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CATHOLIC BOY SCOUT SUMMER ADVENTURE WEEK
When: July 19-25
The time is now to consider taking your troop the Catholic Adventure week next summer and register before the lottery deadline.

This week at Swift Base is packed with fun, high adventure, unique merit badges, dining hall service and faith-building activities.  Sign up as a unit or individual Scouts.

You can schedule this week as your main week of camp or as a second week.  It will be like a regular week of camp but more...

Go to the Camping page of this website for forms and more info on this special week or call the Camping department at 314-361-0600.

This is a tremendous program for our Catholic Scouts and Scouters not to miss... be there in 2009!

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ADULT SCOUTER RETREAT/SCOUTER DEVELOPMENT
When: Nov.  8-9
This new adult retreat format will be offered again this November.  During the Saturday through Sunday program, you will gain some great experiences on how to engage the Scouts you serve to enjoy more of youth ministry.

More information will be out soon and mark your calendar...

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SCOUT SUNDAY AWARDS
The following award nominations and applications will be due on Dec. 7.  This is one month earlier, so get your paperwork ready.  Send your packet to Ann at her address above or to get more info. 

The St. George Award is the highest Scouting-related honor that the Archdiocese may confer upon adults for their service to youths and the Church. 

Archbishops Award Crew
Archbishops Award Troop
Outstanding Unit: 
Honor Unit:
Merit Unit: 

Chaplains Award Pack
Outstanding Unit: 
Honor Unit: 
Merit Unit: 

National Gold Medallion Award

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RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS COUNSELOR TRAINING
Call Greg or Liz Webb at 314-428-6234 for more info.

The next training will take place soon. Call Greg at the number above to RSVP. . .

Sept. 13, 1 to 4 p.m.
Beaumont Scout Reservation (During Youth  Retreat)

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THE TORCH IS PASSED - NEW CCS CHAPLAIN
After 25 years, Fr. Mike Donald served the Catholic Committee on Scouting as its chaplain and stepped down this summer.  The archdiocese and Scout council are extremely grateful to Fr. Mike as our spiritual leader for our Scouts these many years.  We wish Fr. Mike the best on his new endeavors.  Thank you!

Archbishop Burke has announced that Fr. Ed Nemeth will be the new Scout chaplain.  Fr. Ed is an Eagle Scout and recently did two summer camp tours as camp chaplain at S bar F Scout Ranch.   Please help welcome Fr. Ed to this new opportunity with the Scouts.

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POPE JOHN PAUL II AWARD - New Award Program
The program is designed for youth involved in Scouting .

The program was created by members of our Catholic committees, religious, priests, deacons, principals, educators and the staff at the Catholic Youth Apostolate and the Office of Catholic Scouting. The program was approved by Most Reverend Raymond Burke, archbishop of St. Louis, in June 2007.

For more information on how your Scouts can earn this award, please click on this link:

http://www.cycstl.net/scouts/Whats%20new.htm

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THUNDERBIRD DISTRICT OFFERS AD ALTARE DEI AND POPE PIUS XII SESSIONS FOR METRO SCOUTS
Through the Religious Emblems program of the Catholic Committee on Scouting, a boy can learn how to put his faith and his Scouting together in an integrated learning experience. By working on the religious emblem for his age, a boy reinforces what he learns in the parish religious education program. This can lead to his selection of a religious vocation. The Scouting apostolate is truly a most important aspect of youth ministry in our Church.

The Scout Oath and Law teaches a boy respect for authority, develops an attitude of service and encourages the Christian way of life.
 
The Knights of Columbus Council No. 453, sponsoring organization for the St. Mary Magdalen Boy Scout Troop 115 of the Thunderbird District, has volunteered to provide the Thunderbird District with an Ad Altare Dei and Pope Pius XII Catholic Award Program for interested troops.  Troop 16, from St. Cecilia's Parish, has graciously volunteered to aid the St. Mary Magdalen troop with the execution of these programs.   Laura Collins and Tony Mortellaro, adult leaders from Troop 16, and Ed Bradley, the Catholic Committee for Scouting liaison to the Thunderbird District, will be assisting in this endeavor. 

The start date for learning sessions is Sunday, May 7, at the St. Mary Magdalen school cafeteria, starting at 9:30 a.m. with an opportunity of celebrating mass at 10:30 a.m. 

For more information, please feel free to contact Joe Miklovic at 314-353-1062 (home) or 314-641-8696 (work).

