Parish and Unit Memorandum of Understanding

The Sacramento Catholic Diocese acknowledges the long history of mutual support and close cooperation with scouting and similar youth programs. These organizations have been a consistent presence in many of our parishes and schools, working in close cooperation with Catholic pastors, principals, and other Church leaders to nurture the healthy development of young people, and building faith through Catholic religious awards programs.  Moreover, in its Catholic Committee on Scouting the diocese has benefited from the extraordinary service by scouting volunteers who have found in these programs a means to help Catholic youth develop into capable and confident leaders who take great pride in their faith.

The Memorandum of Understanding establishes a mutual framework of cooperation that defines the relationship between scouting units and the diocesan parishes and schools that charter them.  Ultimately each school/parish in the diocese with a scouting unit or similar youth-serving organization will sign a Memorandum of Understanding as well. Each party to the agreement makes a number of commitments. For example, the first five of fifteen specific obligations for the scout units are:

  1. Respect the values and teachings of the Roman Catholic Church and the policies, objectives, aims and practices of the diocese and associated Catholic institution; 

  1. Assist in meeting those objectives through appropriate programming for youth ages 5‐17, and through participation in available diocesan youth programs and activities; 

  1. Promote and provide support for the achievement of religious recognition awards available through their national organization or affiliates (i.e. Boy Scouts of America, National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry); 

  1. Work to achieve unit/troop excellence awards where offered by affiliated national Catholic organization (i.e. “National Catholic Unit Excellence Award”, National Catholic Committee on Scouting, www.nccs-bsa.org); 

  1. Screen and approve adult leaders and other volunteers in accordance with Scouting policies and procedures and the policies and procedures of the diocese and Catholic institution; 

The diocese agreement runs for a period of two years, renewable, and may be terminated by any one of the parties at any time. Parish/School agreements should be renewed each year.