COVID-19 may have drastically reduced their weekend outdoor excursions, service projects and other gatherings, but Catholic scouts young and old in South Jersey continue to be “reverent” with “duty to God and country.”
“We’re doing what we can to keep people safe,” says Joe Brennan, head of Scouting for the Diocese of Camden. He acts as a Catholic liaison for parish-sponsored and other scouting groups, and is a leader for the scouting ministry out of Cherry Hill’s Holy Eucharist Parish.
This includes cancelling the annual holiday get-together for scouts and Camden’s youth, which included socializing and fun activities. Instead, scout youth and leaders have collected gift cards from such places as Domino’s and WalMart.
Scouts are “loving God and neighbor,” Brennan says.
Last summer’s religious awards scout ceremony went virtual, and now he is continuing that practice in the training of scout leaders, and in his communication with leaders who are helping their youth complete the requirements for next year’s ceremony.
Through this pandemic, there is one thing that has remained the same, Brennan says: the pick-up for the handbook guidelines on the Light of Christ, Parvuli Dei and Ad Altare Dei awards, which help youth discover God in their lives, understand the sacraments, and act as God’s disciples in their churches and communities.
“The adults come up to my back porch, grab a book, and leave a check in the dresser that is there,” he explains, adding that he estimates that he has already provided at least 50 books to scout leaders.
Throughout it all, scouts are staying clean and obeying current federal and local safety regulations due to COVID-19, and this includes their camping trips. Overnight camping is out (for now), but canoe trips on the Batsto River and day trips with cooking and survival skills practice are in.
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