New Executive Board members elected to serve on NCCS governing board
Joe Bouley and Kathleen Polowski have been elected for two-year terms as Vice Chairs of the Executive Board of the National Catholic Committee on Scouting, which is the governing body of the organization. They will be recognized and assume their positions at the end of the Executive Board meeting on Sunday, April 23, 2023.
The following members were also elected to the positions as indicated:
Region 1 Chaplain Fr. Leo LeBlanc
Region 2 Chair Ron Derway
Region 3 Chair Bill Jenkins
Region 5 Chaplain Fr. Troy Overton
Region 6 Chaplain Msgr. James Kolp
Region 7 Chair Chris Brandt
Region 9 Chair Sandy Rongish
Region 12 Chaplain Fr. Leo McDowell
Region 14 Chair Phil Krajek
Region 15 Chaplain Deacon Lance Weakland
Joe Reilly will replace Joe Bouley as Region 13 Chair when he takes his role as Vice Chair.
Scholarship program expands as program ends second decade of awards
You will not want to miss this! A new scholarship award is being unveiled at the Bishop’s Luncheon in Kansas City at the 2023 Member Assembly. Watch for more information coming soon. Excitement builds as we wait to find out who will be the 2023 NCCS Scholarship recipients! This year marks the 19th year that the National Catholic Committee on Scouting (NCCS) has awarded scholarships to Catholic Scouts for service to their parishes, communities, schools, and Scouting. Through 2023, NCCS will have awarded $245,000 to scholarship recipients since the program began in 2005 as the Emmett J. Doerr Memorial Scout Scholarship. That year, three scholarships totaling $5,000 were awarded. The NCCS Scholarship program has grown to ten scholarships totaling $27,000 being awarded each year with the addition of $20,000 in Emmett J. Doerr Scholarships, the $3,000 Frank Parater Scholarship, the $2,000 Bill and Kay Davies Scholarship, and the $2,000 Tony & Patrice Steenkolk Family Scholarship.
VOLUME 32 NO. 1— Spring 2023
Bouley Polowski
NCCS plans centennial PLUS Celebration starting in 2023
By Kathleen Polowski
Scouting history. Our heritage. Where did it all begin and where is it going? Recently I had the opportunity to host a Scouting Heritage merit badge clinic for a dozen Scouts, boys and girls, new crossovers and an “almost-Eagle” Scout. They talked about Lord Robert Baden-Powell with a mixture of wonder and respect for a man who had the vision to challenge young people to be better and do better, to
FROM THE CHAIR
On the evening of Friday March 10th at The Oklahoma Zoo, Cub Pack 159 chartered to All Saints Catholic School in Norman held their annual crossover. Among one of those participating was my granddaughter, Nichole. Nichole received her Arrow of Light that evening. She was the first young lady to receive that award from that Pack. I had forgotten that the Arrow of Light is the highest rank in Cub Scouts and the only one that Nichole may wear on her new Scouting BSA uniform. Her grandparents are proud.
Scouting is alive and growing especially Catholic Scouting. Churches are once again understanding the need for rhe Scouting program in our society. Congratulations to all those Cub Scouts who crossed over this Spring
learn and grow, and to embrace a duty to God, country, self and to serve others with courtesy and kindness.
How exciting it must have been for Ernest Thompson Seton, Daniel Carter Beard, William Boyce and James E. West to start this new Scouting adventure in the United States and see it grow rapidly, and how exciting it must have been for our Catholic youth to join in the fun. Early records show that Troop
1 in St. Paul, Minnesota was BSA’s first Catholic-chartered troop, way back in 1910! BSA created a “Catholic Bureau” in 1914 with Victor Ridder as the National Commissioner and a decade later, the first Catholic Committee on Scouting was formed in 1924 in New York City by Victor Ridder and Brother Barnabas. NCCS invites you to join in the celebration and learn more about our Catholic heritage in Scouting over the years.
Why the plus sign? Catholic Scouts have been involved in BSA programs since its founding, 113 years ago! Thus, a centennial celebration PLUS!
