Religious Diversity in Barre, VT Our Duty to God Consider the Cub Scout promise…. “I promise to do my best, To do my duty to God and my country, To help other people, and To obey the Law of the pack.” Welcome your group: “Welcome to our presentation on religious emblems. We’re going to tell you all about religious emblems, but more importantly, we’re going to challenge you to earn the religious emblem of your faith.”

Main Goals Help you become more knowledgeable about our “Duty to God” in the Scouting program. Help you prepare for Scout Sunday Tell you about Religious Emblems you can earn Encourage the boys to talk to their parents and religious leaders about earning a religious emblem for their faith. Help the boys get started by setting a target date: “Let’s set our first goal together as a Pack. I’d like everybody to talk to their parents and clergy about earning a religious emblem. Together decide whether or not you will earn your religious emblem, and if so, get the booklet and talk about setting up a schedule to earn it. At our next Pack meeting on ________ (date), I want to find out how many of you decided to earn your religious emblem. Even though this is a project that you will be doing with your family and clergy, I am interested in your progress and will encourage you to complete it.”

Duty To God Encourage the boys to talk to their parents and religious leaders about earning a religious emblem for their faith. Help the boys get started by setting a target date: “Let’s set our first goal together as a Pack. I’d like everybody to talk to their parents and clergy about earning a religious emblem. Together decide whether or not you will earn your religious emblem, and if so, get the booklet and talk about setting up a schedule to earn it. At our next Pack meeting on ________ (date), I want to find out how many of you decided to earn your religious emblem. Even though this is a project that you will be doing with your family and clergy, I am interested in your progress and will encourage you to complete it.”

A Scout is reverent toward God. Reverence Toward God… A Scout is reverent toward God. He is faithful in his religious duties. He respects the beliefs of others. Encourage the boys to talk to their parents and religious leaders about earning a religious emblem for their faith. Help the boys get started by setting a target date: “Let’s set our first goal together as a Pack. I’d like everybody to talk to their parents and clergy about earning a religious emblem. Together decide whether or not you will earn your religious emblem, and if so, get the booklet and talk about setting up a schedule to earn it. At our next Pack meeting on ________ (date), I want to find out how many of you decided to earn your religious emblem. Even though this is a project that you will be doing with your family and clergy, I am interested in your progress and will encourage you to complete it.”

Religious Tolerance The Ground of Religious Tolerance Most religious traditions of the world have a form of what is typically known as "The Golden Rule.“ Encourage the boys to talk to their parents and religious leaders about earning a religious emblem for their faith. Help the boys get started by setting a target date: “Let’s set our first goal together as a Pack. I’d like everybody to talk to their parents and clergy about earning a religious emblem. Together decide whether or not you will earn your religious emblem, and if so, get the booklet and talk about setting up a schedule to earn it. At our next Pack meeting on ________ (date), I want to find out how many of you decided to earn your religious emblem. Even though this is a project that you will be doing with your family and clergy, I am interested in your progress and will encourage you to complete it.”

“The Golden Rule” While others state it negatively Some traditions state this “Rule” conduct positively "Do for others what you would have others do for you" While others state it negatively "Don't do to others what you would not want others to do to you." Encourage the boys to talk to their parents and religious leaders about earning a religious emblem for their faith. Help the boys get started by setting a target date: “Let’s set our first goal together as a Pack. I’d like everybody to talk to their parents and clergy about earning a religious emblem. Together decide whether or not you will earn your religious emblem, and if so, get the booklet and talk about setting up a schedule to earn it. At our next Pack meeting on ________ (date), I want to find out how many of you decided to earn your religious emblem. Even though this is a project that you will be doing with your family and clergy, I am interested in your progress and will encourage you to complete it.”

Respect and Defend When Scouting defines "reverence" toward the religion of others as a responsibility to "respect and defend" those beliefs that differ from one's own, it is ultimately an expression of this "Golden Rule" of conduct. Encourage the boys to talk to their parents and religious leaders about earning a religious emblem for their faith. Help the boys get started by setting a target date: “Let’s set our first goal together as a Pack. I’d like everybody to talk to their parents and clergy about earning a religious emblem. Together decide whether or not you will earn your religious emblem, and if so, get the booklet and talk about setting up a schedule to earn it. At our next Pack meeting on ________ (date), I want to find out how many of you decided to earn your religious emblem. Even though this is a project that you will be doing with your family and clergy, I am interested in your progress and will encourage you to complete it.”

