Youth Religious Award Knot

Jessica sent in this question about the BSA youth religious award knot:

Hi there – I am wondering if the religious emblems of faith carry over from a cub scout uniform to a boy scout uniform or if it must be earned again in boy scouts. I know our religious organization has different programs for different ages for our emblem. Just wondering the logistics on this.

The Significance of the BSA Youth Religious Award Knot: Honoring Faith-Based Accomplishments

The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) youth religious award knot is a recognition award given to members of the BSA who have earned a youth religious emblem from their respective faith organization. This emblem knot is a way for the BSA to honor and recognize the faith-based accomplishments of its members.

The BSA has a long history of promoting a duty to God and encouraging its members to explore their own beliefs and values. The organization recognizes that faith is an important part of many young people’s lives and encourages them to earn a religious emblem from their respective faith organization. These emblems are designed to help young people deepen their faith and strengthen their character.

Wearing the Knot

The BSA youth religious award knot is a white square knot on a purple background. It is worn above the left pocket on the uniform of a BSA member who has earned a religious emblem. This knot represents the commitment to duty to God that is central to the BSA’s mission.

Scouts BSA may wear the knot if they earned a Cub Scout religious emblem. There are actually devices (small pins) they can wear on the knot to indicate at which levels they received awards.

Scouters who earned a religious emblem as a youth member of a Scouting organization may also wear the youth religious award knot. In fact, since I earned the Marian award as a Girl Scout, I wear the knot on my uniform.

A Partnership with Faith Organizations

To earn a religious emblem, a BSA member must work with their faith organization to complete a series of requirements. These requirements vary depending on the faith organization, but typically include learning about the tenets of the faith, participating in service projects, and demonstrating an understanding of the faith’s principles.

Even if the members of your unit belong to different faiths, they can all earn the appropriate religious emblem. For most denominations, the appropriate materials can be found at the P.R.A.Y website. For Catholic emblems, see the National Catholic Committee on Scouting. For Jewish emblems, see the National Jewish Committee on Scouting. For Islamic emblems, see the National Association of Muslim Americans on Scouting. Many other faiths also have emblems. Contact your local council for more information. In some cases, materials are available at your local Scout Shop.

Once a BSA member has earned a religious emblem, they are eligible to receive the youth religious award knot. This knot is a tangible recognition of the member’s commitment to their faith and their dedication to living out the principles of the BSA.

The BSA youth religious award knot is just one way that the organization recognizes and celebrates the diversity of its members’ beliefs and values. By encouraging young people to explore their faith and rewarding them for their achievements, the BSA is helping to build a generation of young leaders who are grounded in strong values and committed to making a positive impact in their communities.

The BSA youth religious award knot is a recognition award that honors the faith-based accomplishments of BSA members who have earned a religious emblem from their respective faith organization. This knot represents the commitment to duty to God that is central to the BSA’s mission and serves as a tangible reminder of the values and principles that guide the organization. By encouraging young people to explore their faith and rewarding them for their achievements, the BSA is helping to build a generation of young leaders who are grounded in strong values and committed to making a positive impact in their communities.

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2 responses to “Youth Religious Award Knot”

Beth

May 19, 2014

If she is referring to the actual emblems of faith from places like PRAY publishing, the answer varies. The medallions carry over, the pins are intended to be parent pins (like the rank pins) and are not worn on uniforms, the patches go on a “brag” vest, but are not worn on the uniform unless worn “temporarily” for some reason.

We’re looking into offering the PRAY program through our church, so I just finished researching all of this for our vestry proposal :).

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Mike Walton (Settummanque)

January 8, 2016

(psst!! the knot emblem shown here is *upside down*… just to let you know…)

Hey Jessica!! You wrote and asked us: “I am wondering if the religious emblems of faith carry over from a cub scout uniform to a boy scout uniform or if it must be earned again in boy scouts.”

All faiths representing in the BSA has a Cub Scout, Boy Scout, older Boy Scout/Varsity/Venturing, and an adult service religious award or emblem.

Your son, having earned the Cub Scout award, may wear that award on his Boy Scout, Varsity Scout, Venturing/Sea Scouting, and/or adult uniform *formally* at his desire.

The small silver knot emblem with a purple background *represents the fact* that he earned a religious emblem. There are small program devices (a Cub Scout one, a WEBELOS Cub Scout one, a Boy Scout one, a Varsity one, a Venturing one and a Sea Scout device) which are attached to the cloth knot emblem to symbolize in which program(s) he had earned a religious emblem within.

(take a look at http://www.scoutinsignia.com/devices.htm to see what I’m talking about.)

When he graduates and becomes a Boy Scout, he may wear the purple and silver knot emblem on his Boy Scout uniform (the same with the other programs too or when as an adult he continues to serve as a volunteer) in the same place. Again, when he earns the Boy Scout version of your faith’s religious emblem, he attaches a Boy Scout program pin beside the Cub Scout one on the knot emblem.

Beth is correct with regard to the other “elements” of the religious life programs offered by various faiths. Keep in mind that the religious emblems and awards are NOT BSA AWARDS — they are awarded by your faith community. The small silver and purple knot emblem is provided by the BSA to allow informal recognition that your son earned a faith award.

I wear that knot emblem above (only flipped over *heheheheee*) to represent that in 1974 I earned the God and Country Protestant religious award.

(Oh…how can you *tell* it’s upside down or not? There is a set of “long strands” and “short strands” for each square knot emblem — the square knot is worn so that the “long strands” as you look at the uniform shirt (or an illustration) is on the LEFT.

You can also go to http://www.scoutinsignia.com/openrack.htm and see all of the current and former BSA “knot emblems” displayed correctly.)

Congrats and I hope this helps out, Jessica!
Settummanque!

I know our religious organization has different programs for different ages for our emblem. Just wondering the logistics on this.

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