TRUST Religious and Community Life Award

Complete requirements 1-6

1. Venturing TRUST essentials

    Complete nine of the following:

        a. Earn your denomination's Venturing-age religious award. For information about the religious awards program, see the Duty to God brochure. No. 512-879.

        b. Complete either (i) and (ii) OR (iii) and (iv).

            I. Learn about cultural diversity.

            II. Make a presentation or tabletop display using the information you learned in (i) above.

            OR

            III. Invite someone from a different cultural background from yours and the majority of your crew's members to give a presentation on a subject of his or her choosing. Introduce your guest.

            IV. Participate in a discussion about cultural diversity with your crew, Sunday school class, or other group.

        c. Plan and lead a service project such as helping to build a Habitat for Humanity house, participating in a community cleanup protect, or taking on a fix-up project for a nursing home or nursery.

        d. Complete the following:

            I. Serve as a volunteer in your place of worship or other nonprofit organization for at least three months.

            II. Keep a personal journal of your experiences each time you worked as a volunteer.

            III. After you have served as a volunteer for at least three months, share your experiences and how you feel about your service with others.

        e. Attend a religious retreat or religious trek lasting at least two days.

        f. Produce or be a cast member in some type of entertainment production with a religious or ethical theme, such as a play, puppet show, or concert for a group such as a children's group, retirement home, homeless shelter, or Cub Scout or Boy Scout unit.

        g. Serve as president, leader, or officer of your Sunday school class or youth group.

        h. Complete a standard first-aid course or higher course or its equivalent.

        i. Complete the following:

            I. Participate in at least two ethical controversy activities.

            II. Be a facilitator for at least two ethical controversy activities for your crew, another crew, your school class, a Boy Scout troop, or another group.

            III. Lead or be a staff member putting on an ethics forum for your crew, your place of worship, or your school class.

        j. Serve as a Sunday school teacher or assistant for a children's Sunday school class for at least three months, or as a volunteer for a church/synagogue children's activity such as vacation Bible school. (This volunteer service must be different from requirement (d) above.)

        k. Meet with your place of worship's minister/rabbi/leader to find out what he or she does, what they had to do to become your leader, and what they think is the most important element of the job.

2. Tending Your Beliefs.

    Complete the following:

        a. Visit with your religious leader and discuss your beliefs and why you accept those beliefs. Compare your personal beliefs with those formally accepted by your religion. Following this discussion, write an essay explaining your beliefs and review it with your religious leader and your crew Advisor. Make a 15- to 20-minute presentation (discussion, video, slideshow, etc.) to your crew or another youth group explaining your beliefs.

        b. Explain the Scout Oath and Scout Law in your own words. Explain how they have an effect on your daily life, your life goals, and how you live your life as a part of your community.

3. Respecting the Beliefs of Others.

    Complete the following:

        a. Talk with a history/social studies teacher, attorney or other legal professional, or other knowledgeable adult about the U.S. Bill of Rights, and especially about the concept of freedom of religion. What did this concept mean to our founding fathers? What does this concept mean today? What limitations have been imposed on this freedom? What happens when freedom of religion and freedom of speech clash with each other? Hold a discussion (not debate) about freedom of religion with members of your crew.

        b. Find out what religious groups are worshipping in your community and whether they have been there for generations or whether they are relatively new to the community. Talk to at least five adults in your community about the impact various religions have on your community. Report your findings to your crew.

        c. Complete one of the following:

            I. Pick one of the religions listed in this chapter (other than your own). After extensive research on the selected religion, present a report to your crew or other youth group (such as a troop, crew, religious group, or school group). The report should detail the history of the religion, its modern application as a religion, and important historical events. Also include information about where and how the religion is commonly practiced.

            II. Attend a religious service/gathering/festival of one of the religions (other than your own religion). Attend with a parent, Advisor, or religious professional. Write about your experience and how it relates to the thoughts and practices of the religion. Compare the basic tenets expressed in the religious service/gathering/ festival with those of your own religion.

            III. Meet with two youth working on a religious emblem approved by the BSA (not your own religion). These young people can be members of the Boy Scouts of America, Girl Scouts of the USA., or any other youth organization. Discuss with them their current religious journey.

            IV. Contact an official in an inter-religious organization (interfaith coalition, council of churches, etc.]. Discuss how religious tolerance is important in both local and global issues.

             V. Attend an inter-religious festival and talk with two people from another religion about the similarities and differences between your religion and theirs. Report your findings to your religious leader.