How Many Religions? There are thousands of different religions in the world. Many of these show some similarities to others and can be grouped together. About 75% of all people belong to one of the four largest religions: Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, or Buddhism. Welcome your group: “Welcome to our presentation on religious emblems. We’re going to tell you all about religious emblems, but more importantly, we’re going to challenge you to earn the religious emblem of your faith.”

Major Religions in the World Christianity: 2.1 billion Islam: 1.5 billion Secular/Nonreligious/Agnostic/Atheist: 1.1 billion Hinduism: 900 million Chinese traditional religion: 394 million Buddhism: 376 million primal-indigenous: 300 million African Traditional & Diasporic: 100 million Sikhism: 23 million Juche: 19 million Spiritism: 15 million Judaism: 14 million Baha'i: 7 million Jainism: 4.2 million Shinto: 4 million Cao Dai: 4 million Zoroastrianism: 2.6 million Tenrikyo: 2 million Neo-Paganism: 1 million Unitarian-Universalism: 800 thousand Rastafarianism: 600 thousand Scientology: 500 thousand Source: http://www.adherents.com/Religions_By_Adherents.html (Sizes shown are approximate estimates, and are here mainly for the purpose of ordering the groups, not providing a definitive number. This list is sociological/statistical in perspective.)

Major Religions Pie Chart This is how they stack up 

Where Does Barre, VT Fit In? Some Religion Facts about Barre, VT… Where WE live! Religion Barre, VT United States Percent Religious 42.40% 50.03% Catholic 26.06% 21.92% Protestant 8.71% 19.12% LDS 0.78% 1.57% Baptist 0.87% 8.16% Episcopalian 1.56% 8.12% Pentecostal 0.60% 1.89% Lutheran 0.19% 2.81% Methodist 4.88% 3.84% Presbyterian 0.61% 1.33% Other Christian 5.83% 4.66% Jewish 0.96% 2.16% Eastern 0.05% Islam 0.00% 0.54%

Scout Sunday Encourage the boys to talk to their parents and religious leaders about earning a religious emblem for their faith. Help the boys get started by setting a target date: “Let’s set our first goal together as a Pack. I’d like everybody to talk to their parents and clergy about earning a religious emblem. Together decide whether or not you will earn your religious emblem, and if so, get the booklet and talk about setting up a schedule to earn it. At our next Pack meeting on ________ (date), I want to find out how many of you decided to earn your religious emblem. Even though this is a project that you will be doing with your family and clergy, I am interested in your progress and will encourage you to complete it.”

Scout Sunday? What is it? The Boy Scouts of America annually celebrates its founding on February 8, 1910, based on the program started by Lord Baden Powell in England on August 1, 1907. Scout Sunday was added to the Scout celebration in the middle 1940s. Scout Sunday is always the Sunday preceding February 8th, unless the 8th is a Sunday, in which case the 8th would be Scout Sunday. The Saturday following February 8th is Scout Sabbath. Encourage the boys to talk to their parents and religious leaders about earning a religious emblem for their faith. Help the boys get started by setting a target date: “Let’s set our first goal together as a Pack. I’d like everybody to talk to their parents and clergy about earning a religious emblem. Together decide whether or not you will earn your religious emblem, and if so, get the booklet and talk about setting up a schedule to earn it. At our next Pack meeting on ________ (date), I want to find out how many of you decided to earn your religious emblem. Even though this is a project that you will be doing with your family and clergy, I am interested in your progress and will encourage you to complete it.”

Scout Sunday Tradition An organization can adopt a specific Sunday to celebrate. It also is permissible for a local church to celebrate on the Sunday most acceptable to the pastor and congregation. The Scout Sunday tradition was started to make people in houses of worship aware of Scouting, and to allow Scouts to live out their "Duty to God" pledged each week. The Scout Law says that a "Scout is Reverent" and the Scouts of all ages promise to do their "Duty to God". These values strengthen youth character in their family, community and faith. Encourage the boys to talk to their parents and religious leaders about earning a religious emblem for their faith. Help the boys get started by setting a target date: “Let’s set our first goal together as a Pack. I’d like everybody to talk to their parents and clergy about earning a religious emblem. Together decide whether or not you will earn your religious emblem, and if so, get the booklet and talk about setting up a schedule to earn it. At our next Pack meeting on ________ (date), I want to find out how many of you decided to earn your religious emblem. Even though this is a project that you will be doing with your family and clergy, I am interested in your progress and will encourage you to complete it.”

