Organizing the Islamic Committee on Scouting

The Chair of the National Islamic Committee on Scouting is appointed annually by the President of the Boy Scouts of America and the Chief Scout Executive. The Committee is advised by a member of the Relationships Division of the Boy Scouts of America. Officers of the Committee are appointed annually by the Chair. The organizational structure of the committee includes an Executive Vice Chair, Committee Chairs, a National Chaplain, a Secretary, and four Regional Vice Chairs.

The National Islamic Committee on Scouting meets three times annually, generally in October and January, and at the National Meeting of the Boy Scouts of America held in late May. The Committee has an executive committee, standing committees, and from time to time ad-hoc committees. In addition to the Executive Committee the NICOS also has an Advisory Committee “Islamic Council on Scouting of North America”.

Ad-hoc committees have included Nominating, Technology, National Jamboree, and other tasks as requested by the Chair or the executive committee.

The Regional chairs, with the assistance of Area Representatives, reach out to council Scout Executives and local council Islamic Committees to provide assistance as required. Some regions host annual conferences as well as assisting councils in arranging Impact meetings friendly leadership training courses such as Wood Badge and National Youth Leadership Training (NYLT).

Local councils are encouraged to create and support local Islamic Committees on Scouting to further the goals of the Boy Scouts of America in the Islamic community. Local ICOS chairs are appointed by the Regional Islamic Committee on Scouting with the consultation by the local council's Scout Executive

Suggested Action of a Local Council of Boy Scouts of America

• Cooperates with Muslim organization and council of Islamic committees in:
• Promoting Scouting for Muslims.
• Making provision for adequate Muslim representation in the organization and activities of the local council religious relationship committee
• Recruiting and training personnel who will be especially qualified to make effective the expansion of Scouting within the council territory.
• Encouraging each center and Muslim organization to make the full Scouting program available to their youth.
• Planning for retreats, field masses, days of recollection, and sisters’ conferences.
• Providing for chaplain services for Muslim boys in Scout camps. Also, cooperates in seeing that transportation is available for Scouts to attend Friday congregations in a neighboring Mosque or Islamic Center available at the Scout Camp and /or provides space for religious services.
• Participating in such Muslim Conferences as are called by the National Islamic Committee on Scouting.
• Endeavoring to make provision for Muslim Scout leaders to receive special supplemental training in Islamic faith principles as related to Scouting.
• Recognizing the authority of the religious leader or Imam determining the conditions under which Scouting units may be regularly organized and administered under Muslim auspices in the centers.

Purpose, Program, and Responsibility

The purpose of the Islamic committee, either regional or council, is to effectively implement the plan of cooperation and to give guidance and leadership in the spiritual phase of Scouting to all Muslims in Scouting within the area.

The program of the committee supplements the training program of the Boy Scouts of America with special instructions and activities in the spiritual phase of Scouting as it relates to Islam and endeavors to make the whole Scouting program available to increasing numbers of youth in units chartered to mosques or centers.

The Regional Islamic Committee cooperates with the area and the local council within the region promoting Scouting for Muslims.

The council Islamic committee (where needed) works closely with the local Scouting council and its regular committees in matters of Scouting. In the spiritual phase of Scouting, the regional committee develops a program of training and activities for the council Islamic committee. The regional committee assists in implementing an effective program and plan of operation.

The local council Islamic committee, under the overall guidance of the National Islamic Committee on Scouting shall:

1. Develop, schedule, and carry out a program of activities for all scouting units under Islamic auspices that is in addition to , but does not conflict with, council or district activities. Cooperation and Coordination with council and district personal is essential.
2. Through publicity and other contacts, strive to reach all Muslim youth and adult Scouters in other units with the hope that they will desire to participate in the activities conducted by the committee.
3. Working with and through the council religious relationships committee, make every effort to extend and strengthen Scouting under Islamic auspices.
4. Meet quarterly on regional and council levels to carry out the above program.

Regional and Council Committees

Members

Chairman, Vice Chairman, Religious Advisor, Secretary/Treasurer, Scouting Coordinators, Regional / Local Scouts Representative, District, Council, Regional Executives as Ex-Officio, Member at large and sub committee Chair as needed, as follows:

Committee Membership

• The regional / Council Islamic Committee Chairperson should be a person of outstanding leadership and administrative ability, a person of stature, highly regarded in the mosque and community.
• The chairman and all other elected officers needed for the direction of the program of the regional committee are to be elected by the members of the committee.
• Regional / Council Committee Chairman should be acceptable to the Muslim organization in the area as well as the national Islamic Committee on Scouting and meet the same requirements as above.
• The term of office for all elected personnel shall be for 2 years. They may be reelected for one term.
• The Scouting coordinator from each regional and council Muslim organization and/or mosque, using the program of Scouting, shall serve as a member of the council board of directors.
• Members of the committee should not be unit leaders.

Responsibilities of Subcommittees

1. Scouter Development
   • Provide for laity of Muslim faith to receive training in the Scouter development program.
   • Conduct Scouter development training for all people who serve as religious emblems counselors.
   • Promote and assist in conducting Scouting orientation courses at local seminaries (when requested)
2. Scouter Development
   • Working with and through the local council relationships and district membership committees make every effort to promote, extend, and strengthen Scouting under Muslim auspices, including the formation of general and special interest Explorer posts.
   • Assist local councils in seeing that all Muslim-operated units re-register on time.
   • Give special attention to the need for sponsoring intercity units.
3. Religious Emblems
   • Promote the spiritual phase of Scouting.
   • Provide for a religious emblems program with qualified adults counselors.
   • Request units to appoint one or more religious emblems counselors to their unit committees.
   • Provide for a board of review to examine all candidates on completion of their religious emblems requirements.
   • Provide for an annual presentation of the religious awards.
   • Develop ways and means of communicating with Scouts of Islamic faith in other Islamic units to give them necessary guidance and encouragement to quality for the Muslim religious emblem appropriate to their status.
   • Give leadership to a program of providing guidance and assistance to boys in other Islamic units who are not Muslim, urging them to participate in the religious emblems program of their own faith.
4. Religious Activities
   • Promote the religious aspects of Scouting through the various activities sponsored by the committee.
   • Encourage each Scouting unit to plan for and carry out, at least twice yearly, a Good Turn services project for the mosque or centers.
   • Conduct a yearly retreat for all Scouts and Venture.
   • Encourage all Scouts and Venture of Muslim faith in other sponsored units to attend.
   • Conduct an annual 1-day conference for all Muslim Scouters at Scout Camp.
   • Provide for the services of an Imam and public prayers at Scout Camps, campers, and other activities as required.
   • Provide for program of Scout Friday prayers, pilgrimages, and investiture ceremonies for Muslim operated scouting units.
   • Encourage Muslim youth in each Scouting unit to be regular by observing five-time prayers, whether they are at home or camp.
   • Encourage Muslim youth in the Scouting program to attend Islamic Centers’ meetings.
5. Communication
   • Keep Scouters of Islamic faith informed of scouting activities and other information of interest to them and their units.
   • Promote the program and activities of the Islamic committee by means of a newsletter, local news media, letters and notices to Scouters, local council news sheet, and personal contacts and phone calls.
   • Through news media and other communications areas, create a better understanding of the aims ideals of Scouting by both clergy and laity.

Islamic Scouting
http://www.islamicscouting.org/staticpages/index.php/Organization