I’ve been very impressed with a friend and fellow Girl Scout leader. I probably don’t tell her enough.

She is inspiring in her love for the girls in her scout troop and for the girls at our parish. And what I love most is the legacy she wants to leave with her girls.

Skills, yes she wants to teach them. But she also wants to leave a legacy of faith.

This year, her Brownies are deviating from a “traditional” secular scouting year. Instead of working on badges through Girl Scouts of the USA, they are instead working in earning their Family of God award and a special patch program on the corporal works of mercy.



Service has long been a part of scouting, but my friend is leaving an imprint that service to others is not a one-time event, it’s just what we do.

The corporal works of mercy patch program is a new patch available through the National Catholic Committee on Scouting organization, but it’s one that presents and recognizes values that date back to biblical times. This patch is available to all scouts, both Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, of all ages and faiths.

To earn the patch, scouts need to learn about the corporal works of mercy through reading the Bible and through research of available programs and services in their community. Most importantly, once they learn about the needs of their neighbors, they have to serve.

Read the full requirements here.

How have your scouts helped others who are in need? Share your ideas below!

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