INTEGRATING FAITH IN GOD AND THE RELIGIOUS SQUARE KNOT Margo Mead

What IS Faith in God?  Came out in 2003  The General Primary Presidency has stated that this program is designed to go along with the Scouting program to help leaders and parents teach boys how to live the gospel in their everyday lives.  (Show interactive media presentation)

What Is My Responsibility for the Faith in God Award?  Help orient the boy and his parents to the Faith in God for Boys guidebook.  Remember, where Scouting is authorized, Scouting is activity days for boys. Find ways to combine activities in the Faith in God guidebooks with Cub Scout and Eleven-year-old Scout activities. Many activities fulfill requirements in both programs.  Help the boy complete two activities in each of the three areas for each year he is in the program. When he is eleven, he will complete five additional activities from the section “Preparing for the Priesthood.” Some of these activities may be done at home with family.  When a boy has completed the activities in the Faith in God for Boys guidebook, the Primary president and the bishop or branch president sign the Faith in God Award certificate on the last page of this guidebook. The child would then be recognized in Primary for his accomplishments.  (The above is taken directly from the handout*, “Information for Scout Leaders,” found on LDS.org)

Dovetailing  The church wants us to dovetail Faith in God with Cub Scouts.  Not separate activities, but seamless activities incorporating both.

Correlation chart from LDS.org is a start How Do We Do This?

This one is more complex…  Does this one take it TOO far?  Is there a happy medium?

The Most Important Things To Do  Be aware of the Faith in God requirements and work them into your Cub Scout meeting plans whenever possible.  Let the parents know when you have completed a Faith in God requirement at a meeting  Track the Faith in God requirements done at den meetings so that when parents come and ask about them you will have the info they need.  Cubmasters should plan to recognize boys at a pack meeting for their progress toward the award at least twice a year.

Example 1  Wolf Achievement 8:  Faith in God, Learning and Living the Gospel: a.Study the Food Guide Pyramid. Name some foods from each of the food groups shown in the pyramid. b.Plan the meals you and your family should have for one day. List things your family should have from the food groups shown in the Food Group Pyramid. At each meal, you should have foods from at least three food groups. 7.Read D&C 89. Discuss how Heavenly Father blesses us when we faithfully live the Word of Wisdom. Help plan and conduct an activity to teach the Word of Wisdom to others.

Example 2  Bear Achievement 8:  Faith in God, Learning and Living the Gospel: 8. Prepare a pedigree chart with your name and your parents’ and grandparents’ names. Prepare a family group record for your family and share a family story. Discuss how performing temple work blesses families. (RSK requirement) d. Trace your family back through your grandparents or great-grandparents; or, talk to a grandparent about what it was like when he or she was younger.

Example 3  Webelos Citizen Activity Badge: Pretty much the whole thing  Faith in God, Serving Others: 8. Read the twelfth article of faith. Discuss what it means to be a good citizen and how your actions can affect others.

Special Note  Quarterly Activity Day planning and participation is best done as a group!

Let’s Brainstorm!  Looking at the correlation charts, what great ideas for combining Cub Scout and Faith in God activities do you see, or what have you done in your den or pack that has worked well?

Which Faith in God Activities Should We Do in Cub Scouts?  Choose 1:  Only the square knotted activities.  Any of the activities that we can correlate with Scouting achievements.

How Should We Spread the Activities Out?  Two per area per year  Maybe do three per area per year when possible— why?  The Religious Square Knot is to be earned in the Bear or Webelos Year.  Some wards or stakes have planned Faith in God activities so that certain ones are “assigned” to certain ages. Even the Primary itself has a couple of planned Faith in God activities to do with the boys and girls during Sharing Times. You can decide if you want to be this organized or not.

Tracking

 Who should keep track of each boy’s Faith in God progress?  Parents are the main keepers of the Faith in God books.  Cub and Primary Leaders should also have some form of record keeping.  Cub Leaders should let the parents know whenever a Faith in God activity is completed and ask them to mark it in the boy’s books.

Tracking Sheet

Questions?