Declaration of Religious Principle
The Boy Scouts of America maintains that no member can grow into the best kind of citizen without recognizing an obligation to God and, therefore, recognizes the religious element in the training of the member, but it is absolutely nonsectarian in its attitude toward that religious training. Its policy is that the home and organization or group with which a member is connected shall give definite attention to religious life. Only persons willing to subscribe to this Declaration of Religious Principle and to the Bylaws of the Boy Scouts of America shall be entitled to certificates of membership.
Chaplain Training can be found in Scouting.org
Go to the Catalog and search for “Chaplain”
Three Modules
- Chaplain Roles and Responsibilities
- Religious Emblems and Awards
- Interfaith Considerations
- Provide a spiritual tone for all troop meetings and camping experiences.
- Assure members and leaders of your interest in them and their activities.
- Provide spiritual counseling service when needed or requested.
- Provide opportunities for all boys to grow in their relationship with God and their fellow Scouts.
- Encourage Scouts to participate in the religious emblems program of their respective faith.
- Make the 12th point of the Scout Law more meaningful in life
- Promote a greater understanding of and appreciation for all religions
- Provide Scouts with the opportunity to work with an ordained member of the clergy, thereby gaining insight into the religious professional life
Chaplain aide is an approved youth leadership position for Scouts. The responsibilities are to encourage spiritual awareness and growth in the lives of troop members and to assist the chaplain.
The Scout seeking the position of chaplain aide should have earned or be in the process of completing his religious emblems study program. It is recommended that the Scout selected be at least a First Class Scout. The chaplain aide should be mature and sensitive, a Scout who has earned the trust of his fellow Scouts.
- Maintain the troop’s religious emblems award progress chart.
- Present an overview of the various religious emblems programs to the troop at least annually, instructing members to contact their own clergyperson or religious counselor to guide them in the appropriate study programs.
- Compile and keep an up-to-date list of local clergy who have agreed to be counselors for the religious emblems programs.
- Present an overview of the religious emblems programs to Cub Scout dens and packs on request.
- Serve as the youth coordinator for the observance of the annual Scout Sabbath or Sunday in February.
- Working with the troop chaplain, usually a member of the clergy, compose a Sabbath service appropriate for all troop members during weekend campouts. Invite the troop chaplain to visit a campout, eat with the troop, and conduct a worship service.
- Prepare a troop prayer.
- Assist the troop chaplain, or other appropriate adult, to plan and conduct a religious emblem recognition ceremony. Presentation of a religious emblem is the responsibility of the local religious institution in which it is earned, though it is appropriate for the troop to recognize boys who have received religious emblems at courts of honor.
- Encourage troop members to strengthen their own relationship with God through personal prayer and devotions and participation in religious activities.
- Participate in patrol leader’s council planning sessions, ensuring that a spiritual emphasis is included, e.g., vespers, prayer before meals, religious observances, etc.
- Working with the troop chaplain, compose an appropriate prayer for before and after meals. When composing these prayers, the chaplain and chaplain aide should be sensitive to the various theological and religious positions embraced by the faiths represented in the group.
- Work with the troop chaplain to plan appropriate religious services for all members during weekend troop campouts. Troops may conduct their own religious services, invite the troop chaplain or an exemplary layperson to participate in the service, or they may visit a nearby church, synagogue, temple, mosque, or other religious institution.
The chaplain patch, No. 00440, and the chaplain aide patch, No. 00443,
may be ordered from the BSA National Distribution Center, 1-800-323-0732, or from any Scout shop, local council service center, or official Scouting distributor.