BSA found that the UUA was issuing supplemental material with the Religion in Life workbooks that included statements critical of discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or personal religious viewpoint, the BSA again withdrew recognition.^[33]

The Unitarian Universalist Scouters Organization (UUSO) created the "Living Your Religion" program in May 2005 as a parallel award for Unitarian Universalist Boy Scouts.^[34] It was announced by P.R.A.Y. that the BSA had accepted the Living your Religion award although the program is not listed by P.R.A.Y. The program was promoted at the 2005 National Scout Jamboree and shown as having BSA approval in the UUSO membership brochure and the Living Your Religion Guidebook.^{[35][36][37][38]} The UUA has stated that the UUSO is not recognized as an affiliate organization.^[39][40]As of March 2006, the UUSO has a stated goal to create a set of awards that are recognized by the UUA and BSA.^[34] The UUA released the "Religion and Family" program for Webelos Scouts in February 2008, but this has not yet been recognized by the BSA.

[edit] See also

• Religion in Scouting
• Scout Sunday or Scout Sabbath
• Scout vespers

[edit] Footnotes