DCCS Las Vegas

Pope Pius XII

About the Emblem

The purpose of the Pope Pius XII emblem program is to help Scouts explore vocations (single, married, religious, ordained) and ministries in the Church as calls from God. It includes youth led discussions on current issues facing the Church and society, which are normally included as part of a Pope Pius XII retreat or day of recollection.

Eligibility

  • Registered Scouts BSA, Venturers, Sea Scouts who are Catholic
  • Designed for young people who are 15 or 16-years-old, but all registered Venturers and Sea Scouts before their 21st birthday and all registered Scouts BSA in high school before their 18th birthday may participate.

Requirements

  • Each Scout, Venture Crew Member or Sea Scouts Ship member must have his/her own Pope Pius XII Participant Manual (Publication Date: 2017). These manuals are available only from the NCCS Online Store. The program should be run by the candidates themselves; the Religious Emblems Counselor serves as a moderator.
  • A trained Religious Emblems coordinator/counselor/moderator is required to work with young people pursuing this Religious Emblem.
  • Diocesan/eparchial safe environment and BSA Youth Protection policies must be followed.
  • Ideal group size is four to 12 young people, but the course may be run with smaller groups.
  • A number of interviews and an investigation of a controversial issue facing the Church or society are integral to the program.
  • A retreat experience, ideally centered on the Pius XII program itself, and a ministries service project are required.
  • The program is designed to be completed in nine to 12 sessions. Two-hour sessions seem to work well with this age group. In addition, flexibility is often required in scheduling sessions and interview feed back with this age group.
  • Successfully complete a Pope Pius XII Board of Review.

Getting Started

  • Identify a counselor. Ask your Scoutmaster, pastor, parish administrator, director if religious education, any member of the troop committee, or Diocesan/Eparchial Catholic Committee on Scouting if there is a emblem counselor in your parish or area. A trained Religious Emblems coordinator/counselor/moderator is required to work with young people pursuing this Religious Emblem. If you know of someone interested in becoming a trained Religious Emblems coordinator/counselor/moderator, encourage that person to contact your Diocesan/Eparchial Catholic Committee on Scouting to become trained.
  • After you have selected your counselor, you must complete the application to begin working on this Religious Emblem program. The application is included in the Pope Pius XII Participant Manual. The application must be signed by the applicant, parent, counselor, Unit leader, and pastor.

Scout’s Role

  • Attend the sessions and as a Venturer/Sea Scout/Scout, the candidate is expected to actively share in group discussions and complete all interviews and activities.
  • Actively work on the activities in the Pope Pius XII Participant Manual. All journal entries, reports, and written work should be legible and neat.
  • Be prepared to share experiences at the Board of Review.
  • Keep the Religious Emblems Coordinator informed of your progress.

Facilitator’s Role

  • Counselors for the Pope Pius XII Religious Emblem should be approved in advance by their pastors and Scout Chaplain or Diocesan/Eparchial Catholic Committee in Scouting.
  • The Pope Pius XII Facilitator Manual (Publication Date: 2017) is an integral part of this program. Facilitator Manuals may be obtained only from the NCCS Online Store.
  • All Religious Emblem Counselors must have current BSA Youth Protection Training and meet diocesan/eparchial safe environment requirements.
  • Form the group.
  • Act as Facilitator, not group leader.
  • Help each candidate focus on essential elements and important issues.
  • Keep the Religious Emblems Coordinator informed of each candidate’s progress.

Program Completion

  • After all sections of the Pope Pius XII Participant Manual have been completed, the counselor will contact the Diocesan/Eparchial Catholic Committee on Scouting to find out the schedule for the Pope Pius XII Board of Review.
  • The Scout will sit before the Board of Review.
  • After Board of Review has been successfully completed, the counselor should contact the Diocesan/Eparchial Catholic Committee on Scouting for further direction concerning presentation instructions.
  • Scouts who earn this Religious Emblem are also entitled to wear a BSA Religious Knot over their left pocket. Please consult with your local Diocesan/Eparchial Catholic Committee on Scouting to determine how knots are presented in your area. If they are not presented with the Religious Emblems, then they can be purchased at your local BSA Council Service Center Scout Shop with proof that the scout received the emblem.
  • Candidates and moderator are asked to complete the paper or on-line survey to give us feedback about the program.