The committee is responsible for the religious scout awards and assisting at scout religious events organized by Scout BSA Councils.
Msgr Daniel Deutsch - Diocesan Chaplain for the American Heritage Girls
Rev. Aaron Downing - Diocesan Scout Chaplain
Paul Logli Diocesan Committee Chairman
Cindy Chiodini Blackhawk Council Chairwoman
Tanya Goulding Three Fires Council Chairwoman
Bob McLear Diocesan Committee Secretary / Communications
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Mary, the First Disciple, also known as the Marian Medal
Spirit Alive
I Live My Faith (optionally awarded at the Cathedral)
Family of God, if they have a sibling receiving an award at the Cathedral
Pope Pius XII
Ad Altare Dei
Parvuli Dei (optionally awarded at the Cathedral)
Light of Christ, if they have a sibling receiving an award at the Cathedral
Pillars of Faith
International Award--both Youth and Adult
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Award
St. Anne Medal
Bronze Pelican
St. George Award
The Pope Paul VI Unit Quality Award will also be presented to units meeting requirements and submitting an application.
The Pope Paul VI Catholic Unit Award has been updated with a new application form. The requirements parallel the Journey To Excellence format that most units are already using to evaluate their programs. Don't wait until the end of the year to look at the requirements. The requirements for the Unit Quality Award can be found on the NCCS Website on the Scout Unit page -- http://www.nccs-bsa.org/index.php/scout-units
Units should plan to bring their US Flag and Unit Flag to be carried in procession by youth who are not receiving awards. Please mark the flags with a piece of masking tape or painters tape. Flag bearers should assemble in the community room no later than 1:30.
We need to recruit to fill the following roles for the Convocation Mass:
Youth Servers from the Cathedral (Cindy Chiodini & Chris Weikert to recruit)
Youth Gift Bearers (Bob McLear to recruit)
Youth Lectors (Bob McLear to recruit - Two readings and the Prayers of the Faithful)
Adult Ushers for seating, directing the flag bearers, collecting the offering, and directing Communion recipients (Tim Marx or Bob McLear to recruit)
Adult Greeters to direct arrivals to proper location (Tim Marx to recruit)
Religious Awards
Eligible Recipients:
Any Catholic scouts (Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, or American Heritage Girls) may complete religious awards. If Catholic scouts are part of your unit, you could designate a particular leader to help those scouts complete their religious awards.
Counselors and Awards:
Parents guide the scouts through the Light of Christ and Parvuli Dei awards.
Each Council Committee has one or more members who train Ad Altari Dei and Pius XII counselors. There are also a number of religious patches which can be earned: the Rosary, Duty to God, and International Award. Books for awards can either be purchased from your Council store or from our office.
To receive the awards, we need to receive the completed and signed forms. Application forms and fees need to be submitted by December 15th each year to be available in time for Scout Sunday in February of the following year.
There is a board of review for the Ad Altari Dei and Pius XII awards in December. All Scouts who complete the Parvuli Dei, Ad Altari Dei, or Pius XII for boys and the I Live My Faith, Marian, or Spirit Alive wards will be invited to come to the Cathedral in Rockford on the first Sunday of February to receive their awards from the Bishop.
For further information regarding award counselors, contact Bob McLear (bobmclear@gmail.com) for Three Fires and Cindy Chiodini (chiodinix5@comcast.net) for Blackhawk.
Missio - is designed for students in grades 11-12.The program invites young people to explore discipleship and their own religious identity. Mission was jointly created by the Pontifical Mission Societies in the United States and the NFCYM.
Spirit Alive Medal – This program is designed from Catholic youth in high school who are in the senior level of Girl Scouts, or Horizon Club members of Camp Fire Boys and Girls. It assists them in discovering how the Holy Spirit moves in their lives, calling them to greater participation in the church’s ministry.
Marian Medal – Through Mary, the first disciple, young Catholics (ages 12-15) will grow in appreciation of Mary and in understanding themselves. They will meet Mary in Scripture as a young teenager, and will follow her journey as she becomes a woman and the Mother of God. The revised version of the Marian Medal Project book demonstrates the importance of Mary for all generations and cultures. Most striking is the artwork portraying Mary in various Mediums, Centuries, and cultures.
