Unit Religious Emblems Coordinator Position Officially Approved

[BDPT00 41]

***Most religious programs for the Troop/Crew level require a trained mentor to work with the Scouts. This is where a Unit Religious Emblem Coordinator might be practical. Although, if they would need to be trained by multiple religious organizations, their best bet would still be to direct Scouts back to the Scout's own religious organization.***

 

This is a pretty good summary of the misinformation that floats about out there. Most religious programs for Troop/Crew level to NOT require a trained mentor. A REC would NOT need to be trained by ANY religious organization. Sending a Scout back to their own religious organization most likely gets them nowhere. That's why they're asking you! Religious organizations generally know nothing about the emblems.

BDPT00

 

 

 

[blw2 433]

My pack (Catholic CO) tries to make religious emblems a big part of the program by encouraging all the boys to earn both Catholic medals as they go through the program.

 

They have typically recruited a mom that is otherwise not on the committee to take this on. This year, my wife was asked to pick it up. She was happy to do it, not only for the intended religious purpose, but also as a way to be more involved.... to get to know the scouts and other parents.

 

We'll see how it goes, but I suspect that she'll do it for a number of years anyway....

As previously mentioned by SeattlePioneer, the diocese has a committee on Scouting as part of the youth ministry. My wife went for a class put on by them, taht as far as I can tell makes here eligible to work with Cubs, Boy Scouts, and Girls Scouts.

 

Just for the cubs anyway, it's not a huge job, but it's more than just an insignificant role for sure.

[BDPT00 41]

It sounds like she's trained as a counselor. True? If so, that's different from the coordinator (although she could certainly do both). If she's trained as a counselor for the Cub awards, I'd doubt that she's automatically trained for the Boy Scout awards. A coordinator and a counselor are two totally different things.

I look at it this way ... The coordinator is like a Scoutmaster or Advancement Chair. They're not the experts on Oceanography Merit Badge, but they can find out who is, and provide contact information. The coordinator is the same ... doesn't need to be a counselor; just the resource person.

BDPT00

[blw2 433]

Consellor, Coordinator.... all symantics in this context anyway.

The religious medals really have very little to do with BSA, since the BSA is not a (enter your religion here) organization. These are a function of the church. From what I have read, BSA's only envolment is to carry the handbooks in the council store, and to give guidlines on how to wear said medals &/or knots on the uniform.

I didn't attend so I'm only relaying what I have heard from her and what I have seen by reviewing the written materials... but the course, by the Catholic Diocese, covered all three areas of scouting.

Again, a church function, not a BSA function.....

[BDPT00 41]

Sorry to have to disagree, but couselor and coordinator are entirely different. That's like calling the coach and the quarterback the same thing. They have different talents and functions. They work in conjunction with each other, and they're on the same team, but the roles are different.

BDPT00

[ScoutNut 147]

>>"Most religious programs for Troop/Crew level to NOT require a trained mentor"

[ScoutNut 147]

>>"Religious organizations generally know nothing about the emblems."

[ScoutNut 147]

>>" If she's trained as a counselor for the Cub awards, I'd doubt that she's automatically trained for the Boy Scout awards.">"My wife went for a class put on by them, that as far as I can tell makes here eligible to work with Cubs, Boy Scouts, and Girls Scouts."

[BDPT00 41]

ScoutNut

>>"Most religious programs for Troop/Crew level to NOT require a trained mentor"

[BDPT00 41]

>>"Religious organizations generally know nothing about the emblems."

[blw2 433]

Some of you guys are funny.

I shared something based on recent experience and fact, solely with the goal of helping others and progressing a conversation.

Thanks, but no. I'm not buying what you are selling.

Moving on to the next and hopefully more infomative thread.

[BDPT00 41]

"I shared something based on recent experience and fact, solely with the goal of helping others and progressing a conversation."

 

*** And I'm doing the same. Just correcting the notion that a coordinator and a counselor are the same thing. Not even close.

BDPT00

[click23 66]

The patch has been released, http://www.scoutstuff.org/emb-unit-relig-emb-coord.html

 

Why go back to the green background? Green background was the color of boy scout position patches Oscar de la Renta uniform were released, and for adult POR patches beginning in 1938.

 

Again, why not just wear the appropriate committee POR patch just like advancement, membership, transportation, etc coordinators wear?

[Pack18Alex 92]

I think it's a great idea if you make it a committee role and make it easier to share a committee between units in a CO. Honestly, we've been trying to fill a liaison role to our religious committee, this (with a patch) makes sense.

[King Ding Dong 540]

Your unit has a religious committee and you need a liaison to it ???