4. Understanding Other Cultures.

    Complete the following:

        a. Learn about the culture you most identify with. Talk to relatives or other knowledgeable individuals to learn about your family history, cultural identity, and family identity.

        b. Attend two cultural events (each of those events should represent a different culture and should highlight the history and uniqueness of that culture). Supplement the information you learned at the events with research on the culture in today's global society. Compare these two events and their cultures with your own culture. Report on your findings to your crew or another youth organization. Invite an adult and a youth from another culture to speak to your crew about their culture. Alternately, interview two people who were born outside the United States who have immigrated to your community or a nearby one (foreign exchange students may also fulfill this role). In either case, discuss with them why they decided to come to the United States and to your community. Discuss the differences in community between where they live now and where they lived before they emigrated. (For Venturers living outside the United States, modify this requirement for the country in which you reside. For example, a Venturer living in Japan would interview someone not of Japanese origins who immigrated to Japan.)

        c. Do one of the following:

            I. Take (and successfully pass) a course that includes study of cultural diversity.

            II. Research and present your findings about an inter-religious/intercultural conflict affecting the world in historical or current times. Include how the conflict started and ended (if not an ongoing conflict). Explore both causes and effects of the conflict, including those in the current day. Include general information about all the cultures and religions involved in the conflict.

            III. Research a cultural group (other than your own) that has had an impact on the U S. melting pot. When did they begin to arrive? In what ways have they had an influence on the United States? On your community? Where have they settled (primarily); why? Report on your findings to your crew or youth group.

            IV. Meet with your council all-markets executive to learn which all-markets programs are being used in your area and why. Learn about BSA resources designed for specific cultural groups and how they may differ from the resources you era familiar with.

5.  Serving Your Community.

    Complete the following:

        a. Plan and carry out a service project to better your local community. This project should be carried out in conjunction with an established community service agency. Involve at least five other Venturers or youth in carrying out the project. The project should he well thought out and lasting in its effects. Use the Summit Award Service Project workbook as a guideline (available free from your local council office).

        b. Meet with a member of your local government. Discuss how the community governs itself on matters such as zoning, taxes, education, religion, and acceptable behavior. Report your findings to your crew or another youth group. Lead or participate in a discussion on ideas to change your community for the better.

        c. Do one of the following:

            I. Organize a community safety program. Options include a community watch program, a latchkey program, or other program to encourage safety in your community. This cannot be the same project used for requirement (a) above.

            II. Work with your local chapter of the Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity. Participate in a significant percentage of service opportunities for one semester. Discuss with the fraternity adviser how to increase cooperation between the group and the BSA local council, and between the group and other student organizations at your college.

            III. Serve as an active member in a high school or college community service organization. Participate in a significant percentage of service projects for a six-month period. Explore ways to increase the participation of your organization in service opportunities, as well as ways to increase the membership of the organization. Report on how the group benefits the community.

            IV. Become a volunteer first-aid or swimming instructor or swimming aide with the American Red Cross or a similar organization. Teach first aid or swimming at least four limes in a six-month period. Explore other volunteer opportunities with that organization. Report on your experiences at the end of this time, especially how the community benefits from the organization and from your volunteerism.

            V. Participate for six months as an active volunteer with any other community service agency approved by your Advisor. Examples are therapy or guide dogs, food pantries, hospital aides, etc. Report on your experiences at the end of this time, especially how the community benefits from the organization and from your volunteerism.

6. Transforming Our Society.

    Complete the following:

        a. Take part in a counseling skills training session of at least eight total hours. Examples include peer counseling, suicide or abuse hotlines, and first-contact training programs, and may be provided by local service agencies/hotlines or by local government divisions. Tell your crew what you learned and how you plan to put your knowledge into action.

       b.  Discover (through research, discussions with teachers or community leaders) what addictions are having a negative effect on your local community (such as alcohol, drugs, tobacco, gambling, pornography, etc.). Pick one of these and find out what local resources are available to deal with the problem. Talk to a counselor who deals with this issue, and tell your crew how this issue is affecting the community in which you live.

        c. Lead or actively participate in at least four ethical controversies within a six-month period. These may be at the unit, district, or council level within Venturing, or at a youth event attended by members of several churches or religious institutions.

        d. Do one of the following:

            I. Attend a meeting of your local board of education or city/community council or a session of court (any level open to public observation). Find one issue that has generated dissent or conflict, and observe how this conflict is dealt with. Follow the issue to its resolution, even if this means attending more meetings. Give a presentation to your crew or other youth group on how conflict was resolved in this case.

            II. Visit and tour a correctional facility. Talk to a correctional facility chaplain about his or her responsibilities and experiences. Ask the chaplain for stories of success/transformation that have helped former inmates become contributing members of society.

            III. Compare counseling degree programs at four different colleges or universities. Include one large public university and one small religiously based college. Look at both the types of degrees offered and the course work required for those degrees. Compare especially the religious components of such degrees.

            IV. Study the document "Scouts and Peace" prepared by the World Organization of the Scout Movement. Lead a discussion with your crew about the document and how Scouts can be involved in world peace. Then prepare a 10-minute presentation on the document and give it to a Boy Scout or Girl Scout troop.