BSA-Religious-Emblems

Religious Emblems

A Scout is reverent. To encourage Scouts, Venturers, and adult volunteers to grow stronger in their faith, religious groups have developed religious emblem programs. The Boy Scouts of America has approved of these programs and allows the emblems, religious medals, to be worn on the official Scout uniform. These programs are managed by the various religious groups.

Religious Emblems

Scouts who are interested in earning a religious emblem must take the initiative to start the process by contacting the religious institution, faith leader, or their unit’s Religious Emblems Coordinator.

Adult Emblems

Adult religious emblems are based on service to Scouting and ones faith. Most require a nomination form, letters of reference and clergy signature.

New P.R.A.Y. Program

Programs of Religious Activities with Youth (P.R.A.Y.) released a new program designed for kindergartners and first graders called Jesus and Me. For more information click here.

Steps to Earning a Religious Emblem

  1. Obtain the specific booklet for your religion by contacting the Council Service Center at 804.204.2628 or the religious organization directly to obtain the curriculum booklets.
  2. Ask parents to review the program guidelines.
  3. Become a member of your religious institution, if necessary. Note that some programs require participants to be official members of the religious institution and that age and grade requirements vary from program to program.
  4. Find a counselor. Each program sets its own guidelines as to who may serve as counselor. Some programs require clergy to serve as counselors; other programs allow parents or other family members to fill the role.
  5. Complete the requirements and obtain the proper signatures.
  6. Order the emblem itself. These emblems are not available at the Scout Shop. Follow the instructions for ordering found in the back of your booklet. Depending on the emblem, it may take 6 to 14 weeks to arrive.
  7. Receive the emblem.  Emblems should be presented in a meaningful ceremony. Units may choose to award the emblem on Scout Sunday, Scout Sabbath or Scout Jumuah.
  8. Wear the emblem on the official Scout uniform. Religious medals may be worn on the official Scout uniform. A silver knot on purple cloth may be worn by youth members who have received their religious emblem. For adults, the knot is the reverse: purple on silver cloth. If you earned both, you may wear both at the same time.

Religious Emblems Committee

The Religious Emblems Committee for the Heart of Virginia Council serves to promote awareness and participation in the “Duty to God” components of the Scouting program and its faith partners. The committee actively works to promote faith-based programs and initiatives throughout the Council. The members of the committee represent faith and civic organizations that partner with the Boy Scouts of America.

The Committee is setting strong new “Faith-Based Initiatives” including encouraging and promoting Religious Emblems programs for various faiths throughout the Council.  We plan for these to be ongoing programs that will support all of the Scouting programs within the Heart of Virginia Council.

More information can be found about the religious emblems awards program for various faiths by clicking here or at www.PrayPub.org.

Resources

National Catholic Committee on Scouting®

The National Association of Presbyterian Scouters

Association of Baptists for Scouting

National Association of United Methodist Scouters

Virginia Episcopal Scouting Association

National Jewish Committee on Scouting

Islamic Council on Scouting of North America

PRAY Youth Recipients (2020)