Webelos Requirements about Faith

As with the other Cub Scout Ranks, Webelos have some requirements related to faith they must complete before earning their rank. The Full Webelos Requirements are listed here, or in the Webelos Handbook.

A Webelos Scout has two options. They can earn the age appropriate religious emblem from their faith, or they can pick any two of the following:

• Attend the mosque, church, synagogue, temple, or other religious organization of your choice; talk with your religious leader about your beliefs. Tell your family and your Webelos den leader what you learned.
• Discuss with your family and your Webelos den leader how your religious beliefs fit in with the Scout Oath and Scout Law and what character-building traits your religious beliefs have in common with the Scout Oath and Scout Law.
• With your religious leader, discuss and make a plan to do two things you think will help you draw nearer to God. Do these things for a month
• For at least a month, pray or meditate reverently each day as taught by your family and by your church, temple, mosque, synagogue, or religious group.
• Under the direction of your religious leader, do an act of service for someone else. Talk about your service with your family and your Webelos den leader. Tell them how it made you feel.
• List at least two ways you believe you have lived according to your religious beliefs.

Again, these are all areas that a Den Leader or Cubmaster should tread carefully. When it is something specifically faith related, in many cases a parent and/or a religious leader should be the one to work with them. 

A few notable exceptions are mentioned here, where it specifically tells the boy to talk about it with a Den Leader. The scout is not only asked to learn about their faith, but also be able to tie it back into the Scout Oath and Law, and asked to tell the den leader about what they learned. This represents the fact that the boys are growing older, more mature, and start understanding that these ideas from different parts of their life tie together.

After either earning the Religious Emblem of their faith, or doing two of the choices above, they are asked to do the following, as part of the Character Connections: Faith

• Know: Tell what you have learned about faith.
• Commit: Tell how these faith experiences help you live your duty to God. Name one faith practice that you will continue to do in the future.
• Practice: After doing these requirements, tell what you have learned about your beliefs.

Bear Requirements about Faith

Bear Cub Scouts Have to do one of two faith-related requirements to earn their Bear Rank.

One Option is to earn the Religious Emblem for their faith. The details of this will vary depending on what church the Bear Cub Scout's family attends, and what Religious Emblem program they use. (if any)

The second option is to complete requirement 1: Ways We Worship

(Bear Handbook - Page 26)

Complete both requirements.

• a. Complete the Character Connection for Faith.
• Know. Name some people in history who have shown great faith. Discuss with an adult how faith has been important at a particular point in his or her life.
• Commit. Discuss with an adult how having faith and hope will help you in your life, and also discuss some ways that you can strengthen your faith.
• Practice. Practice your faith as you are taught in your home, church, synagogue, mosque, or religious fellowship.
• b. Make a list of things you can do this week to practice your religion as you are taught in your home, church, synagogue, mosque, or other religious community. Check them off your list as you complete them.

As with most Cub Scout faith-related requirements, this is typically done with the parent, not during den meetings. 

Some of the things parents might do with their son to practice their religion include Daily Prayers, Bible Reading, or doing service for others.

Wolf Duty to God Requirements

As part of the Wolf Requirements, a Cub Scout is expected to do Requirement 12: Duty to God.

• a. Complete the Character Connection for Faith.
• Know. What is "faith"? With your family, discuss some people who have shown their faith - who have shown an inner strength based on their trust in a higher power or cause. Discuss the good qualities of these people.
• Commit. Discuss these questions with your family: What problems did these faithful people overcome to follow or practice their beliefs? What challenges might you face in doing your duty to God? Who can help you with these challenges?
• Practice. Practice your faith while doing the requirements for "Duty to God."
• b. Talk with your family about what they believe is their duty to God.
• c. Give two ideas on how you can practice or demonstrate your religious beliefs. Choose one and do it.
• d. Find out how you can help your church, synagogue, mosque, temple, or religious fellowship.

This is an excellent opportunity for a cub scout to work with his parents to learn about service, tithing, and other obligations one has to your church. 

From a Christian perspective, there are a number of stories that would go into the theme of faith very well. Noah building the Ark and David and Goliath come to mind as examples that kids might already be aware of, but there are probably hundreds more that a parent could select from.

Also, finding out how to help the church is an excellent opportunity. I would advise parents to not simply pick out something for their son, but to go with them to talk to the Sunday school teacher, pastor, or someone else to  explore how they could help.

Tiger Cub - Character Connections: Faith

Character Connections - Faith

• Know: Discuss things about the weather that you know to be true, but you cannot see at the moment, such as is the sun still there although you only see clouds? Is the moon there, even though it is day? Can you see wind? Do you know that the rain will eventually stop? Do you have faith in other things you can't see?
• Commit: What makes it difficult to believe in things you cannot see? What helps you to develop faith?
• Practice: Do requirement 5F. (Go outside and watch the weather)

Tiger cubs are among the youngest of scouts. an in depth conversation about faith would be a difficult one for them to handle. This requirement is an excellent one for them to work on with a parent, and it gives the parent an opportunity to discuss the family's faith with their son.

A bible verse that a parent may want to refer to in this conversation is: 

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." -  Hebrews 11:1 (NIV)