3. What are some ways to "blend Duty to God and Scouting," as instructed by Church leaders?

General Authorities of the Church have emphasized that Duty to God and Scouting are not competitive but are to be "complementary". The programs are encouraged to be "blended." When strong Varsity and Venturing programs are operated as activity programs for Teachers and Priests quorums, there are many opportunities to include and support the achievement of Duty to God goals by the young men. Here are some suggestions:

• Include Duty to God goals activities in the Varsity and Venturing calendars
• Young man in leadership position promotes Duty to God
• Young men report progress regularly
• Schedule service projects in Venturing/Varsity calendars and the young men to lead them
• Overlap Scouting and Duty to God achievement requirements
• Substitute Scouting activities or achievements for the last three Duty to God goal areas as encouraged by Elder Oaks and panel in the May 12, 2007 Aaronic Priesthood-Scouting Satellite Broadcast on the Duty to God program.

• Include Duty to God goal activities in the Varsity and Venturing calendars.
As noted above, about a third of the Duty to God goals lend themselves to full use as midweek activities.  Some possible options for making these activities a part of the regular schedule or calendar are:

• Include Duty to God goal activities in Venturing or Varsity interest surveys (VIS) that are used as a basis for yearly calendar development and then add the preferred items to the Varsity or Venturing calendars

   (To learn more about use of a VIS for calendar planning, click here.)
   (To see a list of Teacher and Priest Duty to God activities that may lend themselves  to use for midweek activities, click here.)

• Calendar a Duty to God activity about 10-12 times a year, or schedule a regular Duty to God night monthly, as a part of the Venturing or Varsity calendar

• Young man in leadership position promotes Duty to God.

Give part of the responsibility to promote and emphasize Duty to God goal achievement to a particular young man officer in the older-boy scouting programs. Note that each program has an existing office that may be the logical choice for the assignment:

< Venturing Administrative Vice President (the officer in charge of awards)

(To view a job description for the Venturing Administrative Vice President, click here.)

< Varsity Advancement Program Manager

(To view a job description for the Varsity Advancement Manager, click here.)

• Young men report progress regularly.

Have each young man report Duty to God progress each month in the Crew or Team business meeting (have above young man officer conduct this part of the agenda). Also, make this night a time for the young men to bring their Duty to God booklets.  Set aside time for leaders to review and update each young man's booklet.

(To see a sample Venturing Crew Meeting agenda that includes this item, click here.) 

• Schedule service projects in Venturing/Varsity calendars and the young men to lead them.

Adopt the Duty to God service project approach for Venturing/Varsity service activities. That is, every young man plan and lead one service project over the course of two years. To accomplish this, schedule service projects on the yearly calendar on a regular basis, rotating which young man is in charge each time. Perhaps assign one assistant advisor to be the Service Project Advisor, to work with the assigned young man to help him plan a significant service project and carry it out, using the rest of the quorum to help.

(To view a sample Duty to God service project planning worksheet, click here.)

If a young man becomes ready for his Eagle scout service project, schedule his turn to lead the crew or team service activity at the appropriate time.

• Overlap Scouting and Duty to God achievement requirements.

Requirements for various Scouting awards may also be used to meet Duty to God goal requirements and vice versa.

• Merit badges and Eagle award.  Merit badge and eagle requirements that may also be credited as meeting Duty to God goals are well documented in the web sites listed below.

< Varsity and Venturing awards. Less well known are requirements that overlap Duty to God with Varsity and Venturing awards and Duty to God. Awards specific to Varsity are the Varsity letter, sport/activity pins, and the Denali Award.    Venturing awards are Silver, Gold, and Bronze awards, Ranger and Quest.  The two websites below both include listings of Duty to God requirements that can overlap the above Varsity and Venturing awards:

http://www.dutytogod.com
(This website is extraordinarily rich in forms and other tools to track and promote Duty to God progress.  Look under the Teachers and Priests areas for helps related to the older-boy scouting programs)

http://www.gslc-bsa.org/awards/religious/
(The Great Salt Lake BSA council website contains a very well researched comparison of scouting items that may support Duty to God goals, including Varsity and Venturing awards.  See the charts, Complimentary Scouting Resources-Scouting Advancement/Duty to God Award, for both Varsity Scouts and Venturing)

See also Venturing Religious Life Bronze and Priests Duty to God Award, which analyzes how how these two awards correspond might be largely achieved together.
 

This option was suggested by Elder Oaks and panel members as a part of the Duty to God satellite broadcast of May 4, 2007.  Read how one ward is using the option.

(Return to Duty to God and the Older Boy Scouting Programs)