Embedded Files
In order to help meet the mission of of providing guidance, vitality and leadership in the spiritual phase of Scouting, the Diocesan Catholic Committee on Scouting for the Diocese of San Bernardino maintains a list of religious emblem counselors for both registered Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. In addition to maintaining a list of religious emblem counselors, the Diocesan Catholic Committee also strives to maintain a list of reference materials that can be used by both religious emblems counselors as well as Scouts.
Religious Emblems Counselors
A Spiritual Guide to Scouts
Who can be a religious emblems counselor? Anyone who hears a call to serve in Scouting as a youth ministry can become a religious emblems counselor with the approval of his or her parish pastor. Individuals who have become religious emblems counselors often include the parents of a new Scout, a religious education instructor, a vowed religious, and interested adults.
What are some of the attributes of religious emblems counselors? As a Diocesan Catholic Committee, we have identified eleven attributes that we feel are shared by our religious emblems counselors.
- INTERESTED in youth and ready to be generous with their time when helping others.
- Able to UNDERSTAND the Scout of Youth's development process and therefore are able to ACCEPT and WORK with them at their level.
- OPEN enough to listen to youth and permit them to initiate, decide, try, and even fail on their own accord. One who is not judgmental, but respectful of their feelings and views.
- FLEXIBLE AND CREATIVE enough to be open to changes, can adapt to, and understand rapid and continuous modification of youth ideas, modes, and cultures.
- LIKABLE and ACCEPTABLE by the youth.
- Has a SENSE OF HUMOR.
- KNOWLEDGEABLE, understands, and agrees with the teachings of the Catholic Church.
- EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATOR when relating the teaching of the Catholic Church to today's youth.
- SPIRITUALLY firm in their faith life and has the ability to share their faith openly and easily with the youth. Through their actions, they are also able to demonstrates the importance of their faith to youth.
- SENSITIVE to the youth's personal life as well as their family's situation.
- OBSERVANT in their ability to interpret the different signals project by the youth about their feelings regarding their faith and other issues.
What are some of the requirements to become a religious emblems counselor? As a Diocesan Catholic Committee, we feel that the following requirements need to be meet prior to a religious emblems counselor can work with any youth on their religious emblems.
- Be at least 21 years old.
- Be able to work with Scout-age youth.
- Be registered with the Boy Scouts of America, Camp Fire, and/or the Girl Scouts of America. In addition to being a registered member of one of these organizations, you must also renew your registration on an annual basis to remain a counselor and/or facilitator.
- Be approved by your parish pastor as well as the Diocesan Catholic Committee on Scouting. Please note that in order to be approved by the Diocesan Catholic Committee as a religious emblem counselor, you must submit a religious emblem counselor application, go through "VIRTUS" through the Diocese of San Bernardino Safe Environment Ministries, and attend a religious emblem counselor training workshop.
What is the role of the religious emblems counselor? The Diocesan Catholic Committee utilizes its religious emblems counselors to assist and guide the youth of the Diocese of San Bernardino. We use the term counselor to describe any adult working with Catholic Scouts who are working on the Religious Emblems (Boy Scouts of America) or their Religious Recognitions (Girl Scouts of America and/or Camp Fire). Additionally we feel that religious emblem counselors should:
- Communicate and coordinate with the Catholic Committee on Scouting in the Diocese of San Bernardino.
- Where pre-approved and mandated Program materials and guides exist, religious emblem counselor will use those materials and guides.
- Counsel the participants as required, and in general, facilitate the youth's progress (keep them moving and on track).
- Guide the youth through the religious emblems program by:
- Helping the youth experience Christ's deep love for them as individuals.
- Helping the youth go beyond surface answers and into a deeper awareness of their faith.
- Show the youth that Christ accepts each one of us.
- Encourage greater participation in the religious programs of the Catholic Church.
- Promote the spiritual component of the youth's participation in social and service activities within their parish and their units.
- Help create an atmosphere with the unit conductive to the development of religious vocations.
- Provide guidance and assistance to non-Catholic youth in the unit and in the neighboring units, urging them to participate in the religious emblem program of their own faith group.
Religious Emblems Reference Material
National Catholic Committee on Scouting Resources
An outline of BSA's religious principles and a Catholic interpretation of Scouting principles.
Reference guide for adults coaching an emblem program.
A web page regarding Catholic Scouting referenced on Scouting.org.
A twelve-page information booklet describing why Catholics should consider joining Scouting as their youth ministry.
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National Catholic Committee for Girl Scouts USA and Camp Fire USA
An outline of the continuing dialogue between the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry (NFCYM) and the Girl Scouts USA (GSUSA).
Reference material for adults coaching an emblem program.
Reference materials for parents who are working with their children develop a sense of the Catholic faith.
A collection of resources for adults coaching an emblem program (Family of God; I Live My Faith; Mary, the First Disciple; and The Spirit Alive)
This reference guide provides an overview of the Catholic religious recognition programs for Girl Scout and Camp Fire members.
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Programs of Religious Activities with Youth
A collection of web-based resources for adults coaching an emblem program (BSA and GSUSA specific).
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