Religious Emblems

“A Scout is Reverent” is the twelfth point of the Scout Law and each Cub Scout rank includes one or more required “Duty to God” adventures in order to complete the requirements for the rank. One of the options for those adventures is to “Earn the religious emblem of your faith that is appropriate for your age or grade.” Beyond fulfilling that particular requirement, working on a religious emblem is a great way for Scouts to learn more about the faith in which they and their family already participate. 

Religious emblems are created by the individual faith groups to encourage their members to grow in their faith. The BSA has approved of these programs and allows the emblems to be worn on the official uniform, but the emblems are administered by the various religious groups, not the BSA. Parents and religious leaders are the teachers, not the Pack or Den leaders. In addition, many faith group religious emblem programs have more than one level. A young person who has earned a religious emblem as a younger Scout, may progress to the next level and earn another emblem. Scouts are not required to earn a religious emblem (again, not all faith groups offer religious emblems), but if they do, they are eligible to receive the universal religious square knot (which can be worn all throughout Scouting, including on an adult uniform).

Quick Start

  • There are one or more religious emblem awards available for many of the various faith groups. Please refer to the BSA Religious Emblems Overview document for an overview of the religious emblem program as well as a complete list of currently available religious emblems.
  • If you are a member of MSPC or have interest in the Presbyterian (USA) religious emblems and associated process, please contact Rev. Russell Smith.
  • For more information regarding the Catholic religious emblems and associated process, please contact the Pack Advancement Chair.
  • For more information regarding religious emblems for any other faith group, please contact the Pack Religious Emblems Coordinator.

Detailed Process

The process for starting and completing a religious emblem various slightly between the various faith groups, but the process is generally the following:

  1. The Scout decides to earn the religious emblem (if one is available) for their specific faith.
  2. Notify the Pack Religious Emblems Coordinator of the intention to work on a religious emblem as help and/or advice can be provided for items 3-5 that follow. The specific religious emblem being worked on will be kept confidential.
  3. Families should review the specific guidelines for the particular program (see links in item 3 above), check the age/grade requirements, and adhere to the eligibility guidelines. Please refer to the BSA Chart of Religious Emblems and/or P.R.A.Y. Religious Emblems website for this information.
  4. The specific booklet for the faith group religious emblem is obtained by the family, or it may be provided by the faith group (not typical though). Please refer to the links in item 3 above for information on how to obtain the necessary materials for the particular religious emblem award.
  5. Families should talk to their faith group leader(s) and show them the booklet before beginning any program. Some faith groups may have related classes that may be directly applicable to the related religious emblem.
  6. The Scout needs to complete the requirements and obtain the proper signatures to finish the particular religious emblem award requirements.
  7. Notify the Pack Religious Emblems Coordinator when the religious emblem has been completed.
  8. The family can then follow the instructions from the faith group religious emblem program to order the appropriate emblem/award item(s). These emblems are not available at the local Council Scout Shop and should be paid for by the Scout’s family or the faith group itself.
  9. The Scout and family should decide with advice from their faith group if the religious emblem should be presented at a faith group meeting and/or at a Pack event. 
  10. The BSA youth religious square knot can be presented to the Scout at a Pack event and the associated religious emblem earned can be announced or not at the discretion of the family. Otherwise, the specific religious emblem will be kept confidential.

We would be very proud if our Scouts earned the religious emblems for their faith. Please talk with your Scout about this program and don’t forget to notify the Pack’s Religious Emblem Coordinator if your Scout is going to participate. Even though this is a project that will be done with your family and your faith group leader(s), the unit will be interested in your child’s progress and want to provide as much encouragement as possible.

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