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.