The Scout Law Prayer

I came across something that some of you may wish to use with your scouts. It would be great at a Scouts Own Service, or a Scout Sunday.

Dear Lord, Bless all those everywhere who contribute to shape the hearts, minds and bodies of young people. Let us remember what they have taught and apply it daily.

When facing deceit and dishonesty, let us be Trustworthy.
If we see hypocrisy and faithlessness, let us be Loyal.
Where disregard of others and mere materialism prevail, let us be Helpful.
When we find people in despair, let us be Friendly.
In an atmosphere of ill manner, let us be Courteous.
Where some measure manliness in brutality and crudeness, let us be Kind.
Though lawbreaking and rule-scoffing are common, let us be Obedient.
While others grumble and grouch, let us be Cheerful.
In an environment blighted by waste and extravagance, let us be Thrifty.
When confronted with danger and temptation, let us be Brave.
As we see filth and pollution everywhere, let us be Clean.
While witnessing impiety, let us remember to be Reverent.

In short, in a world that has for generation after generation lamented the lack of good examples, let us, as Scouts, stand out, grow up, and be real adults.

Amen.

How to tread lightly while inquiring about a family's faith

One of the tricky parts about incorporating Faith into a Scouting program is that modern society has made it a taboo subject. For example, a Teacher would probably get fired if they asked everyone in their class what faith their family was.

While many families who are in a religion that is common in your area may speak about it casually, other families in a less mainstream faith might have a concern about bringing it up. 

At the website Scouting For God they suggest including it on a survey form, along with a number of other similar "Getting to know you" questions. For example:

• What activities are you involved in?    
• What religion does your family practice? If so, what church/temple/mosque do you attend?
• Do you have any food allergies? If so, what?  
• Do you have any food restrictions or preferences (e.g. vegetarian, non-beef, non-pork, vegan, kosher)?  
• Anything else that you want the Troop/Pack to know about you?

It can be a lot less confrontational to ask about it that way, along with a number of other questions that help you get to know the family and their needs better.

Clean

A Scout is Clean.
A Scout keeps his body and mind fit and clean. He chooses the company of those who live by high standards. He helps keep his home and community clean.


Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false, and does not swear deceitfully. He will receive blessing from the Lord, and vindication from the God of his salvation. (Psalm 24:3-5)

How can we make people of all faiths comfortable in Scouting?

At my first Cub Scout roundup for Pack 704, there was one father and son who waited until the end, and wanted to know if it was OK to join the pack, because they were Muslim. I hate to think that people of other faiths felt so out of place they felt the need to ask permission before joining us. 

I know, and you know that the BSA welcomes all faiths, but how good of a job are we doing as scouters displaying that message? Let's face it, the Scouting community is largely populated by Christians, probably more heavily than the general US population. 

If you look at the list of Chartered Organizations for the BSA, You will see a trend... From Largest to Smallest, it goes LDS (Mormon), Methodist, Catholic, Presbyterian, Baptist, Episcopal.... You have to get down to # 16 on the list before you see a non-Christian faith.

The problem isn't that so many Christians are involved in Scouting. That's a great thing, and I wish there were more churches involved in Scouting. The problem is that to many non-Christians, they do not feel comfortable in Scouting.

 

What are some ways that we can reach out and demonstrate to the community that we are open to all faiths?  

Jewish Religious Emblems

The National Jewish Committee on Scouting sponsors 4 youth awards, and 1 adult award. More information on each of these can be found at their website.

Maccabee Award - Tiger Cubs

Aleph Award - For Cub Scouts and Webelos

Ner Tamid for Boy Scouts and Venturers

Etz Chaim - For Older Boy Scouts and Venturers (14+)

Shofar - For Adult Leaders

If you have been around Scouting very long, you have probably heard the term: "Chartered Org Rep" or "COR". This person is supposed to be the main contact person for scouting within the chartering Organization. They would work with Packs, Troops or Crews.

First, let me give you the Official BSA version of what this position is about, then I'll make some observations.

Chartered Organization Representative

The chartered organization representative is the direct contact between the pack and the chartered organization. This individual is also the organization's contact with the district committee and the local council. The chartered organization representative may become a member of the district committee and is a voting member of the council. If the chartered organization has more than one unit, one representative serves them all.

Qualifications: Is at least 21 years old, subscribes to the Declaration of Religious Principle, and agrees to abide by the Scout Oath or Promise and the Scout Law. Possesses the moral, educational, and emotional qualities that the Boy Scouts of America deems necessary to afford positive leadership to youth. Is a member of the chartered organization other than the unit leader or assistant unit leader. Is appointed by the chartered organization to serve as its official Scouting representative and is registered as an adult leader of the BSA.

Responsibilities: The chartered organization representative's responsibilities are to

• Help select the right leadership for the unit.
• Encourage unit leaders and committee members to take training.
• Promote well-planned unit programs.
• Serve as a liaison between the units and the organization.
• Organize enough units.
• Promote the recruiting of new members.
• See that boys transition from unit to unit.
• Help with the charter renewal.
• Suggest Good Turns for the organization.
• Encourage the unit committee to hold meetings.
• Cultivate organization leaders.
• Encourage outdoor program activities.
• Emphasize advancement and recognition.
• Utilize district help and promote the use of district personnel and materials.
• Use approved unit finance policies.
• Encourage recognition of leaders.
• Cultivate resources to support the organization.
• Represent the organization at the council level.

As with many BSA positions and responsibilities, It doesn't always match what what happens in the real world. Many units have no Chartered Org Rep, or  have one on paper only because it is required for rechartering.

Even among those few Chartered Org Reps who are involved with their units, I know of none other than myself who are active within District or Council Committees.

The Biggest role that I see for a COR is to be a link between the Church and the Scouts. That means helping the scouts find service projects to benefit the church, and finding volunteers within the church to work with the scouts. Someone has to be up there with a bullhorn on Sunday Mornings, trumpeting the good stuff the scouts are doing... And also, making the families in the scout unit know that they are welcome to come to any of the church's non-scouting events.

One other Note: the Chartered Org Rep is one of the few positions that can legitimately be dual registered in a unit. They can simultaneously be a Committee Chair, or Committee Member, while being the Chartered Org Rep.

Scheduling and Worship Services

Quite frequently, Sunday Morning on a camping trip is a race to get everything packed up and ready to go as fast as humanly possible. By then, most of us are working on their third day since a shower, and are ready to get home ASAP.

I know for my most recent Pack Camping trip, this was the case, and it was also the case in the Webelos Resident Camp I attended with my Son. They wanted us out ASAP so that they could get the troops in campsites for the first week of Boy Scout Camp.

In both cases, the decision was made to still have a scouts own service of some kind, but in both cases, it was moved to Saturday Night before the campfire.

How does your Pack or Troop handle this sort of thing?