G - be generous with your time, talents, and skills
I -   ideal way to serve God, parish, and the youth in Girl Scouts
R -  revel in the benefits of supporting the Catholic youth
L -  learn what it takes to become a mentor

S -  serve the community by sponsoring a program
C -  "charity, which is our greatest virtue" supports monetarily
O -  oversee the start up of a program in your parish
U -  utilize all possible resources
T -  transform our youth into soldiers for God

 

 

 

SCOUT DAY
 

NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
 


Catholic Scouting Awards and special event(s):

Annual Catholic Scouting Mass
Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Richmond
Saturday, February 21, 2009
11:00 AM

Annual Catholic Scouting Mass
Christ the King, Norfolk
March 8, 2009
2:00 PM

 


FORMS


GIRL SCOUT RELIGIOUS RECOGNITION ORDER FORM To order books, medals, or patches, please click on the link to print a copy of the Religious Recognition Order Form. 

*For order information, please contact Michelle Walker, Resource Coordinator at (757) 986-4806 or email mickey68_30@yahoo.com


RELIGIOUS RECOGNITION MENTOR APPLICATION
 

BISHOP SULLIVAN AWARD NOMINATION FORM Please scroll down for further details.


SAINT ELIZABETH ANN SETON MEDAL CRITERIA/NOMINATION FORM Please scroll down for further details.
 

SAINT ANNE MEDAL CRITERIA FORM Please scroll down for further details.
SAINT ANNE MEDAL NOMINATION FORM Please scroll down for further details.

BRONZE PELICAN CRITERIA/NOMINATION FORM Please scroll down for further details.




 GIRL SCOUT RELIGIOUS RECOGNITION PROGRAMS


The Girl Scouts Religious Awards Program is a nationally developed program available to Roman Catholic dioceses in the U.S.A. through the auspices of the National Catholic Committee for Girl Scouts and Camp Fire Management Committee.

The purpose is to continue the spiritual development of youth that are in the Girl Scout movement.  Within the Roman Catholic faith, adults are encouraged to take an active part by becoming mentors for Girl Scouts who are Catholic.  Within the Diocese of Richmond, all adult volunteers, in any capacity, working with youth are required to complete a Volunteer Application Form that requires confidential reference screenings and criminal background checks. As part of the screening process, all volunteers participant in the diocesan Safe Environment Virtus Training. To register for the Virtus Training, go on the diocesan web site (www.richmonddiocese.org); look on the right side of the homepage for the registration link. The Virtus training dates available are also listed in this location.  For additional Virtus information, contact Mary Jane Fuller at mfuller@richmonddiocese.org or by phone at 804-359-5661.

Please pass this information along to your Pastor, Minister of Religious Education, Pastoral Coordinator, parents of Girl Scouts, Girl Scout leaders, or any other adult who would like information about how to start a program, set up a counselor training, or ordering of resource materials.

For questions pertaining to training for Religious Recognition mentor, contact Dorothy A. Cogswell, Girl Scout Liaison for the Diocese of Richmond, at cogswelldorothy@hotmail.com or (757) 539-2562. Any questions pertaining to religious recognition, please contact Michelle Walker, mickey68_30@yahoo.com, (757) 986-4806.


 


 

NATIONAL CATHOLIC GIRL SCOUT RELIGIOUS RECOGNITION

PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS


Below, you will see various religious recognition programs available:



The Family of God
The Family of God program is the official religious recognition program of the Roman Catholic Church in the U.S.A. for children ages 7-9, who are enrolled in the Girl Scouts of the U.S.A., Camp Fire USA, and The Junior Catholic Daughters of the Americas. The Family of God is an activity series developed to complement the catechetical efforts of the parish and families with children in the second and third grades. The purpose of the Family of God program is to help children explore a wide range of activities to discover the presence of God in their daily lives as members of their family and parish. (Revised 1994)
 

"The Family of God" Medal or Patch Available


I Live My Faith

The I Live My Faith program is designed to help Girl Scouts and Camp Fire members, ages 9-11, appreciate more deeply the place that God and religion occupy in their daily life. The action-oriented program activities focus on developing awareness within the individual of his/her potential as a growing person, friend, family member, citizen, and a participant in the community of faith. The program is divided into three chapters, "Stretching," "Seeking," and "Finding," each of which blends the dimensions of discovery, prayer, service, and sacrament into a unified whole. I Live My Faith complements and supports the more formal religious education provided in Catholic schools and parish programs. An important part of the program is the involvement of parents in the process of faith sharing; notes specifically for parents are included in the project book. To assist adults working with groups of participants, an adult guide is also included. (Revised 1991)
 

"I Live My Faith" Medal or Patch Available




Marian Medal Program

Through Marian Medal Program booklet, Mary, the First Disciple, young Catholics ages 12-15 will grow in appreciation of Mary and in understanding themselves. They will meet Mary in Scripture as a young teenager and will follow her journey, as she becomes a woman and the Mother of God. This revised version of the Marian Medal Project book demonstrates the importance of Mary for all generations and cultures. Most striking is the artwork portraying Mary in various mediums, centuries, and cultures. (December 2000)

