The Official Newsletter of the Catholic Committee on Scouting Secretariat for Leadership Development Department for Youth and Young Adult Ministry cympgh@diopitt.org E-MAIL Vol. 42 (412)-456-3140 PHONE Winter/Spring 2900 Noblestown Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15205 (412)-456-3141 FAX COST: $20, $25 after Jan. 15 th *This fee includes lunch, workshops, supplies, a patch, and much more! The NET Ministries team will be returning again this year to lead everyone in another great retreat! All scouts, both boys and girls, are invited, and you do not need to be working on a religious emblem to attend! 5 Reasons to Come to the Scout Retreat: 1) A temporary withdrawal from ordinary daily living to nourish one s inner spiritual longings 2) An active step toward embracing stillness of one s soul 3) A time out to deepen one s journey towards realizing self 4) A time out to contemplate and meditate in peaceful surroundings 5) A requirement for working on Catholic Religious Emblems **Please see pages 7-10 for adult and youth registration materials.** Alternative Dates for Religious Emblem Retreat Requirements: Faith Rally Grades 6 th -8 th March 2017 Contact: TBA Steubenville Youth Conferences Fall Retreat https://www.facebook.com/catholiccommitteeonscoutingdioceseofpittsburgh/
High School Silent Retreat Saturday, January 14 to Sunday, Jan. 15, 2017 9:00am - 11:00am The Ark and the Dove 10745 Babcock Blvd., Gibsonia, PA 15044 Our Catholic Scouting Chaplin, Fr. Joe Freedy, and former DYC representative, Fr. Mike Ackerman, will be hosting a silent retreat for high school men discerning the priesthood January 14 th -15 th. This weekend will challenge the young men to invite Christ into their hearts through the gift of silence. There is no cost for this retreat. To register, please click here. Religious Emblems Training Thursday, May 18, 2017 7:00 9:00pm St. Paul Seminary If you or someone you know is interested in working with Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts in obtaining their Catholic Religious Award, this training is for you! The cost of the training is $5.00 per person and includes the materials, a patch, and a counselor guide. Please, call the CCOS office at (412)-456-3140 to confirm your place at the training! New Girl Scout Religious Emblem! The National Catholic Committee for Girl Scouts USA and Camp Fire USA has put out a new religious emblem called God is Love. The program helps students in kindergarten and first grade discover an appreciation that God created, cares for, and loves us all. For more information please visit http://catholicreligiousrecognitions.org/programs/gil.htm General Board Meeting Wednesday, March 8, 2017 The Catholic Committee on Scouting would like to invite you to our general board meeting. It will be held at St. Paul Seminary in the Vayno Room from 7:00-9:00pm! We will discuss the Convocation, and may have a Board of Review for Girls who have completed their St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Award. St. George Trek Wed., July 5 to Thurs., July 20, 2017 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. For more information and how to apply, visit: http://www.nccs-bsa.org/index.php/st-george-trek God is Love is part of the Catholic Religious Recognition program and is a great way for students in kindergarten or first grade to embrace the beauty and wonder God created. You can even receive a patch once you complete the program! The program is interactive for both the adult and the child and easy to follow along with as it allows for the discovery and connection to appreciate all that God created. Those who complete the program can earn a medal as well by doing a prayer card. Melissa Cooper, GSWPA Rep
A Message from a Vice Chair Blessings to you this holiday season. Thank you, ABBY STEWART, for being this year s Girl Scout Youth Rep!. Where does the time go? It s hard to believe we are already half way through this school year. I hope that means you are wrapping up your work on your religious emblems. Although, if you haven t yet started to work on a religious emblem, or if you are not yet finished, it s not too late. The deadline to turn in your applications and checks is Wednesday, March 8 th at 7pm at the CCOS general meeting. Leaders, please keep in mind, some of these emblems can be done in one-day programs. For example: (1) For Brownies: Please check out our website for the Family of God one-day workshop outline and ideas; (2) For middle-school aged Scouts: Consider working on the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton emblem by taking a road trip to Emmetsburg, Maryland and visiting the Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, where you can take a tour, speak with members of the Sisters of Charity, and watch a movie of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton s life (Scouts in my Troop drew a picture and wrote a short report in the car ride there and back and completed this emblem in just one day); (3) for high-school aged Scouts: The Spirit Alive emblem gives so many different options in just four chapters! We are here to help you with ideas on any emblem, please just ask. Check out the newest national emblem God is Love for Daisy Scouts, too! Don t forget, if a Scout has earned all their emblems then please apply for the Pillars of Faith