Annual Scout Mass

Sunday, May 2 at 2:00 PM at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. Msgr. John Ossola, chaplain for this committee, will be the main celebrant. Other V.I.P.'s will be invited. This Mass is for those Scouts who have finished the Ad Altare Dei, Pope Pius XII, Mary the First Disciple, or the Spirit Alive program in the past year to come and receive and blessing and their award. I also invite ALL SCOUTS to come and participate for a simple recognition for earning ANY of the other religious awards available to Catholic Scouts. Special registration information will be sent in the Spring.

Scout Sunday

Boy Scouts of America will 100 years old in 2010! This anniversary makes Scout Sunday on February 7 an even more significant event to commemorate in your parish! Go to the National Catholic Committee on Scouting webpage for ideas on how to celebrate: www.nccs-bsa.org. And check out this patch you can use with your Scout Sunday celebration! These can be ordered at www.scoutstuff.org or they might be in stock at your local Scout supply office.

Girl Scouts celebrate Scout Sunday on March 7, 2010. Girl Scouts USA will celebrate a centennial in 2012 =)

National Catholic Quality Unit Award - Pope Paul VI

The National Catholic Quality Unit Award - Pope Paul VI is a unit award option that recognizes excellence for BSA packs, troops, crews or ships that are chartered by a Catholic institution (parish, Knights of Columbus, etc.) Requirement areas cover adult training and leadership, service by the unit, religious emblems, religious activities, vocation awareness, relationships and membership. Go to the Diocesan Catholic Committee on Scouting webpage for more information. Any number of units can earn this award in a given year!

Gold Medallion Award

The Gold Medallion Award Program is an award that recognizes one outstanding Catholic Cub Scout Pack, Boy Scout Troop, and Venturing Crew in each of the fifteen Episcopal Regions of the United States. The purpose of the Gold Medallion Award is to promote the National Catholic Committee of Scouting initiative to increase Scouting units, youth members, and adult leaders. National Gold Medallion winners epitomize those units that excel at providing youth with quality programs including religious activities, religious emblems participation, outdoor activities, and special events that encompass the religious, vocational, and educational aspects of Scouting under Catholic auspices. Any Catholic chartered BSA unit can qualify for the Golden Medallion Award. Click here to download an award application. Deadline is January 5, 2010.

Religious Activities Committee

The Religious Activities Committee has scheduled several new events. There will be two Fall Retreats for Scouts to work on Light of Christ, Parvuli Dei, Family of God or the I Live My Faith religious programs. The first will be Saturday, October 30, 2010 and the second on Saturday, November 13, 2010. Locations to be announced. And, for those who like to plan long-term, we are planning a Day of Recollection on Sunday, March 20, 2011 for those working on Ad Altare Dei, Pope Pius XII, Mary the First Disciple and the Spirit Alive programs.

Training Committee

The next Counselor training for adults to help with the Ad Altare Dei, Pope Pius XII, Mary the First Disciple and the Spirit Alive programs is scheduled for Sunday, March 21, 2010. There will be a live training session at the Catholic Pastoral Center in Springfield, but this session will also be broadcast live over the internet as a webinar. If you have not been through training in the past three year, please renew your certification through this training session.

Committee Meeting Schedule

· February 21, 2010 at 2 PM, Ss. Peter & Paul, Collinsville

· April 18 at 2 PM, St. Aloysius, Springfield

· June 27 at 2 PM, Effingham

· August plans are being made for a meeting in Quincy

· October 24, host needed in the Springfield area!

· December 5 - host needed!

Meetings are open to all. There are openings for any of the sub-committees. Please share your gifts and talents!

The Diocesan Catholic Committee on Scouting serves the 28 counties in the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois. This area covers all or portions of 5 Boy Scout Councils and 2 Girl Scout Councils including:

Girl Scouts of Central Illinois,
Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois,
Mississippi Valley Council,
Lewis & Clark Council,
Abraham Lincoln Council,
Prairieland Council, and
Lincoln Trails Council.