CHARLOTTE — Bishop Michael Martin encouraged Scouting leaders to see their work through the lens of their faith during their 97th annual National Assembly, held for the first time in Charlotte.
More than 100 Scouting leaders attended the April 24-27 event, organized by the National Catholic Committee on Scouting and supported by the local Charlotte Diocese Catholic Committee on Scouting.
“Trust that God is at work,” Bishop Martin preached during the Mass he offered Saturday night for the Scouting leaders. “I am so glad that the youth in Scouting in our country have you to thank, and you to hold true and you to walk with them.”
Bishop Martin presided over the Mass alongside retired Bishop Robert E. Guglielmone from the Diocese of Charleston, South Carolina, and 20 other clergy, all deeply involved in Scouting.
The Mass was celebrated on the day of Pope Francis’ funeral, and Bishop Martin commended the late pontiff’s legacy as a supporter of Scouting worldwide as well as his advocacy for the marginalized and people in need.
“I simply see people, and if they are in need, and they are hurting, I want us to try to care for them. I think that is the optic that our Holy Father, Pope Francis, espoused tremendously,” the bishop said.
“People who see their faith through the lens of their political affiliation, rather than seeing their political affiliation through the lens of their faith” give him pause, he said.
Then he asked: “What will be the lens through which you’ll see yours?”
He ended his homily by challenging them: “I would ask you not to see your faith through the eyes of Scouting, but to see Scouting through the eyes of your faith.”
CCDOS member Stanley Snodgrass liked the bishop’s message: “What he said was very appropriate. He said he doesn’t have the answers, but we don’t either. We need to trust the Lord. We need to let our faith guide us.”
NCCS, which is aligned with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, instills Catholic teaching into Scouting programs chartered by parishes and Catholic schools.
Throughout the four-day assembly, their busy agenda required some heavy lifting: they updated their faith-based curriculum, chose scholarship recipients, planned activities to assist in earning Catholic badges and medals, and set future goals.
The NCCS has partnered with Scouting America for a century through its expansion to include girls and its name change from Boy Scouts of America.
John and Julie Doerr, whose Emmett J. Doerr Memorial Scout Scholarships have awarded over $300,000, announced a significant milestone: one of this year’s 13 recipients is the first Hispanic female Eagle Scout to receive the honor.
NCCS member John Ribar from Louisville, Kentucky, who has supported scouting since he was a Cub Scout in 1959, is glad to be part of a more inclusive community. After seeing 10 members of his family become Eagle Scouts, he is pleased that girls now can participate in the program.
“Our mission is to promote the beauty of God through Scouting,” Ribar said. “This is how I live my life, the Scout Law, because it is a good way to be, and it is a lot easier to do the right things the first time than try to back up.”
Keynote speaker Roger A. Krone, Scouting America’s chief Scout executive, praised a Scouting experience that now includes 200,000 female Scouts and rapidly growing numbers of Hispanic Scouts and those of other ethnicities.
“Any youth in America can join our group,” Krone said. “But we are still a value-based, faith-based organization, and we are called to be reverent. There is something called religious principles in our lives, and that is who we are. That’s who we have always been, and that’s who we will be in the future.”
Krone was quick to mention the pope’s death to the group. “I have my fingers crossed that the next pope will be equally as enthusiastic about our movement and what we do together to change the lives of young people.”
Krone thanked the NCCS and the Catholic Church for being the top organization that charters Scouting units in the United States. “You are one of the organizations that have stood by us during good times and in bad, and that means a lot to Scouting, and it means a lot to me personally,” he said.
Krone became chief executive in 2023 after Scouting America emerged from bankruptcy and navigated the loss of charter partnerships and abuse claims.
Krone said his two goals for Scouting America are to keep Scouts safe and rebuild trust with their chartered partners. The organization has made great strides through strong partnerships with organizations like the NCCS, he said. With proper policies, leaders and training in place, every youth has the opportunity to have a great Scouting experience, he said.
“Faith in our program is part of the fabric of who we are and what we are. It is believing in something that is bigger than yourself. It is part of your character. Understand your place in the world in regard to your spiritual growth and showing up, which is what we do,” he said.
Mike Nielsen, chair of the Charlotte Diocese Catholic Committee on Scouting, said he appreciates the dedication of all the NCCS members.
“Catholicism and Scouting go hand in hand, and it is such a pleasure to have NCCS coordinators from all parts of the country join together to promote such a wonderful faith within Scouting, leaving a lasting effect on our faith-filled children,” he said.
— Lisa M. Geraci