RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS PROMOTION
 

As Scout leaders, one of our roles is to promote Religious Emblems to the Scouts in our units, and to promote all faiths equally. Unit leaders are NOT required to lead the religious education discussions at the heart of the Religious Emblems. Rather, you as unit leaders can satisfy your obligations just by promoting religious emblems to the Scouts in your units and encouraging ALL the Scouts to earn the appropriate Religious Emblems for their faith and age.

These pages are intended to give you some information that will assist you in your role of promoting the various Religious Emblems. Also, the University of Scouting offers courses on Religious Emblems designed to increase your familiarity with them and to enable you to make a unit presentation on Religious Emblems. Also, members of the various religious emblems committees would be happy to come to a meeting of your unit to help you make a presentation on Religious Emblems if you don't feel comfortable making the presentation or if you would prefer that someone help you.

The Religious Emblems Programs (also called God and Country) are programs created by various religious groups for their children and youth who are also members of national youth agencies (i.e. Boy Scouts of America). It is important to remember that although the BSA may have approved these programs and even allow the recognition items/awards to be worn on Scout uniforms, the BSA did not create them. All Religious Emblems Programs are created by the religious groups themselves.

Pray Pub, a national organization located in St. Louis, is a clearing house for information on the Religious Emblems programs of most religions. The Search By Faith tool, located under the "Recognitions/Emblems" tab on the praypub.org  web site, lists different Religious Recognitions Programs available by denomination.

Catholic Religious Emblems programs are administered locally by the St. Paul and Minneapolis Archdiocesan Catholic Committee on Scouting (ACCS).

Jewish Religious Emblems programs are administered by the National Jewish Committee on Scouting.