Bishop Earl Fernandes told young people at the annual Scout Day with the Bishop prayer service that following Scouting values gives them a great example of how to use their talents in a way that can make them feel good about themselves without hurting others.
“As Scouts, you work together as a team and can take pride in your work, knowing you’re using the gifts and talents God has given you to help people,” he said. “Sometimes, this may lead to feelings of being boastful and aggressive, but as Scouts, you never want to be jealous or have the feeling of putting others in their place.”
“Often, taking pride in what we do is accompanied by that feeling of thinking less of people’s accomplishments rather than being happy for them. Scouting teaches the values of hard work, of giving thanks for what our brothers and sisters can do and working together as a team, with each Scout respecting the values of the other.
“When Scouts stick together as a troop, they become a family and learn together the value of service, fulfilling what God wants for others. As St. Paul says, love always chooses the good of the other person, what’s best for them.
“Let us never be boastful or jealous, but always be willing to carry one another’s burdens, as in doing so, we fulfill the message of Christ.”
About 125 members of Scouts BSA, the Girl Scouts of America and the American Heritage Girls received Scout Day patches from the bishop at the ceremony on Saturday, Jan. 27 at the New Albany Church of the Resurrection. The patches recognized that in 2023 the young people earned various awards based on knowledge and practice of Catholic teaching.
The program was sponsored by the diocesan Catholic Committee on Scouting, which presented its Red Sash of Merit to Girl Scout Ella Goodwin of Powell St. Joan of Arc Church, American Heritage Girls member Annelise Perez of Columbus St. Patrick Church and Scouts BSA member Adam Rodenkirchen of Reynoldsburg St. Pius X Church. They were honored for earning other Catholic Scouting emblems and demonstrating leadership, accepting responsibility and being active in their troops, communities and parishes.
Goodwin also was recognized as the newest recipient of the Four Corners of My Faith emblem, given to members of Scouts BSA and Girl Scouts who have earned all four of their respective organizations’ national Catholic Scout emblems since 1992, when the current emblems program began.
Four adult leaders were presented the St. Elizabeth Seton medal by the National Catholic Committee for Girl Scouts for their work helping girls develop their spiritual lives within the context of Scouting. They are Kelly Hansen and Megan Hiss of American Heritage Girls Troop 0516 and Hilliard St. Brendan the Navigator Church and Hilary Staton and Heather Wilson of Girl Scout Troop 6378 and Reynoldsburg St. Pius X Church.
Beth Wiley of Cub Pack 169 and Scouts BSA Troop 169, sponsored by Columbus Our Lady of Peace Church, received the Bronze Pelican medal from the diocesan committee for her work in promoting Catholic Scouting and its religious emblems program.
BSA Troop 859 of Hilliard St. Brendan the Navigator Church was recognized as the Bishop’s Troop for combining active participation in religious activities with service to the community and to Scouting. Also honored were Cub Scout Pack 3326 of Reynoldsburg St. Pius X Church as the Bishop’s Pack and Columbus St. Patrick Church as the Bishop’s Parish for its American Heritage Girls programs, with St. Pius X Church Girl Scout troops, St. Brendan American Heritage Girls troops and Pack 859 from St. Brendan receiving honorable mentions.
Pack 169 and Troop 169 of Columbus Our Lady of Peace Church, Pack 332 and Troop 332 of Mount Vernon St. Vincent de Paul Church and Troop 310 of Columbus St. Matthias Church were recognized for receiving Pope Paul VI Quality Unit awards from the National Catholic Committee on Scouting.
More than 30 religious awards, some age-related and others for both young people and adults, are available to participants in Catholic Scouting. More information on all these is available by email from [email protected], Jodi Hatherly at [email protected] or Mike Manning at [email protected].
