"The Boy Scouts of America is a non-denominational organization and as such, the Scouts Own

worship service should be open to each and every religious or spiritual group represented in your
unit. As a leader, or specifically as the Chaplains aide, it is your responsibility to make sure that
each faith or denomination in your unit is represented. I had no frame of reference as to the faiths
represented in the course, so I attempted to make sure that many different belief systems were
represented. At this point I will lead you in a model scouts own service, and narrate along the
way.
The Scouts own service has no standard outline, but many of your units will have a "tried and
true" method to hold the scouts own service. I have created my own after looking at many of the
other formats I have seen. Many worship ceremonies share some of the following in common:
1. Call to Worship
2. Hymns/songs
3. Scriptures
4. Responsive Reading
5. Personal Prayer
6. Group Prayer
7. Inspirational Message
8. Offering
9. Act of Friendship
10. Bendiction
With the basis of the scouts own over with, I would like to thank each of you for joining us. We
will begin with a song and opening prayer by a member of staff.
[Pamphlet]
Amazing Grace
AmazingGrace,howsweetthesound,
Thatsavedawretchlikeme.
Ioncewaslostbutnowamfound,
Wasblind,butnowIsee.
AmazingGrace,howsweetthesound,
Thatsavedawretchlikeme.
Ioncewaslostbutnowamfound,
Wasblind,butnowIsee.
Prayer by a staffmember
[Pamphlet]
A Scout is Trustworthy- "Never lie, for it is a great failing. When you tell anyone what has been
told to you, tell the simple truth, add nothing to it." (Traditional Mesoamerican faith)
Loyal- From a traditional rastafarian group prayer: Princesses and Queens shall come out of
Egypt; Ethiopia shall stretch forth her hand unto God. Oh thou God of Ethiopia, thou God of
divine Majesty, thy spirit come within our hearts to dwell in the parts of righteousness. That the
hungry be fed, the sick nourished, the aged protected, and the infant cared for. Teach us love and
loyalty as it is in Zion.
Helpful- The following is a fragment from a zoroastrian prayer: "If you had spent your life
causing others great harm

With scant regard for those needing a helping arm

You would have made me hideous and most vile
No maiden, but a creature full of guile.
Friendly- Proverbs18:24 A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a
friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

Courteous- The following has been attributed to the Buddha: Whatever words we utter should
be chosen with care for people will hear them and be influenced by them for good or ill.
Kind- "Consort with them in kindness; and if you dislike them, it may be that you dislike a thing
wherein Allah has placed much good." (Al Quran 4:20)
Obedient- First Nephi 17:3 And thus we see that the commandments of God must be fulfilled.
And if it so be that the children of men keep the commandments of God he doth nourish them,
and strengthenthem, and provide means whereby they can accomplish the thing which he has
commanded them
Cheerful- "If your happiness depends on money, you will never be happy with yourself. Be
content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are." (Classical Daoist texts)
ThriftyBrave- "With the Sioux, courage is absolute self-control. The truly brave one, we contend, yields
neither to fear nor agony. The brave one is at all times a master of oneself." (Sioux Cheiftain
wisdom)
Clean- "Ye shall not make yourselves abominable with any creeping thing that creepeth, neither
shall ye make yourselves unclean with them, that ye should be defiled thereby." (Vayikra 11:43)
ReverentI would like to invite all those here, to join me in a few minutes of quiet, reverential, prayer