Pope Pius XII

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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. 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 safe environment and BSA Safeguarding Youth Training 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

• A trained Religious Emblems coordinator/counselor/moderator is required to work with young people pursuing this Religious Emblem.
• 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 Scout Chaplin 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 schedule 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 Scout Chaplin 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 Religious Emblem Coordinator or Diocesan Scout Chaplin 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.

Ordering of Emblems

• Each diocese has one or two individuals who are designated to purchase Religious Emblems. Only these NCCS authorized submitters are allowed to order Religious Emblems for their diocese.

Presentation

• Many dioceses present their religious emblems in their cathedral, either in the context of a liturgy or a prayer service. The key is to make it special and memorable. View the Religious Emblems Reference Manual for presentation information to share with your Diocese.
• Please consult with your Religious Emblem Coordinator or Diocesan Scout Chaplin to determine when and where the next award ceremony will be held.
• The religious knot should be presented at a Troop Court of Honor. However, it can be presented along with the Emblem.