"My being proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit finds joy in God my Savior ... " (Luke 1:46-47)

"Marian" Medal or Patch Available



The Spirit Alive

This program is designed for Catholic youth in high school who are in the Senior level of Girl Scouts or are Horizon Club members of Camp Fire. It assists them in discovering how the Holy Spirit moves in their lives, calling them to greater participation in the church’s ministry. The Spirit Alive adult guide is available. One copy of The Spirit Alive Adult Guide is sent for each five program books ordered and are sold as needed. (1988)

"The Spirit Alive" Medal or Patch Available
 



DIOCESAN RELIGIOUS RECOGNITION PROGRAM

 

 

 

St. Agnes of Rome

Through the Diocese of Richmond's Office of Youth Ministry a new religious recognition program has been developed for Catholic youth in grades 3 through 12.  The program is called St. Agnes of Rome - Patron Saint of Girl Scouts.

The purpose of this program is to foster knowledge and spiritual growth in Catholic young people, explore the opportunity to give service to his/her family, church, community or country, as well as to encourage Girl Scouts to learn about their patron saint.

St. Agnes of Rome is one of the most widely honored early Roman martyrs of Christianity.  The activities in the handbook highlight Agnes' feast day in the Roman Catholic Church calendar; ask the youth to read Agnes' biography, additional literary resources, and research customs and ceremonies connected with Agnes.  Giving this learning a response through actions, the handbook presents ways to provide service or faith in action.

 

I AM SPECIAL

The purpose of the “I Am Special” Religious Award is to recognize Daisies and 1st Grade Brownies for advancement in religious knowledge and spiritual formation as they try to develop a spiritual knowledge of how God, family and friends play a role in their life.

Please note that this is not a national award but a local award being administered by the Diocese of Richmond. The idea and basic format for this program were conceived and developed by the New Orleans Area Council Catholic Committee on Scouting with additional input from the Arlington Diocese.   This medal can be presented at a Mass or at a Diocese of Richmond religious emblem ceremony. 



SPECIAL GIRL SCOUT YOUTH AWARDS

Bishop Walter F. Sullivan Youth Award is presented to youth for outstanding service and contributing the development of Catholic values in the programs of Scouting.  For details and nomination form, click on the link below:  (This nomination form must be postmarked no later than December 3, 2005)

Bishop Sullivan Award Nomination Form

 

 

NATIONAL CATHOLIC ADULT RELIGIOUS RECOGNITION AWARDS
 

There are also three nominated religious awards available for adults who serve the youth:

THE SAINT ELIZABETH ANN SETON MEDAL

The St. Elizabeth Ann Seton recognition was inaugurated in 1980 to recognize the meritorious contributions of adults who serve Catholic youth through Girl Scouts and Camp Fire. This medal affirms the work of those who help youth develop their spiritual lives within the context of these organizations. It will ordinarily be received before the St. Anne Medal is earned, but is not a requirement for receiving the St. Anne Medal.

Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Medal Criteria/Nomination Form
 

THE SAINT ANNE MEDAL

The St. Anne Medal is the highest national recognition for adults who serve Catholic youth through Girl Scouts and Camp Fire. The recognition was inaugurated in 1957 and redesigned in 1980. The purposes of the St. Anne recognition are:
to honor the outstanding services of adults who contribute to the spiritual development of Catholic young people in these organizations 
to further Catholic adult leadership in youth ministry through these national youth-serving organizations. 

Saint Anne Medal Selection Process Form.pdf
Saint Anne Medal Criteria Form.pdf
Saint Anne Medal Nomination Form.pdf
Saint Anne Medal Approval Form.pdf
 

Bronze Pelican

The Bronze Pelican Award

 The Bronze Pelican Award is a diocesan recognition sponsored by the Catholic Committee on Scouting for the Diocese of Richmond.  It may be presented to any adult who is working on the Scouting program under Catholic auspices, to Catholics in Scout units not chartered by the Church, and to those who have made a significant contribution to Scouting in the field of Catholic relationships.  This award may be given to Catholic lay members, priests and pastoral coordinators, or those of another faith who have been supportive of Catholic Scouting.  The purpose of this program is to recognize the recipient's outstanding contribution to the development of youth in the programs of the Boy and/or Girl Scouts.

Bronze Pelican Criteria/Nomination Form

 



GIRL SCOUT ADDITIONAL LINKS AND RESOURCES

 

Catholic Scouting Links:

National Catholic Committee on Girl Scouts and Camp Fire
http://www.nfcym.org/gscf/index.htm

Scout Councils with the Diocese of Richmond:

Girl Scout Commonwealth Council of Virginia
http://www.comgirlscouts.org/

Girl Scouts of the Appalachian Council
http://www.girlscoutsappalachian.org/

Girl Scout Council of the Colonial Coast
http://www.gsccc.com/

Girl Scouts of Virginia Skyline Council
http://www.gsvsc.org/