The Saint George Trek is The National Catholic Committee on Scouting’s® high adventure Catholic leadership program for older Catholic Boy Scouts and Venture Crew members at Philmont Scout Ranch. The program brings Catholic high school youth from around the country together with selected priests, religious and seminarians for eleven days of backpacking in the context of a vocation retreat.  More info will be available later in the Spring.

The Diocesan Catholic Committee on Scouting (DCCS) consists of Catholic Scouters who are registered in one or more of the many Scouting programs of the Diocese of Worcester. These include the BSA, American Heritage Girls and Girl Scouts of Central/Western Massachusetts among parts or all of four Councils and service areas. Adjunct members of the committee include the Chartered Organization Representatives of all Scouting units which are sponsored by the Catholic parishes within the Worcester Diocese.
 
The DCCS is overseen by the Bishop of Worcester, the Very Rev. Robert J. McManus, through the Office of Youth Ministry. Our responsibilities include the administration of the Catholic Scouting emblem program, including the certification of all instructors of the many emblem programs. In addition, our committee’s tasks encompass all areas of Catholic Scouting such as religious activities, Catholic youth and adult membership development, new unit sponsorship and training in the various Scouting programs within the Diocese and more.
 
Please check out our most recent events and activities on Facebook at @WorcesterDCCS
For questions regarding any of the above or to express interest in other areas of related involvement in our committee’s work please contact DCCS Chairman John Atlas by phone at (508) 856-0303 or via email at Scoutmaster.Troop9@gmail.com
 

Any scout actively working on their Catholic religious emblem award needs to submit their completed workbook forms to the Diocese of Worcester.  Boy Scout awards are $20 (paid for by either the scout’s home parish or scout’s unit) and Girl Scouts - $15.  Checks can be made out to RC Bishop of Worcester.  Completed forms and checks should be mailed to: Diocese of Worcester, Attn: Deacon Bill White Catholic Scouting 49 Elm Street Worcester, MA 01609. 


 

If you'd like to make a donation to support our emblem program, please click here!

Because the Catholic Church considers Scouting as part of their overall Youth Ministry program, the Scouter Development Conference is designed to help all participants trust and be comfortable with each other. Through guided reflection and active participation, Scouters discern how they are called by Christ and his church to leadership, to holiness, to conversion, and to worship. Throughout the process, participants recognize the prompting of the Holy Spirit within a small community of faith. Catholic Scouters, on their part, do fulfill the role of the lay apostolate. Their involvement in the secular realm of the Boy Scouts of America, gives them the opportunity to carry out the necessary task of evangelizing the secular world, especially through education of children and adolescents.

When and where is the conference?
The conference will be held on Saturday November 3, 2018 at St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Dudley, MA. The conference will begin at 8:30am and conclude with Mass at 4:00pm. Lunch and drinks will be provided.
 
What does it cost to attend?
There is no charge to attend the conference. The Worcester Diocese Scouting Committee is underwriting the cost of the conference in order to get our sponsored units to understand the importance of their role in the overall youth ministry program of the Diocese.
 
How do I register?
You may register through the Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry by using the link below:

Click here to register for the Catholic Scouter Develoment Conference

A Scout is Reverent
 
The Worcester Diocese Catholic Committee on Scouting is calling for nominations for Adult Catholic Religious Awards due by February 20, 2019. Nominations should be sent to Bob Ryan, CCOS Nominations Chair, 8 Colonial Drive, Shrewsbury, MA 01545.
The awards are to recognize those adults in Scouting who have participated in promoting and teaching Catholic Faith Formation in Scouting through religious emblem programs, Scout Sunday observance, and various other activities relating to the Faith.

The Bronze Pelican and the St. George Emblem are for those adults involved in the Cub and/or Boy Scout programs. A nominee for the Bronze Pelican has significantly influenced Catholic Scouting for at least three years. Nominees for the St. George emblem have previously received the Bronze Pelican and have made significant and outstanding contributions to the spiritual development of Catholic youths through Scouting. Nomination forms should give a detailed description of how the nominee provides such outstanding contributions.

The St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Award and the St. Anne Adult Award are for those adults involved in Girl Scouts and/or American Heritage Girls programs. The St. Elizabeth Ann Seton award is intended to recognize notable contributions to the field of youth ministry. The St. Anne award is to honor the outstanding service of adults contributing to the spiritual development of Catholic members of girls’ organizations.  A candidate for St. Elizabeth Ann Seton must have given a minimum of three years active service to youth as an adult.  A candidate for St. Anne must have given a minimum of seven years active service to youth as an adult.
 
Nomination Forms are available via the related links:

Bronze Pelican
St. George
St. Anne
St. Elizabeth Anne Seton
 

The Worcester Diocesan Catholic Committee on Scouting is offering for purchase a new Scout Sunday patch - with button loop - for units to provide to their Scouts and leaders as an incentive for participation in Scout Sunday activities in 2019. The patch is not restricted to Catholic Scouts, but rather all Scouts no matter their faith are eligible to receive one as determined by their unit leadership.

Cost of the patch is $3. Proceeds from the modestly-priced patch will help to defray - and perhaps eliminate - the costs of the medal programs for Scouts who seek to earn one or more of the four medals in the Catholic Diocese. Please use the form below to order, and contact John Atlas at scoutmastertroop9@gmail.com if you have any questions. Thank you for your help in promoting this program. 

Scout Sunday Patch Order Form

Diocesan Catholic Committee on Scouting Chair  John Atlas -  phone: (508) 856-0303, email:Scoutmaster.Troop9@gmail.com

for Girl Scouts: Linda Brink stanthonydudleyreled@gmail.com

for Boy Scouts: Deacon Bill White, Episcopal liaison wwhite148@gmail.com    508-929-4330

for American Heritage Girls located at Our Lady of Loreto - Lynn Minisian-Somers lmmsomers@gmail.com

Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry: Tim Messenger tmessenger@worcesterdiocese.org 508-929-4360

* For more information on Boy Scout Religious Emblem program check out   

*For more information on the Girl Scout Religious Recognition program go to http://www.nfcym.org/patches

*For an easy to read brochure of the different religious awards offered through Girl Scouts, click on this  link http://www.nfcym.org/patches

* Information on American Heritage Girls go to https://www.americanheritagegirls.org/

*John Atlas, Quinsigamond District Awards Program Coordinator-for those interested in Ad Altare Dei and Pope Pius XII medal programs in the Central Mass/Mohegan Council area email John at scoutmastertroop9@gmail.com