One hundred years PLUS, deserves a BIG celebration! If you would like to be part of the planning team, please contact me at kpolo55@gmail.com or call 480244-6806.
The Bridge is an authorized publication of the National Catholic Committee on Scouting (NCCS). It is published quarterly to provide news and information to members of the NCCS, diocesan Catholic committees, youth ministry personnel and Boy Scout councils.
NCCS National Chair
John Anthony
Father Gerard Gentleman Chair, Marketing and Public Relations
NCCS National Chaplain
Jason Wolz Advisor, Marketing and Public Relations
Father Roger Lopez Editor
Mike Gannon
To submit items for future editions of The Bridge please contact Mike Gannon at scouttrain@aol.com. Photos are acceptable and should be in a jpeg format. Please ensure all people in photos are identified and the subject matter is fully described.
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Yours in Catholic Scouting as a youth ministry,
JohnAnthony NCCSNationalChair2022-2025
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The Chaplain’s Corner
Father Gerard Gentleman
National Chaplain
CHRIST IS RISEN! INDEED, HE IS RISEN! HAPPY EASTER!
“And it happened that, while he was with them at table, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. With that their eyes were opened, and they recognized him.”
Taken from the twenty-fourth chapter of St. John’s Gospel, the passage known as, “The Road to Emmaus,” is my favorite narrative of an encounter with the resurrected Lord. Among the many reasons why I have a preference for this account is its Eucharistic elements. Jesus only becomes recognizable to these disciples when he does the familiar act of taking, blessing, and breaking the bread in front of them. In this action, they came to realize who had been with them along the way. This is most certainly a Eucharistic gesture, one that we ourselves can easily recognize.
The church’s Eucharistic Revival hopes to create not only a deeper understanding of the Eucharist but a longing for and a deeper appreciation of holy mass. As leaders in Catholic Scouting and mentors of young disciples we are called to examine our practice of faith. Has mass become commonplace, routine or even taken for granted in your life? Just three years ago we were living amidst a pandemic quarantine which kept us away from mass and the reception of Holy Communion. Did that experience of Eucharistic absence open your eyes to the value of our Lord’s Eucharistic presence in your life? What about now? Has fervor and practice waned? What about the young people we serve? What is our responsibility in fostering Eucharistic appreciation and practice among them? Do you not only encourage but facilitate attendance at Sunday mass when we are camping or away from home for Scouting events? I urge you to reflect on these questions for yourself and your Scouts. I also encourage you to promote participation in the new Eucharistic Revival Activity patch which the National Catholic Committee on Scouting (NCCS) will be introducing shortly.
NCCS Bishop Liaison – Our organization benefits from the direct relationship we have with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) through our Bishop Liaison. For the last six years we have enjoyed the advocacy and wisdom of Bishop Daniel Conlon, our current liaison. Bishop Conlon has announced to us that his term of service with us will be ending, and a new bishop liaison has been appointed. Archbishop Broglio, president of the USCCB has appointed the Most Reverend Michael W. Fisher, bishop of the Diocese of Buffalo, NY as liaison to the NCCS effective June 1, 2023. Bishop Fisher is an Eagle Scout and has readily said that his experience as a Scout was an import part of his path to priesthood. We are grateful that he has accepted this appointment and look forward to his guidance and leadership. With gsratitude to almighty God, I ask you to join me in offering prayers of thanksgiving for the priesthood and episcopal ministry of Bishops Conlon and Fisher.
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An Open Letter to all Catholic Scouters
FROM: Bishop R. Daniel Conlon, Bishop Liaison to the NCCS
Generation after generation, Scouting has proven to be an effective instrument for forming young people physically, mentally, and morally. It has also lent itself to the spiritual development of its members, but only with concerted effort on the part of chartered partners and adult leaders.
