Religious emblems awarded to Utah Scouts

Friday, Feb. 10, 2017

SALT LAKE CITY — The pews of the Cathedral of the Madeleine filled with proud parents on Feb. 4, waiting for the Scout Saturday Awards Ceremony to begin. As Father Martin Diaz, the cathedral rector, began to speak, the Scouts filed into the cathedral as well. Soon the crowd was lined with both Scouts and Scoutmasters, standing at attention, ready to receive awards and to honor each other’s achievements.

 The awards that the Scouts received that day signified attaining a higher understanding of what the Catholic Church teaches, said Nancy Reading, the diocesan chairperson for the Catholic Community on Scouting.

Although most, but not all, of the Scouts who were being honored at the ceremony were Catholic, “Scouting is for everyone, regardless of race, color or creed,” Reading said. “We are all one in the uniform and in our duty to God. The Scouting culture is a rich legacy where respect and service to each other unites us.”

Fr. Diaz began the ceremony with a prayer of thanks for the work the scouts have done. “May [these Scouts] never tire of the joy of helping other people or look the other way when someone is in need,” he prayed. “Help them to face the most disagreeable odds cheerfully.”

The St. Olaf Boy Scouts and the St. Ambrose Cub Pack then performed the flag ceremony. The pledge of allegiance was recited, followed by the Boy Scout oath and Girl Scout promise. Fr. Diaz took his place at the front of the crowd, congratulating the Scouts on their work and their faith.

He discussed the parable of the Prodigal Son, which often focuses on the two sons, he said, but he  noted that  the word “prodigal”  means to be wastefully extravagant or to give something on a lavish scale. The one who is truly prodigal in the parable is the father, who was prodigal with his love and forgiveness for his undeserving son, Fr. Diaz said.

Just like the father in the parable, God is prodigal in how he gives his love, Fr. Diaz said. “But, how do we say thank you to God [for his love]?” Fr. Diaz asked. “Well, when I was a Boy Scout, we had a rule: to leave a campsite cleaner than we left it.” God’s gift of love is like that campsite, he said, and everyone’s duty to treat that gift well and respect it.

After Fr. Diaz blessed the religious emblems, the Scouts were called forward one by one to receive them. Eight different emblems were awarded; three to Girl Scouts, four to Cub Scouts and one to Eagle Scouts. 

This year, each of the three Girl Scout emblems went to a different recipient, while 27 Cub Scouts received the various emblems available to them. 

The Ad Altare Dei emblem, which takes nine months of studying the seven sacraments to earn, was presented to Eagle Scout Riley Crezee.

Crezee, a St. James the Just parishioner, has been in Scouting for seven years. The emblem only further encouraged him and reminded him why he loves the Boy Scout program, he said. “Part of it is the camaraderie and part is learning the life skills I will be able to use for as long as I live,” Crezee said.

Also recognized were Scout leaders Ray Salazar and Arthur Lipman, who received the Bronze Pelican award. This award “is a diocesan recognition given to adults who have made a significant and outstanding contribution to the spiritual development of Catholic youth in Scouts,” Reading said.

Salazar served as a Cub Master and belongs to the Silver Beaver Association, which is open to members of the Scouting community who have had a meaningful impact on the lives of youth. 

Lipman has been both Cub Master and Scoutmaster, and served on the National and local Council Jewish Committee for Scouting.

Reading closed the awarding of religious emblems by saying, “Each of you [Scouts] made the conscientious choice to do God’s work instead of spending a few extra hours in front of the TV or a gaming console.  I want to thank each of you, and congratulate you on your accomplishments and good choices.”