Why Scout Sunday? Have you ever wondered why we celebrate Scout Sunday in Church? I wonder, do they celebrate Scout Sunday in Churches where there aren’t any Scouts? Probably not. Whether we had Scouts in our Church or not, the Cub Scouts, the Boy Scouts, and the Girl Scouts are very good organizations, but this is not a Sunday to celebrate the organizations. Welcome your group: “Welcome to our presentation on religious emblems. We’re going to tell you all about religious emblems, but more importantly, we’re going to challenge you to earn the religious emblem of your faith.”

We Celebrate… Instead, it’s a Sunday to celebrate you, the Scouts and the Leaders that are involved with the organizations. We celebrate Scout Sunday, because of the choice that you have made, to commit yourselves to the principles of Scouting. By the wearing of the uniform, and in the pledges, oaths, and Scout laws that you have accepted, you have made a public declaration of your intention to live your life by the Scouting ethics. Welcome your group: “Welcome to our presentation on religious emblems. We’re going to tell you all about religious emblems, but more importantly, we’re going to challenge you to earn the religious emblem of your faith.”

Re-affirm YOUR Commitment in Scouting That’s what you have done today and every day when you arrive at your Den meetings, or even Pack meetings…you re-affirm this commitment at the beginning of each of these meetings. In Scouting we find that we can have a lot of fun while we are learning new skills. That’s what’s important. Learning new skills to help you be a better person, a good citizen and a Scout to whom you have been set the example of. Welcome your group: “Welcome to our presentation on religious emblems. We’re going to tell you all about religious emblems, but more importantly, we’re going to challenge you to earn the religious emblem of your faith.”

A Scout is Reverent "A Scout is reverent." All Scouts show this by being faithful in their duty to God. Some go further and give special service. This can qualify them for a religious emblem. Such an emblem is not a Scouting award. It is conferred on a Scout by his religious leader. Welcome your group: “Welcome to our presentation on religious emblems. We’re going to tell you all about religious emblems, but more importantly, we’re going to challenge you to earn the religious emblem of your faith.”

Scouts Faithfulness in Their Duty to God Each faith has its own requirements for earning its emblem. Listed below are the TIGER CUB, CUB SCOUT, AND WEBELOS SCOUT emblems and where to find out about them. Before writing or visiting your local council service center, check with your religious leader. (Unless indicated otherwise, awards may be earned by both Cub Scouts and Webelos Scouts, but not by Tiger Cubs.) Welcome your group: “Welcome to our presentation on religious emblems. We’re going to tell you all about religious emblems, but more importantly, we’re going to challenge you to earn the religious emblem of your faith.”

Religious Emblems Welcome your group: “Welcome to our presentation on religious emblems. We’re going to tell you all about religious emblems, but more importantly, we’re going to challenge you to earn the religious emblem of your faith.”

Resources The following resources were used in conjunction with putting together this presentation: The History of Religious Committment In Scouting, Website: http://reverent-scout.net/reverent-scout/history.htm A Scout Is Reverent: Guide Faiths Other Scouts, Scouting Religious Tolerance Revenant, Website: http://www.inquiry.net/ideals/faiths/index.htm A Scout’s Own Service. Website: http://www.reverent-scout.net/reverent-scout/Scouts_Own.htm Northern Star Council B.S.A., Website: http://www.northernstarbsa.org/resources/links/ Religious Emblems for Cub Scouts, Website: http://www.usscouts.org/advance/cubscout/religious.asp Welcome to P.R.A.Y. Publishing, Website: http://www.praypub.org/main_frameset.htm Longhorn Council B.S.A., Website: http://www.longhorncouncil.org/Info/Awards/Religious-Awards.aspx Religious Emblems Programs, Website: http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/Awards/ReligiousAwards.aspx Northeast Georgia Council B.S.A.. Website: http://www.sr909.org/diversity.htm Welcome your group: “Welcome to our presentation on religious emblems. We’re going to tell you all about religious emblems, but more importantly, we’re going to challenge you to earn the religious emblem of your faith.”