Maybe Baden-Powell assumed that religion was such an integral part of the culture of his day that it did not need special emphasis in his new youth program. Or maybe, given the history and the then current circumstances of religion in England and the British empire, he felt it was better to allow the local Scout units, in collaboration with their chartered partners, to find their own way spiritually. Being “reverent”, the twelfth point of the Scout Law, is even vaguer than the “duty to God” subscribed in the Scout Oath. These commitments that Scouts and Scouters routinely and publicly make can easily be construed as innocuous as our American civil “religion.”
I don’t mean these comments to be critical or negative. Far better that Scouting consciously support the religious dimension of life than not. I make the point only for the sake of perspective. When average persons (not the readers of this publication!) think of Scouting, they think about things like camping, uniforms, Eagles, and merit badges. Frankly, that’s what most Scouts and Scouters think about. Religious formation is not likely to cross their minds.
In my opinion, this is the major reason why the chartered partner concept has never been fully embraced and well developed. The vast majority of chartered partners in the United States have been churches and other houses of worship. For the most part, the partnerships have been superficial. Perhaps there was simply an intuition on the part of religious leaders that it was better to keep their young members in Scouting “close to home.”
I am sure that was the case with Catholic bishops and parish priests during at least the first sixty years of Scouting. Have religious leaders, Scout leaders and Scout professionals ever really viewed Scouting, potentially, as a significant means of religious formation? (The Latter-Day Saints were the exception.) That brings us to the current crisis of a number of bishops deciding to prohibit parishes and schools from chartering Scouting because of liability concerns. My impression is that my fellow bishops, by and large, have positive attitudes toward Scouting. They just do not comprehend Scouting as an integral part of the diocese and parishes’ Christian formation program, nor do their catechetical and youth ministry personnel.
What should be done? First, we should acknowledge and encourage all the people at the national and local level who have devoted their energies to promoting Scouting as a means of Catholic ministry. They have made a huge impact and need to keep going. Second, we should develop partnerships with diocesan offices and organizations, as opposed to operating alone. The NCCS’s decision to join the National Federation of Catholic Youth Ministry is wise and is already bearing good fruit. Then, we have to find ways to “evangelize” pastors and Scout leaders in units chartered by Catholic parishes and schools, so that they truly understand and enthusiastically adopt the youth ministry model in their Scout programs. This means something more than just inviting Scouters to training programs, and it also means engaging pastors.
To end, I have been in Scouting for over sixty-five years. What a terrific experience. On June 1, Bishop Michael Fisher of Buffalo will take over from me as Episcopal Liaison to the NCCS. I appreciate Bishop Fisher’s willingness to serve, and I appreciate my association with the wonderful members of the NCCS over the past six years. God’s blessings to all.
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2024 St. George Trek applications available soon
By Fr. Mike Santangelo
The 2024 St. George Trek will soon be taking applications for participants. Please see the NCCS website nccs-bsa.org for further details.
The St. George Trek is a unique, once in a lifetime opportunity for Scouts to explore their vocation in relation to God’s call. Set in the beautiful back country of Philmont the St George Trek combines a retreat experience with a Philmont Trek. The crews that make up the Trek have priests and seminarians, or women religious, as Advisors. The members of the crews come from across the US.
Participants for the St George Trek are selected by their local Arch/Diocesan Catholic Committee on Scouting. They should be open to exploring a potential priestly or religious vocation. They should be known to the local committee in some way. Local committees should help the participants they nominate prepare for a trek in Philmont’s back country.
Previous crews have taken advantage of the beauty of Philmont to have Mass on top of the Tooth of Time or in some of the beautiful meadows. They’ve participated in various back country programs ranging from shooting sports to rock climbing, spar pole climbing to panning for gold.
Our crews have a full Philmont experience with the added dimension of our retreat program as well. For an “insider” view of the Trek read the letter on this page from a Scout’s father to Fr. Ross Chamberland, one of the NCCS Chaplains at Philmont last summer.
Father Ross,
My son David and I met you when we were at Philmont Scout Ranch this past summer. We completed a ten-day trek between June 13th and June 23. I wanted to thank you and share some of our experiences with you.
