The Bronze Pelican Emblem is a Diocesan recognition granted by the Diocesan Catholic Committee on Scouting with the approval of the Bishop. It may be presented to any adult working in or supporting Scouting programs (Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, American Heritage Girls, Trail Life USA, and Camp Fire) under Catholic auspices or in units not partnered by the Church, and to those who have made a significant contribution to Scouting in the field of Catholic relationships. The purpose of this emblem is to recognize an outstanding contribution to the spiritual development of Catholic youth in Scouting programs.

Eligibility
Recipients may be Catholic men and women, including priests and religious, and non-Catholic individuals. Nominations are due by March 1, 2024.

Did You Know…?
by Bob Oldowski NCCS Historian
(The Bridge, Volume 29, Number 1)

Hopefully, this will clarify its origin and current usage. The Bronze Pelican recognition was developed by the New York Archdiocesan Catholic Committee on Scouting in 1944. One requirement was that the recipient needed to give at least three years of service. The first presentation was made in 1947 to two men, Hugo D’Alissandro and Victor F. Ridder. Their pelicans were made of gold. Since then the emblems have been bronze. Why the pelican? (In the center of the main sanctuary of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, in front of the main (high) altar, there is a pelican feeding her young with droplets of blood, etched into the floor. The pelican symbolizes Christ who shed his blood for us on the Cross. The first pelican emblems were suspended from a ribbon (much like the Ad Altare Dei or Eagle award). The pelican image initially was on a removable pin that could be worn on the lapel of a coat. Now a separate lapel pin is provided. Two different ribbons are known to exist, an early one with an AAD ribbon and the other with the present-day, yellow neck ribbon with red-white-blue edging. When the St. George emblem was approved by the NCCS in 1954, it did not replace the Bronze Pelican but has co-existed. The NY ACCS had made the pelican emblems available for use by dioceses, with the qualifications to be set as the DCCS saw fit. For this reason, this is considered a local recognition, and the BSA has not approved the wearing of a knot for a Pelican recipient.