THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, March 29, 1996 TAG: 9603270185
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 20 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DAWSON MILLS, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 80 lines
More than 400 celebrants turned out recently to see Bishop Walter F. Sullivan present religious emblems to almost 100 Boy and Girl Scouts at St. Gregory the Great Catholic Church in Virginia Beach.
The annual ceremony is arranged by the Catholic Committee on Scouting of the Diocese of Richmond.
Duty to God is a fundamental principle of Scouting, noted the event's program. The Boy Scout Oath says that a Scout is reverent; a Girl Scout promises to serve God and country. The religious emblem program, available to Scouts of most faiths, recognizes those who complete a prescribed course of religious studies.
``This is part of Scouting's commitment to Christian living,'' said Kathy Lull, committee member, charter representative for St. John the Apostle Catholic Church and teacher for Catholic religious emblems. ``We want to bring our kids up with good Christian values.''
Said Scout leader and committee member Dora Fountain, ``Our Catholic committee is, I think, one of two in the nation that do combined Boy Scout and Girl Scout activities.''
Scouts receiving awards that day were from the Boy Scouts' Tidewater Council and the Girl Scouts' Council of the Colonial Coast.
Fountain's son, Christopher, 16, of Virginia Beach, was one of three Boy Scouts receiving their third and final religious medals. Daniel Hansen, 15, of Virginia Beach, and Andrew Trent, 17, of Norfolk, were the other two.
Two Girl Scouts, Jennifer Grimm, 16, of Chesapeake, and Stacey Reed, 14, of Norfolk, received their fourth and final religious medals offered through the Girl Scouts.
``It's pretty much an accomplishment,'' explained Reed, who attends Catholic High in Virginia Beach. ``I feel really good that I went this far. We had to work really hard for the other ones, doing community service and different activities. For this one, we had to read the Bible and pretty much study the Bible.''
Said Hansen, of the requirements for the medal he received: ``It had to do with us growing up as adults in the Catholic faith. It feels pretty good; it's an accomplishment. It's also kind of relieving that we don't have any more to go because they were getting harder and harder.''
Trent said, ``Words cannot describe it. I'm really excited about it. I had to do a lot more praying than I usually do.''
Sullivan was clearly pleased by the number of Scouts receiving awards and the crowd that came to witness the ceremony.
``I'm here because I'm a firm believer in Scouting,'' he said. ``I want to lend my support whenever possible. Scouting is needed more today than ever before.
``Watching them come in I said, `Wow, they have more emblems on them than bishops.' ''
There was one special honor: Scout leader Jay Greene Jr. received the Golden Pelican Award from the Diocese of Green Bay, Wis. It was the first time the award was presented in the local diocese. ILLUSTRATION: Scout Awards
These are the Scouts from Chesapeake and the awards they received
at the recent ceremony:
PRINCE OF PEACE:
William Douglas, Light of Christ
Allison Firehammer, Family of God
Christopher Belback, Ad Altare Dei
Jon Bilbo, Ad Altare Dei
Ryan Cullinan, Ad Altare Dei
Troy Gundy, Ad Altare Dei
Gregory Holden, Ad Altare Dei
Nathan Walsh, Ad Altare Dei
Jamie Douglas, I Live my Faith
ST. THERESE:
Hayes Day, Parvuli Dei
Brian Furbish, Parvuli Dei
David Reynolds, Parvuli Dei
Matthew Reynolds, Ad Altare Dei
by CNB