My son was the Chaplain’s Aide for our crew and we both attended the Mass you said at Base Camp the day before we went on the trail. This was a wonderful Mass. It helped give us both the spiritual strength we would need on the trail.
After that Mass you heard my confession. This confession was very special to me. Aside from the confession being heard in such a beautiful setting and seeing deer walk right past us. I felt a strong connection to the Lord. After telling you my sins and struggles, you and I had a discussion about them. During that discussion you gave me an understanding of my struggles and sins and how to make positive changes. Thank you for helping me have such a meaningful confession.
My son and I also attended a Sunday Mass you said at Beaubien. Your Mass on the trail was very special to both of us. During that Mass you sat with all of us attending and for the homily we had a discussion as a group rather than just listening. My son has since said that was the best Mass of his life. I have to agree with him. At that point we had been on the trail for seven days and had endured many obstacles and challenges. Connecting with God is such a special place and your message at Mass helped us appreciate the challenges and struggles we had faced and would face before completing our Trek.
David attends Jesuit High School in New Orleans, Louisiana. He is a very special boy, loves the Lord, and as his school teaches, he is a man for others. He was leading me and our crew nightly as Chaplain’s Aide which was very special to me and made me very proud. Our nightly prayers, discussions, and Thorns and Roses were great.
I can only imagine the number of people you met in one summer at Philmont. I did not think you would remember our names, but thought you might recognize our faces. One attached picture is of my son David leading in prayer one evening at Crooked Creek camp site. My son was dirty and tired, but happy to lead us in prayer. He made me so proud throughout the entire trek. The other picture is of my son and I hiking the trail at Tooth Ridge. It was our second to last day. This day was one of our longest and hardest days on the trail. It also rained on us all day, but we were both happy to be together and on the trail, It is my favorite picture of the entire trek.
I have heard it said Philmont Scout Ranch was a special place. We both know what a special place Philmont Scout Ranch is. My spiritual connection to the Lord strengthened, and I found a calm peace while at Philmont that I have not had in years. My spiritual experience and peace there were very special. Meeting you, attending your Masses and confession helped make it so special. Thank you for being such a good priest and giving your time to people at Philmont Scout Ranch.
Sincerely,
Brian D. Karcher
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Scout Sunday celebrated across the United States
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Archdiocese of Chicago
Archdiocese of St. Paul Minneapolis
Diocese of Portland, Oregon
Diocese of Belleville, Illinois
Diocese of Las Vegas
Did You Know…?
By Bob Oldowski (NCCS Historian)
Early In the 1930s, the newly-formed national bishops’ committee on Scouting grew more support. The Scouting program became approved by the American hierarchy as an approved youth program in the Church.
In late 1933, this committee reached a formal agreement (Plan of Cooperation) with the BSA on how the two would interact, and the bishops’ committee on Scouting began another phase. One year later, at the bishops’ annual meeting, a huge celebration marked the beginning of the national Catholic Boy Scout program. This committee continued its link with the bishops’ conference.
At this point the National BSA designated a Scouting professional, Kenneth Cook, as the Executive Secretary [Director] to the church organization and provided support for it through the BSA’s Relationships Division. A national CCS executive board was established, involving religious and lay leadership and included a bishop liaison (Episcopal Moderator) from the bishops’ conference. A lay volunteer would serve as National Chairman, supported by a National Chaplain. Board members would serve as committee leaders, with each committee having a chair and advisor, one being a layperson and one a religious.
Over the years, the NCCS accomplishments grew, resulting in establishment of a first set of by-laws in 1997. These directed how the NCCS itself was to be organized.
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“Early Bird” rebate for training expires on May 1st
Theysay, “the earlybird getsthe worm” but inthis case you also receive a rebate! Registernow through May 1st to receive a $200 Early-Bird rebate for Scouting in the Catholic Church, the national Catholic leadership training course at Philmont TrainingCenter July9-15in Cimarron,N.M..Registertoday! www.philmontscoutranch.org/ptc/ptc-conferences/
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