Troop Adult Chaplain Earns the St. George Award
Date: 3/26/2013
by Kyle Palzer, Troop 524 Communications Coordinator
Boy Scout Troop 524 adult Chaplain Robert Plante has been nominated and will receive the St. George Religious Award at the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis on May 18, 2013. The St. George Award is given to Scouters and non-Scouters alike, who have made significant and outstanding contributions to the spiritual development of Catholic youths through Scouting. The award is given by the National Catholic Committee on Scouting (NCCS). St. George is the patron Saint of Boy Scouts around the world, hence the name of the award.

Qualifications for the award include; Promoting the religious emblems programs for Catholic youths or serving as a counselor, moderator or coordinator, giving notable service in promoting Catholic activities and service projects for the church, and Educating clergy and laity about Scouting and its benefits to the Catholic Church.

Robert has completed all of these tasks, serving as the counselor for both Boy Scout Catholic Religious Emblems (Ad Altari De, Pope Pius XII) serving as an adult alter server at Epiphany and proactively working with Epiphany clergy to promote scouting in the religious community. Robert is also a member of the Men of Epiphany Group which is a social group that fosters and strengthens the religious belief of laity men in the parish.

Robert has been an active adult leader with Troop 524 for the past 10 years, and has two sons who are Eagle Scouts with the troop. He has also been awarded the other Catholic Scouting Religious Award, the Bronze Pelican Award. This award also recognizes adults who have contributed to the Catholic Scouting movement. Although it is not a requirement, many St. George Award recipients have already earned the Bronze Pelican Award prior to receiving the St. George Award.

As he earns his second Catholic Adult Religious Award in May, Robert will become one of, if not the highest awarded religious awards adult leader in Troop 524's past 50 year history.
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Troop 524 is known for its strong Catholic identity. The troop was formed 5 months after the Church of the Epiphany was founded in 1964 by Father Bernard Reiser. The troop has been meeting at Epiphany Chuech for the past 50 years. In 1997, Troop 524 received the National Gold Medallion Award, which is presented by the National Catholic Committee on Scouting. It is presented to units that excel at providing the Scouts with quality programs including religious activities, religious emblem opportunities, outdoor activities and special events which encompass religious, vocational and educational aspects of Scouting.​
Bishop Lee Piche (Left) and Robert Plante (Right) at the March 2010 Religious Awards Ceremony at the Basilica of St. Mary
The Bronze Pelican Religious Award