Service to God Pin. Note: The emblems are able to be listed as awards when applying for college scholarships; but, more importantly, it helps the Scouts learn more about their faith. Please continue to encourage your Scouts to earn their religious emblems. If you know of adults who have been working with Scouts on their religious emblems, please consider nominating them for one of our various adult awards (pdfs of these nomination forms are located on our website). The deadline for adult nominations is February 1. If you haven t yet registered for the Scout Retreat on Saturday, January 28 th, please see the registration information in this newsletter. The Scouts who have attended the past couple of retreats really enjoyed the Net Team young adults presentations and everyone enjoys Mass with Fr. Joe (check out the picture from last year on our website)! Whether your Scouts have or haven t received their religious emblem, please calendar and plan to attend the Scout Convocation Mass as a Troop on Sunday, April 23, 2017 at 2:30pm at St. Paul Cathedral. All Scouts and Scouters should come in uniform. The younger Scouts emblems are presented on the parish level. The following Girl Scout emblems are presented at this Convocation Mass: Kateri Award, Mary - the First Disciple Award, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Award, and the Spirit Alive Award. There are plenty of opportunities to assist at this Mass, too, just let us know how you would like to help, whether it is passing out programs, being a flag bearer, being an altar server, or being a gifts bearer. Congratulations to Christine Mellick, our past Girl Scout Youth Representative, who was selected this year to be an animator for the DYC. Thank you, also, Christine, for being our newsletter editor! Faithfully yours in Scouting, S. Beth Licciardello Vice Chair for the Catholic Committee on Scouting for Girl Scouts and Camp Fire Boys and Girls SBethTony@verizon.net or 412-221-1982
A Message from a Vice Chair As I sit back and write this on a quiet Sunday afternoon, I realize I have a lot to be thankful for as we all do. To begin with, I would like to thank my wife Mary Beth who lets me participate in all the Scouting activities I do. Without her blessing, you would not see much of me. I thank my three Pope Pius XII Scouts who are very open and honest with me on both a personal and in a class room setting. They tell me what challenges they face as well as positive suggestions on how we can improve our class and the Catholic Scouting program. I am grateful I was able to host Skyler Smith as my Eagle Scout honoree at the annual Eagle Scout dinner. Skyler is a freshman at Robert Morris and is interested in being a hockey equipment manager for a professional hockey team. We talked the challenges of balancing time between work, school and pleasure. Something that does not change as you grow older. His Eagle project tied in his love of hockey and collecting food and donations for a local food bank. Thanks to Gary Roney, Fr. Freedy and Fr. Mele for helping me to get The Church Alive Grant for the St. George Trek. When I submitted the application, I had my doubts and they were all very supportive so thank you! For all the Scouts I meet involved with my Troop and Catholic Scouting thank you for the time you and your parents invest in you via Scouting and Catholic Scouting. It has opened many doors for me and I greatly appreciate all of the time and efforts. My wishes for all of you for a Blessed Christmas and a Healthy and Happy 2017. God Bless, Bill Jenkins Vice Chair for the Catholic Committee on Scouting for Boy Scouts Updates on Boy Scouting in CCOS! Ten Commandments Hike Thanks to the Jewish Committee on Scouting (JCOS) and CW Kreimer for organizing and running the 11 th Annual Ten Commandment Hike on Black Friday. We visited 8 different churches, learned about 10 different religions and learned more about the Ten Commandments. Approximately 450 people attended of all Faiths and we all learned from the speakers and the questions asked by our fellow hikers Mark your calendars now for Black Friday 2017 to spend time on this hike and learn more about the religions of our friends, neighbors and co-workers. I assure you your day will be more rewarding than fighting the crowds and looking for a parking spot at the local mall. Light of Christ Workshop and Introduction to Catholic Religious Emblems On Sunday November 13 we had our Light of Christ and Introduction to Catholic Religious Emblems workshop at Sts. John and Paul in Franklin Park. We had 7 Cub Scouts in attendance and hope to build on this experience here in the Diocese of Pittsburgh and throughout the country. Thanks to Adam Boyle for leading the workshop as well as support from Abby Stewart, Greg Evans and my Pope Pius XII class of Michael Boyle, Sean Stefanko and Nate Gierczynski. St. George Trek Scholarship We applied for and received a grant from The Church Alive Campaign to support two Boy Scouts or Venture Scouts for the next 5 Saint George Treks at the Philmont Scout Ranch starting with the 2019 Trek. The biannual backpacking event with priests, religious and seminarians helps develop organizational and leadership skills in high school age Catholic Scouts while nourishing their spirituality. More details on how to apply will be on our website in 2017.
