wfn.org | Commission to recognize outstanding young people

["NewsDesk" <NewsDesk@UMCOM.ORG>]

Jan. 14, 2003 News media contact: Kathy Gilbert7(615)742-54707Nashville,
Tenn.	10-71B{017}

By Rich Peck*

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) - Young people will be recognized and honored for
personal and selfless contributions to others in a program sponsored by the
Commission on United Methodist Men.

Awards of $500 each will be given to five young people representing each of
the denomination's five U.S. jurisdictions. A minimum of 100 nominations per
jurisdiction is required to award the scholarship.

To qualify, a person must be between the ages of 12 and 19 and must have
received a Good Samaritan Award. 

Begun in August 2000, the United Methodist award program was created to
recognize young people who represent the attributes of the Good Samaritan
(Luke 10:25-37). A recipient may be involved in a Boy Scout troop, Girl Scout
troop, Venture crew, Camp Fire USA group or 4-H club chartered to, sponsored
by or meeting in a United Methodist church. Or the recipient may be an active
member of his or her local United Methodist church. To date, more than 200
boys and girls have received the award. 

Young people have received Good Samaritan Awards for being involved in hunger
relief efforts, service projects, programs for homeless people, work in
thrift shops, construction projects for low-income families, service to
senior citizens and impromptu acts of compassion.

To receive the award, the youth must be nominated by an adult not related to
them. The nomination must be supported by the pastor or the president of a
local church unit of United Methodist Men.

The award, together with a certificate and lapel pin, may be presented at any
time during 2003 in order to be considered for a jurisdictional scholarship.
If the recipient is a Boy Scout, Girl Scout or Venture Crew member, the
church has the option of presenting Good Samaritan Awards on Scouting
Ministry Sunday, Feb. 9.

Pastors who have been working with young people may also use that Sunday to
present God and Country Awards. This program series offers various awards for
different ages (God and Me, grades 1-3; God and Family, grades 4-5; God and
Church, grades 6-8; and God and Life, grades 9-12).

Parents or pastors may also use the Sunday to honor adult scout leaders.
Adults may receive either the Torch Award or the Cross and Flame Award. 

For information on any of these awards, contact the Office of Civic
Youth-Serving Agencies/Scouting, P.O. Box 340006, Nashville, TN 37203-0006;
send an e-mail to mstowe@gcumm.org; or call (615) 340-7129.

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*Peck is communications consultant for the churchwide Commission on United
Methodist Men in Nashville, Tenn. 

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United Methodist News Service
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