Parvuli Dei – Cub Scout Religious Emblem

The Parvuli Dei Cub Scout emblem can be earned by Catholic Cub Scouts  in the 3rd through 5th grade – Bear Cub Scouts and Webelos. Boys and girls who earn this emblem can count it for one of their Bear Fellowship and Duty to God Adventure requirements, Webelos Duty to God and You Adventure requirements ,or the Arrow of Light Duty to God in Action Adventure requirements. A Cub Scout may only earn this emblem once and he or she may only count it one time as an adventure requirement.

Cub Scouts don’t need to be in a unit charted by a Catholic church to earn this emblem. It is available to all Catholic Bear and Webelos Cub Scouts. Parvuli Dei means “Children of God”. According to the Parent’s Introduction:

The purpose of the emblem is to help youth explore a wide range of activities in order to discover the presence of God in their daily lives as members of their families and parishes and to develop a positive self-image through the contributions they make to the group or community.

Cub Scouts earn the emblem by doing activities in a workbook. The program is family oriented and parents will need to support the Cub Scout’s efforts.   There are five steps in the workbook:

1. God and His Creation
2. God, Our Father; His Son, Jesus Christ; and I
3. Jesus, Our Church, and I
4. Jesus, His People, and I
5. Children of God, Other Cub Scouts, and I

After the Cub Scout completes the activities in the workbook with his or her parents, they fill out an application in the back of workbook. This must be signed by their pastor. Usually the pastor meets with the Cub Scouts and talks to them about what they learned. Then the application is turned in to Catholic Scout Chaplain for your local BSA Council. If you are not sure who this is, check with your local BSA council or your local Catholic Committee on Scouting.

After the application is approved, the Cub Scout will receive a medal which he or she can wear on the Cub Scout uniform over the left pocket. He or she will also receive the universal religious knot, a small rectangular patch which can be sewn on his uniform over the left pocket.

The emblem and patch should be presented to the Cub Scout in the parish. Many parishes do this as part of their Scout Sunday Masses in February, so the goal is often to have the work complete by January. This is not an absolute though. It could be presented later in the year, as long as it is completed before the boy completes Cub Scouts.