The DYC at their annual fall retreat this past October. Duty to God A scout is reverent. He is reverent toward God. Scouts are faithful in their religious duties. Duty to God is about developing spiritual values. It also shows scouts how to live their lives the way God teaches. Scouts should understand that to grow into a good citizen they must recognize their duty to God. They must always practice their faith in all areas of their lives. They should recognize that God is the ruling and leading power in the universe and God's blessing will enable them to become the best person they can be. Below is a list of some concepts a Catholic Scout should follow. 1. A scout should live their lives the way Jesus taught them 2. Scouts should pray daily thereby making prayer an important part of their life. 3. Scouts should study the Bible and practice the concept of forgiveness. The ultimate goal of a Catholic Scout is to instill the Catholic Faith and to live their faith in all areas of their life. Courtesy of Deacon Bob Stein, Director of Scouting Congratulations to our former Girl Scout Representative, Christine Mellick, for being chosen as a DYC Animator! The Diocesan Youth Council is a gathering of high school students, who represent each of the Diocese of Pittsburgh's regional vicariates and districts, Catholic High Schools, and special ministries, like the Catholic Committee on Scouting, for formation in discipleship, preparation for the apostolate, and an informed discussion and consultation with the diocesan bishop and his pastoral staff. Congratulations to Christine for being chosen as one of its student leaders! Thank you, Adam Boyle! A big thanks to our Boy Scout Diocesan Youth Council Representative, Adam Boyle, for putting on the Light of Christ and Introduction to Catholic Religious Emblems Workshop in November. The workshop was a success with 7 Cub Scouts participating in the event. If any of the boys have completed their work started at the workshop, they will be awarded with a medal at our Annual Scout Retreat in January. Interested in becoming the Diocesan Youth Council Representative for Boy Scouts next year? Contact Ms. Pat Waskowiak for more information! pwaskowiak@diopitt.org or (412)-456-3140
Saturday, January 28, 2017
Have a Merry Christmas And Happy New Year! Love, The Catholic Committee on Scouting and the Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministry Shelley BouSamra
Information Page The Catholic Committee on Scouting has gone paperless! The semiannual newsletter will be available online on our Facebook and by email. If there are any questions, please contact us using the information down below! Contact Us Name Position Email Phone Lisa Barczynski Events Chair barssam@consolidated.net Stephen (Steve) Bober Training - BSA Chair stephen.bober@pnc.com (412)-795-2494 Shelley BouSamra Vice Chair - AHG Adam Boyle DYC - BSA Melissa Cooper GSWPA Representative mcooper@gswpa.org (412)-566-2570 Greg Evans Religious Activities Chair - BSA Fr. Joseph (Joe) Freedy Chaplain jfreedy@diopitt.org (412)-456-3140 William (Bill) Jenkins Calendar at a Glance Vice Chair - BSA Event Date(s) Time Location Region 3 (Girl Scouts) Saturday, September 9, 2016 Carlisle, PA Sunday, September 10, 2016 Region 3 (Boy Scouts) Sunday, September 10, 2016 Carlisle, PA Monday, September 11, 2016 bill.jenkins@thermofisher.com; wjenk1542@comcast.net (412)-292-8011 Beth Licciardello Vice Chair - GS/CFG sbethtony@verizon.net (412)-221-1982 Gerri Maurer CCOS Chair gmrmaurer@comcast.net Christine Mellick Communications Chair christine.mellick@gmail.com (412)-638-0648 Gary Roney Director for the Office for Youth & Young Adult Ministry groney@diopitt.org (412)-456-3140 Dc. Robert (Bob) Stein Director of Scouting rstein@diopitt.org (412)-456-3140 Abby Stewart DYC - GS Patricia (Pat) Waskowiak Secretary pwaskowiak@diopitt.org (412)-456-3140 Bob Zelleznick BSA Council Representative Bridget Zipfel Training - GS Chair BZipfel@guttmanoil.com Executive Board Meeting Thursday, September 29, 2016 7:00pm-9:00pm Thermo Fisher Building General Board Meeting Wednesday, November 9, 2016 7:00pm-9:00pm St. Paul Seminary (Vayno Room) Executive Board Meeting w/ Fr. Mele Wednesday, January 25, 2017 4:30pm-6:30pm St. Paul Seminary Annual Scout Retreat Saturday, January 28, 2017 St. Paul Seminary General Board Meeting Wednesday, March 8, 2017 7:00pm-9:00pm St. Paul Seminary (Vayno Room) 63rd Annual Scout Convocation Sunday, April 23, 2017 2:30pm-5:30pm St. Paul Cathedral Religious Emblems Training Thursday, May 18, 2017 7:00pm-9:00pm St. Paul Seminary (Kraus Room) Executive Board Meeting Wednesday, May 31, 2017 7:00pm-9:00pm Thermo Fisher Building Girl Scout Board Meeting Thursday, June 8, 2017 6:30pm-7:30pm St. Paul Seminary (Vayno Room) Boy Scout Board Meeting Thursday, June 8, 2017 7:45pm-8:45pm St. Paul Seminary (Vayno Room)