Religious Emblems

Boy Scouts of America

There are four Religious Emblem programs available for young men who are registered in the Boy Scouts of America. Two of these programs can be earned by Cub Scouts, one can be earned by Boy Scouts, and one that can be earned by Boy Scouts and Venturing Crew members.

Scouts are encouraged to earn all four emblems while they are on their Scouting and faith journeys. The four Religious Emblem programs available for young men who are registered in the Boy Scouts of America include:

Light of Christ

The ‘Light of Christ’ program is designed for Cub Scouts between the ages of 6-7 years old (Tiger or Wolf) of the Catholic Faith.

The purpose of this program is to help the Cub Scout develop a personal relationship with Jesus. With the parents’ active assistance and participation in this program, it is hoped that the Cub will come to see Jesus as a real person and his friend.

There are five main objectives of the program. These include:

1) To support the role of the parents as the primary catechists of their children;

2) To have the Scout identify Jesus as a real person and as his friend;

3) To foster early family religious involvement;

4) To be a stepping stone toward the ‘Parvuli Dei’ emblem and other religious emblems, when the parents are involved; and

5) To serve as a catalyst to draw the parents into a deeper involvement with the Church, through the child.

For a complete list of requirements and details about the Light of Christ award, please click here.

Parvuli Dei

The ‘Parvuli Dei’ program is designed for Cub Scouts between the ages of 8-10 years old (Bear or Webelos) of the Catholic Faith.

The purpose of this program is to help young boys explore a wide range of activities in order to discover the presence of God in their daily lives as members of their families and parishes, as well as developing a good, positive self-image through the contributions they can make to the group or community.

There are four main objectives of the program. These include:

1) To help the Scout of his age to develop an awareness of God’s love for each one of His special, uniquely created beings;

2) To help the Scout become aware and understand his identity as an important member of his family, his community, and as a member of the Family of God;

3) To continue to develop an awareness as members of the parish and the Body of Christ; and

4) To aid the Scout in his awareness of the responsibilities that grows out of God’s love for us.

For a complete list of requirements and details about the Parvuli Dei award, please click here.

Ad Altare Dei

The ‘Ad Altare Dei’ program is designed for Boy Scouts between the ages of 13-14 years of age of the Catholic Faith. Additionally, older Scouts may work with the program as well. Scouts who work with this program must be registered members of the Boy Scouts, active in their troop for six months, and have completed the sixth grade before beginning the program.

This program consists of eight sections that parallel the seven Sacraments – Baptism, Reconciliation, Eucharist, Confirmation, Holy Orders, Marriage, and Anointing of the Sick. In addition to an in-depth discussion of the seven Sacraments, the program consists of group discussions focusing on service-based activities and projects that help the Scout learn his religion better.

The most important aspect of the program is that the Scout grows in his spiritual experience of his relationship to God and the church.

In order to meet the purpose of the program, it is recommended that Scouts working on this program work with a group of other Scouts under the guidance of a certified Religious Emblems Counselor. A Board of Review is required.

For a complete list of requirements and details about the Ad Altare Dei award, please click here.

Pope Pius XII

The ‘Pope Pius XII’ is a vocations-based program designed for registered Venturing Crew Members and Boy Scouts of the Catholic Faith.

This program consists of five major units of emphasize. In each of the units, there is a spiritual reading accompanied by a discussion of the reading and adjoining activities designed to re-emphasize what the Scout has learned in the spiritual reading.

The three main objectives of the ‘Pop Pius XII’ program include:

1) To have the candidate examine how being a Christian Catholic affects daily life in a real world;

2) To challenge the Scout/Venturer to evaluate his or her own personal talents and abilities in light of a possible choice of lifestyle/vocation or ministry that relates in some way to belonging to and becoming increasingly more active in the Catholic Christian faith community; and

3) To give the Scout/Venturer the opportunity to share his or her faith and practice his or her religion among peers, while receiving guidance and feedback attune to the ideals of Scouting.

A Board of Review is required.

For a complete list of requirements and details about the Pope Pius XII award, please click here.

Religious Emblems

Girl Scouts of America

There are six Religious Emblem programs available for boys and girls who are registered in the Girl Scouts of America or the Camp Fire Boys and Girls.

