The Most Reverend Paul J. Hallinan, Archbishop of Atlanta, will be honored at the closing dinner of the 19th National Conference of Diocesan Scout Chaplains and Diocesan Lay Chairmen that is being held this week at the Dinkler Motor Hotel here in Atlanta. Archbishop Hallinan will receive a special Ad Altare Dei emblem in gold, bearing his coat of arms.

More than 150 priests and Catholic laymen from all parts of the nation are taking part in the conference presided over by the Most Reverend William G. Connare, bishop of Greensburg, Pennsylvania, the episcopal moderator for boy scouting. He will give the invocation at the dinner and make presentations.

A major portion of the conference was devoted to the total revision of the program leading to the Ad Altare Dei emblem. This is the recognition available to Boy Scouts of Catholic faith for their knowledge of and service to the Church.

The Catholic Scouter Development - a program of spiritual formation of scout leaders - will also be reviewed and updated.

Arrangements for conclave were made by Rt. Rev. Msgr. Gregory L. Mooney of New York, chairman of the Chaplains’ Committee. He was aided by Rev. Richard B. Morrow, archdiocesan scout chaplain for the Archdiocese of Atlanta.

The opening session Monday saw three orientation meetings. One was for new chaplains, another for laymen, and the third for experienced chaplains.

The first subject related to the fourth and fifth chapters of the Constitution on the Church (Second Vatican Council) to the work of the diocesan committee.

Rt. Rev. Msgr. Charles Woods, Archdiocese of Philadelphia, spoke on this topic before new chaplains; Joseph P. Brennan of the Archdiocese of New York spoke to the laymen and Rt. Rev. Msgr. J. E. Schmit, Diocese of Toledo, addressed experienced chaplains.

The second subject was the Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity (Second Vatican Council) and its significance to the Diocesan Committee on Scouting. Rev. Francis P. Kenny, Archdiocese of Omaha, spoke on this before new chaplains; R. G. Fournie, Archdiocese of St. Louis, addressed the laymen and J. J. Nietmann, Jr., Diocese of Rockville Center (N.Y.) spoke to experienced chaplains.

G. Sam Zilly of the Archdiocese of Detroit spoke on What the Laymen Expects of the Chaplain before new chaplains; Very Rev. Msgr. L. F. Meyer, Archdiocese of St. Louis, addressed the laymen on What Does the Chaplain Expect of the Layman, and Frank Stewart, Diocese of Kansas City -- St. Joseph (Mo.), spoke to experienced chaplains on The Layman Looks to the Chaplain.

Josef P. Kessler, district scout executive at Kansas City, Mo., spoke to new chaplains on The Boy Scouts of America Looks at the Chaplain. William H. Condon , Diocese of Trenton (N.J.), coordinator of Special Services in the Relationships Division, Boy Scouts of America Looks at the Diocesan Committee. Rev. James A. Dirker, Diocese of Steubenville (Ohio) spoke to experienced chaplains on Is It Time for a Change?

On Tuesday, Rev. Robert E. Schmidt of San Antonio, Texas, spoke on the Ad Altare Dei emblem that was earned last year by 11,716 Boy Scouts of Catholic faith.

A Concelebrated Community Mass was celebrated Tuesday through Thursday. Most Rev. William G. Connare, D.D., bishop of Greensburg, spoke at the luncheon Tuesday.

At a potpourri panel during dinner Tuesday, Rev. Henry J. Nicolaus, of Newark, N.J., spoke on junior leadership; Rev. Daniel Peil of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Ind., talked on interracial dimensions; Rt. Rev. Msgr. J. E. Schmit of Toledo, Ohio, spoke on vocations; and William H. Condon of Trenton, N.J., talked on Breakthrough for Youth.

Very Rev. Msgr. Earl Whalen of Cincinnati, Ohio, spoke on the Catholic Scouter Development program Wednesday morning. Workshop sessions followed.

Rt. Rev. Msgr. Gregory L. Mooney will chair the business meeting Thursday morning (Apr. 14).

At today’s luncheon, Rev. John B. Brady of Washington, D.C., was toastmaster. The Ad Altare Dei emblem, imbedded in Lucite, was presented to 21 men who have served as diocesan scout chaplains from 20 to 30 years. Seven clergymen were honored for 15 to 20 years of service. Eleven who have completed 10 through 14 years as diocesan scout chaplains were also honored.