Boy Scout Advancement Tip
January 09
Religious Emblems for
Boy Scouts, Varsity Scouts, Venturers and Explorers
"A Scout is Reverent." All Scouts show this by being faithful in their duty to God. Some go further and give special service. This can qualify them for a religious emblem. Such an emblem is not a Scouting award. It is conferred on a Scout by his religious leader. Each faith has its own requirements for earning its emblem. Listed below are the BOY SCOUT and VARSITY SCOUT emblems and where to find out about them. Before writing or visiting your local council service center, check with your religious leader.
(Unless indicated otherwise below, awards listed may be earned by both Boy Scouts and Varsity Scouts.) Older Boy Scouts of Varsity Scout age (over 14), Venturers, and Sea Scouts (and in some cases, Explorers) are eligible for any awards that Varsity Scouts may earn.
Most of the awards consist of bar pins, ribbons, and pendants, and are worn on the uniform above the left pocket on formal occasions. In addition, the Religious Emblem Square knot, shown at the top of this page, may be worn on the uniform over the left pocket by youth or adults who earned any of the religious awards. One or more miniature devices are affixed to the knot to indicate which level(s) of the award was earned.
Workbooks are available at the Scout Shop. There are workbooks for the scout and the adult working with him.
The following faiths or denominations have religious awards for Boy Scouts, Varsity Scouts, Venturers and/or Explorers:
- African Methodist Episcopal Church
- African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church
- Armenian Apostolic Church of America (Western Prelacy)
- Armenian Church of America (Eastern Diocese)
- Baha'i
- Baptist
- Buddhist
- Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
- Christian Methodist Episcopal Church
- Church of Christ, Scientist (Christian Scientist)
- Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- Churches of Christ
- Community of Christ
(formerly the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - Eastern Catholic
- Eastern Orthodox
- Episcopal
- General Church of the New Jerusalem (The New Church)
- Hindu
- Islamic
- Jewish
- Lutheran
- Meher Baba
- Moravian
- Polish National Catholic Church
- Presbyterian Church in America
- Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
- Protestant and Independent Christian Churches
(Available to any Christian denomination) - Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)
- Roman Catholic
- The Salvation Army
- Unitarian-Universalist
- United Church of Christ
- United Methodist
- United Pentecostal Church International
- Unity Churches
- Zoroastrian