I Live My Faith is designed to help Girl Scouts and Camp Fire members (grades 4-6) appreciate more deeply the place that God and religion occupy in their daily life. The action-oriented activities focus on developing 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 program is divided into three chapters: “Stretching,” “Seeking,” and “Finding,” each of which blends the dimensions of discovery, prayer, service, and sacrament into a unified whole.
Family of God is the official religious recognition program of the Roman Catholic Church for children (grades 2-3) who are enrolled in the Girl Scouts or other Catholic youth organizations. Family of God is a bilingual activity series developed to complement the Catechetical efforts of the parish and families with children in the second and third grades. The program helps children discover the presence of God in their daily lives as members of their family and parish.
God is Love is the official religious recognition program of the Roman Catholic Church for children (grades K-1) who are enrolled in the Girl Scouts or other Catholic youth organizations. The program helps students discover an appreciation that God created, cares for, and loves us all.
Family of God is the official religious recognition program of the Roman Catholic Church for children (grades 2-3) who are enrolled in the Girl Scouts or other Catholic youth organizations. Family of God is a bilingual activity series developed to complement the Catechetical efforts of the parish and families with children in the second and third grades. The program helps children discover the presence of God in their daily lives as members of their family and parish.
Pillars of Faith is available for any scout who has received all 4 awards appropriate for their scouting career. Contact BobMcLear@gmail.com for the application form. Applications are due mid-December for presentation on the following Scout Sunday.
International Award recognizes effort to understand and participate in International Scouting activities. Requirements are age dependent. This Award can be earned by all levels of youth and adults alike. The requirements can be found on the National Catholic Committee on Scouting pages
Grades 1-5: https://www.nccs-bsa.org/index.php/religious-activities/international-awareness/pin-patch-program-grades-1-5
Grades 6-8: https://www.nccs-bsa.org/index.php/religious-activities/international-awareness/medallion-patch-program-grades-6-8
Grades 9-12: https://www.nccs-bsa.org/index.php/religious-activities/international-awareness/medallion-pin-patch-program-grades-9-12
Adults: https://www.nccs-bsa.org/index.php/religious-activities/international-awareness/medallion-pin-patch-program-adults
Ordering Awards
Awards prices have increased.
- Light of Christ and Parvuli Dei are $13 each.
- Ad Altare Dei and Pope Pius XII are $15 each.
- God is Love medal and patch is $10 each set
- Family of God and I Live My Faith are $7 each
- Marian Medal, Spirit Alive, and Missio are $11 each.
- Pillars of Faith which is $6 per award.
- International Award
Grades 1-5 earn a pin and patch - $5
Grades 6-8 earn a patch and a medallion - $16
Grades 9-12 and adults earn a pin, patch and medallion - $20
Payment should made out to the Catholic Committee of Scouting and sent with the signed form from the activity book.
- For awards from Blackhawk Area Council, send applications and payments to Cindy Chiodini (chiodinix5@comcast.net).
- For awards from the Rockford Diocese portion of Three Fires Council, send applications and payments to Kathy Gagnon (pkdbgagnon@hotmail.com) or Tanya Goulding (ttgoulding@aol.com).
Awards will be held for Scout Sunday or sent to your pastor to distribute at an appropriate time.
Scout Sunday
Scout Sunday falls on the first Sunday of February. The Bishop presents awards to the scouts at a Mass at the Cathedral. Mass is at 2pm and scouts receiving awards should be there by 1pm. You do not need to be receiving an awards to participate in the Diocesan Scout Sunday Mass. Troops should bring their flags (marked with the unit numbers) and scouts that are not awards recipients for the flag procession.
Retreats
These are opportunities to camp, deepen faith, and work on some of the requirements of the religious awards. See the individual Council Committee pages for the appropriate retreat.
CONTACT INFO
On Facebook: www.facebook.com/RockfordCatholicScouting/
On Via Email: A nearby member of the Catholic Committee will contact you if you send an email sharing your location (unit, district, City or town) along with your question. The email address for the Committee is rockfordcatholicscouting@gmail.com
All US Mail Correspondence can be sent to:
Catholic Committee on Scouting
2617 Moutray Ln
North Aurora, IL 60542-2116
National Catholic Committee on Scouting webpage - www.nccs-bsa.org