For Boy Scouts and Varsity Scouts: Ad Altare Dei . . .
A scripture-study and project-centered program based on the sacraments to relate the boy's Scouting life to his religious life.  The Ad Altare Dei award, the first religious award of any kind for Boy Scouts, was initiated in 1945.  The CYC began administering the program in 1964; however, their records date back to 1955.  Since then, approximately 10,000 Catholic Boy Scouts have earned this award.  The St. Louis Archdiocese has awarded more Ad Altare Dei medals than any other diocese in the United States.

For Older Scouts and Venturers: Pope Pius XII . . .
A program to help the teenager learn more about his/her personal vocation as a Christian now and his/her career vocation later.

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CATHOLIC COMMITTEE PROGRAM CALENDAR FOR 2008-2009
updated 5-8-08

2008
September 12-14          Catholic Boy Scout & Venturer  
                                           Encounter Weekend

October 22               Catholic Committee on Scouting Meeting

November 1            Feast of All Saints

November 8, 9        Scouter Development/Adult Retreat

December 5             Catholic unit and adult award nominations due

December 6             AAD & PPXII Day of Recollection

December 8             Feast of the Immaculate Conception

December 25           Christmas

2009

January 6                Feast of the Epiphany

January 11              Ad Altare Dei Board of Review

January 13              Ad Altare Dei Board of Review

January 13              Ad Altare Dei and Pope Pius Applications due

January 28              Catholic Committee on Scouting Meeting

February 8              Scout Sunday - Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis

February 25            Ash Wednesday

March 25                 Catholic Committee on Scouting Meeting

April 4                      Catholic Cub Day

April 5                      Palm Sunday

April 9                      Maundy Thursday – Show Me St. Louis show

April 10                    Good Friday

April 12                    Easter

April 22                    Catholic Committee on Scouting Annual Recognition
                                 Dinner & Mass

July19-25                 Catholic Adventure Summer camp week at S bar F

July 20-August 5      Biennial St. George Trek

August 26                Catholic Committee on Scouting Meeting

September 25-27     Catholic Boy Scout & Venturer Youth Retreat

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BUILDING ASSETS THROUGH RELIGIOUS AWARDS
When children participate in a religious award program, they know that when they complete all the requirements they will receive an award. What they may not know is that they will also have received a great number of "assets."

Developmental assets, as defined by Search Institute of Minneapolis, Minn., are the positive things that young people need in order to grow up to be healthy, caring and responsible adults. Research has shown that the more assets young people have, the more likely they are to engage in positive behaviors (i.e., volunteering or doing well in school) and the less likely they will engage in at-risk behaviors (alcohol use or violence). These 40 developmental assets fall into eight different categories: support, empowerment, boundaries and expectations, constructive use of time, commitment to learning, positive values, social competencies and positive identity.

Religious awards programs are uniquely designed to build assets in children and youth. Of course, the primary goal of religious awards is to help children grow stronger in faith, but a secondary goal is to help families and faith communities build assets in children.

When young people work alongside counselors, mentors, and religious leaders, and when parents are encouraged to share their faith with their children, the religious awards programs are helping provide the SUPPORT mechanisms in their lives.

When young people design service projects for their congregations and take active roles in reaching out to their communities, the religious awards programs are contributing to youth EMPOWERMENT.

When counselors, mentors, religious leaders, and scouting leaders have high expectations for young people and take the opportunity to talk about respect, obedience and not only how people should behave but WHY, the religious awards programs are helping instill BOUNDARIES AND EXPECTATIONS.

When young people do independent work at home, attend worship services and youth group and do volunteer service projects for their community, the religious awards programs are helping them make CONSTRUCTIVE USE OF TIME.

When young people are motivated to earn an award, the religious awards programs are strengthening their COMMITMENT TO LEARNING.

When young people articulate their faith and embrace the values of honesty, responsibility, and restraint, the religious awards programs are nurturing POSITIVE VALUES.

When young people talk about choices and learn how their faith impacts their choices, the religious awards programs are improving their SOCIAL COMPETENCIES.

When young people are brought up within a faith community and are valued members of that faith community, the religious awards programs are strengthening their POSITIVE IDENTITY.

The religious awards programs are excellent tools to help young people connect the values that they learn in  Scouting with the values taught by their faith community. They are also tools that congregations can use to help build assets in children and youth. Take the time to learn about the religious awards programs. Your children and young people will benefit!

For more information on Search Institute, visit their web site at http://www.search-institute.org/