Question and Answer Sheet for Churches, Temples, and Religious Institutions Sponsoring a Team Do the Scout Programs of Adventure Scouts USA value the participation of churches, temples, and religious institutions? Yes. We value the participation of churches, temples, and religious institutions. Our Scout Programs share common missions with churches, temples, and religious institutions: those of curing social ills such as homelessness, poverty and hunger, instilling in youth the importance of a living a life of purpose, and a spiritual approach to life. We also enable our Scouts of faith to learn more about their faith and when appropriate, practice their faith and fulfill religious responsibilities. Our Scouts benefit when all those who work for the benefit of youth work together. Do the Scout Programs of Adventure Scouts USA encourage the participation of religious leaders? Yes. We welcome the participation of those of every faith, and we appreciate and welcome suggestions from religious leaders of every faith. We are dedicated to supporting the efforts of religious leaders to increase good character in the community and to cure social ills such as homelessness, poverty, and hunger. We encourage and value the input of religious leaders to help us support our Scouts in leading lives of purpose. What goals do the Scout Programs of Adventure Scouts USA have in common with churches, temples, and religious institutions? All the attributes of the Scout Programs of Adventure Scouts USA are consistent with attributes of faith. For example, we stress helping your fellow man, service to the greater community, compassion, and good character. We provide our Scouts with opportunities to be of service to the greater community to help others, and opportunities to improve themselves life long. We also provide opportunities for our Scouts to acquire additional knowledge about their individual faith, and to practice their faith and fulfill their religious responsibilities. What is the Religious Recognition Program of Adventure Scouts USA? The Religious Recognition Program is a portion of our Scout Programs designed to provide our Scouts with the opportunity to acquire more knowledge about their faith and feel closer to their faith. All criteria and curriculum are created by each individual faith. Appropriate contact information is available for each individual faith on our website or we can be contacted for more information. Our Scouts move through the curriculum under the guidance of a religious leader of their own faith. Some faiths require a pastor, priest, or rabbi to sign off to indicate each part of the program has been completed. Religious instruction always comes from a religious leader of their faith, never from our Team Counselor or Counselors. Our Scouts abide by the criteria of their individual faith in order to complete the program. After the Religious Recognition Program has been completed, the Scout is recognized in a local ceremony. Our Religious Recognition Program provides our Scouts with the opportunity to explore their faith more fully and with great pride as they stand before their pastor, priest, or rabbi, their congregation, friends and family to be recognized for their efforts. Do the Scout Programs of Adventure Scouts USA provide religious instruction? Religious instruction always comes from a religious leader, never from our Team Counselors. Do Scout responsibilities interfere with religious responsibilities? We make certain that Scout responsibilities complement and enhance religious responsibilities. All the attributes of the Scout Programs of Adventure Scouts USA are consistent with attributes of faith. For example, we stress helping your fellow man, service to the greater community, compassion, and good character. We offer our Scouts the opportunity to acquire additional knowledge about their faith, and to practice their faith and fulfill their religious responsibilities. Will participation in Adventure Scouts USA make youth more faithful? Yes. We encourage our Scouts who want to learn more about their faith to do so and to practice and embrace their faith fully. We offer opportunities for our Scouts who want to learn more about their faith to acquire greater knowledge of their faith by their participation in our Religious Recognition Program. We also enable our Scouts to practice their faith and fulfill their religious responsibilities. Are the Scout Programs of Adventure Scouts USA oriented toward churches, temples, and religious institutions? Yes. We encourage local churches, temples, and religious organizations to support youth in their area by sponsoring teams. Our teams operate on a local basis, and we encourage our Scouts to become a part of their community. Our Scouts are recognizable in their communities by their uniforms worn during meetings, programs, and activities, and by their commitment to be of service to the greater community. Our Scouts are not just individuals using the building of the church, temple, or religious organization. They are part of the fabric of the spirit of the religious community, and have many of the same goals including being of service to the greater community. How can churches, temples and religious institutions support the Scout Programs of Adventure Scouts USA? Churches, temples, and religious institutions can support youth in their area by sponsoring teams and offering our Scouts a place to meet. Scouts, their parents, multiple generations and extended family members will be coming into the church or temple and this gives them the opportunity to learn more about that particular church or temple and its members. Churches, temples, and religious institutions are also encouraged to share recommendations with us and give us their input as to how to improve our Scout Programs. We welcome the opportunity to exchange ideas with religious leaders and develop more and better ways to help our Scouts live a life of purpose. What kind of churches, temples and religious institutions may sponsor a team? All churches, temples, and religious organizations may sponsor a team. The Scout Programs of Adventure Scouts USA are the fully nondiscriminatory, inclusive Scout Programs in the United States.Our Scouts are of many faiths, and we encourage religious leaders from all faiths to contact us about sponsoring a team. As a religious leader how can I promote the Scout Programs of Adventure Scouts USA to my church, temple or religious institution? Religious leaders can discuss our Scout Programs in their schools, can mail out flyers, discuss our programs on a national level, and if appropriate, mention our Scout Programs during sermons and announcements. What are the benefits to churches, temples, and religious institutions in supporting the Scout Programs of Adventure Scouts USA? Churches, temples, and religious institutions get the opportunity to support youth in their area by sponsoring a team of the Scout Programs of Adventure Scouts USA. Our Scouts, their parents, multiple generations and extended family members will be entering the church or temple and will get the opportunity to learn more about it and about the church or temple’s congregation, especially those youth and families who are of the same faith as the church or temple. Our Scouts reach out and do good works in their communities. We stress helping your fellow man, service to the greater community, compassion, and good character. We offer our Scouts the opportunity to acquire additional knowledge about their faith, and to practice their faith and fulfill their religious responsibilities. We also offer our Scouts the opportunity to complete the Religious Recognition Program, a program whose criteria and curriculum are determined by each individual faith and in which our Scouts complete the program under the guidance the appropriate religious leader.
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