Scouts earn religious medals for service to their Catholic, Jewish, and Islamic faiths

Above: Aidan, Alex, and Mikhail were honored by their respective religious leaders (contributed photo)

Three Southborough scouts recently earned special recognition for their religious service. My Southborough reader Bob sent in this report:

A Scout is reverent. He is faithful in his religious duties and respects the convictions of others in matters of custom and religion. Some go further and give special service. This can qualify them for a religious emblem. It is conferred on a Scout by his religious leader. Each faith has its own requirements for earning its emblem. Three boys in Pack 921 recently earned their respective medals in three different religions. Aidan earned the Jewish Maccabee Medal, Alex earned the Catholic Parvuli Dei Medal, and Mikhail earned the Islamic Bismillah Medal.

Pack 921 in Southborough, which is part of the Knox Trail Council of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), is sponsored by St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, and has a membership of 44 boys representing 17 different countries and 5 different religions. This Pack is a wonderful example of strength and diversity as the boys learn and grow. The BSA “Declaration of Religious Principle” states that “no member can grow into the best kind of citizen without recognizing an obligation of God and, therefore, recognizes the religious element in the training of the member, but it is absolutely nonsectarian in its attitude toward that religious training.”

Pack 921 is in its fourth year of existence, and has been recognized by the BSA with the Quality Unit Award for the fourth straight year.