Scouts are encouraged to earn all six emblems while they are on their Scouting and faith journeys. The six Religious Emblem programs available for boys and girls who are registered in the Girl Scouts of America or the Camp Fire Boys and Girls include:

God is Love

The 'God is Love' program is the official religious recognition program of the Roman Catholic Church for children in kindergarten or first grade who are enrolled in the Girl Scouts, Camp Fire Boys and Girls, and other Catholic youth organizations.

The purpose of the program is to help students discover an appreciation that God created, cares for, and loves us all.

For more information about the "God is Love" award, please click here.

Family of God

The ‘Family of God’ program is the official religious recognition program of the Roman Catholic Church for children in grades 2-3 who are enrolled in the Girl Scouts, Camp Fire Boys and Girls, and other Catholic youth organizations.

This is an activity-orientated program designed to complement the catechetical efforts of the parish and families with children in the second and third grades.

The purpose of the program is to help the child discover the presence of God in their daily lives as members of her family and parish.

The ‘Family of God’ program is divided into six segments that cover:

1) I am special to my family;

2) I am special to God’s family;

3) I belong to my family;

4) I belong to God’s family;

5) I can help my family; and

6) I can help God’s family.

For more information about the "Family of God" award, please click here.

I Live My Faith

The ‘I Live My Faith’ program is designed to help members of the Girl Scouts and Camp Fire Boys and Girls in grades 4-6 to appreciate more deeply the place that God and religion occupy in their daily life.

This is an action-orientated program that consists of various activities that focus on developing and awareness within the individual of his/her potential as a growing person, friend, family member, citizen, and a participant in the community of faith.

The ‘I Live My Faith’ program is divided into three segments that cover:

(1) “Stretching”;

(2) “Seeking”; and

(3) “Finding”.

Each of these chapters blend the dimensions of discovery, prayer, service, and sacrament in a unified whole. The program complements and supports the more formal religious education provided in Catholic schools and parish programs.

For more information about the "I Live My Faith" award, please click here.

Mary, the First Disciple

The ‘Mary, the Fist Disciple’ program is written for young Catholics, ages 7-10, to enable them to “proclaim the greatness of the Lord”. This is accomplished by actively involving the participant in an understanding of Mary as a model of openness and spirituality – a woman of the church.

Through various projects, discussions, and liturgical celebrations over a period of several months, the participant has the opportunity to develop new insights into their personalities, friends, parents, and the world around them.

In order to meet the purpose of the program, it is recommended that Scouts working on this program work with a group of other Scouts under the guidance of a certified Religious Emblems Counselor.

For more information about the "Mary, the First Disciple" award, please click here.

The Spirit Alive

The ‘Spirit Alive’ program is designed for Catholic youth in high school (grades 9-12) who are in the senior level of Girl Scouts or Horizon Club members of Camp Fire Boys and Girls.

The purpose of the ‘Spirit Alive’ program is to assist participants in discovering how the Holy Spirit moves in their lives, calling them to a greater level of participation in the Church’s ministry at the parish and diocesan level(s).

The ‘Spirit Alive’ program is divided into four sections covering:

• The Holy Spirit Alive in Scripture
• The Holy Spirit Alive in the Catholic Church
• The Holy Spirit Alive in Prayer
• The Holy Spirit Alive in Your Life

In order to meet the purpose of the program, it is recommended that Scouts working on this program work with a group of other Scouts under the guidance of a certified Religious Emblems Counselor.

For more information about "The Spirit Alive" award, please click here.

Missio

The 'Missio' program is official religious recognition program of the Roman Catholic Church for children in grades 11-12 who are enrolled in the Girl Scouts, Camp Fire Boys and Girls, and other Catholic youth organizations.

The 'Missio' program invites young people to explore discipleship and their own religious identity.

For more information about the "Missio" award, please click here.

** Important note regarding the Religious Emblem programs for Girl Scouts of America - Through the San Bernardino Diocesan Catholic Committee on Scouting, these religious emblem recognition programs may also be utilized by members of: Girl Scouts USA, Camp Fire USA, American Heritage Girls, Junior Catholic Daughters of the Americas, Catholic youth groups, Religious education classes, or other groups as designated by the Diocesan authorized administrators.