Scouts from across archdiocese gather for annual honors

Members of Girl Scout Troop 1602, from left, Kaela Clemons, Kathleen Coyle, Lauren Lucas and Julianna Knight, pose with Mary Lynn Cavanaugh, right, the director of religious education at St. Mark the Evangelist Parish in Indianapolis, Archbishop Daniel M. Buechlein and Father Jonathan Meyer after the Feb. 11 Scout awards ceremony. The troop received the Spirit Alive Award.

By Brandon A. Evans

More than 300 Girl and Boy Scouts were honored during a special ceremony on Feb. 11 at SS. Peter and Paul Cathedral in Indianapolis.

The annual event is a chance for Archbishop Daniel M. Buechlein, a former Boy Scout, to help the youths keep religion as an important part of the Scouting experience.

Saying that his own vocation to the priesthood was “nurtured and nourished” by Scouting, the archbishop added that he might not be where he is today without his time spent as a Boy Scout.

We all need God, he said, and he encouraged all those present to take their faith seriously.

A myriad of awards are presented each year to various members of troops across central and southern Indiana. Boy Scouts can earn the Ad Altare Dei Award or the difficult Pope Pius XII Award. Girl Scouts can earn the Marian Award and the I Live My Faith Award. Cub Scouts can receive the Parvuli Dei Award and the Light of Christ Award, and Brownies can receive the Family of God Award.

Additionally, several adults were honored with the Bronze Pelican Award for their dedication to Catholic Scouting.

This year, there was another award tucked away in the middle of the honors: the Girl Scouts’ Spirit Alive Award.

Only one girl in the archdiocese has previously earned this award, and on Sunday a troop of girls became the first group to earn it.

Roncalli High School juniors Julianna Knight, Lauren Lucas and Kaela Clemens, along with sophomore Kathleen Coyle, make up Troop 1602 at St. Mark the Evangelist Parish in Indianapolis.

Together, they have more than 40 years of time spent in Scouting. They decided about a year ago to pursue the difficult Spirit Alive Award—and part of earning it meant planning and presenting a retreat.

Julianna said that the idea to pursue the award was presented to the troop, which took a vote on the idea before proceeding.

“They did research on their faith and on the saints and then hosted a retreat for junior high girls called ‘Women of God’ last fall,” said Theresa Lucas, one of the troop’s co-leaders.

Julie Knight, another troop co-leader, said that she was “absolutely” proud of the girls for their achievement—something she said took nearly a year of planning and work to pull off.

“I wouldn’t say it was intimidating for me,” Lauren said. Having been to several retreats before, she knew what was expected and what needed to be done.

“I thought no one would show up—that was my biggest fear,” she said.

It was a fear that proved unfounded as about 25 girls participated and prompted the idea that it could become an annual event.

“There is another troop from St. Barnabas that’s hoping to continue our retreat after we’re done,” she said, noting that three members of her troop only have one more year of Scouting left before they graduate from high school.

Kaela said that their troop started out much larger when they were younger, and now consists of just the four girls whose friendship has led to their desire to keep the troop together.

“I think it’s nice for younger kids to see that it doesn’t stop at grade school,” Lauren said, adding that she would “encourage girls to stick with it,” even when things get difficult.

Father Thomas Schliessmann, pastor of St. Rose of Lima Parish in Franklin and Holy Trinity Parish in Edinburgh and archdiocesan chaplain of Scouts, read from a poem during his homily, driving home the importance of Scouts living a Christian life.

“May our awards and our medals of religion and faith shine forth here,” he said, “ and point us and others forward.” †