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BY JENN ROWELL

It was not the hike Moses made to the mountaintop to receive the Ten Commandments.

But it was a feat to get more than 1,000 people to five different locations in downtown Fredericksburg to learn about different faiths.

The Ten Commandments Hike, organized 10 years ago by local Boy Scout leader Barry Jones, earns Scouts a patch for their uniforms.

Starting at New City Fellowship Church, the group from Troop 165 and Pack 57 in Fredericksburg joined dozens of other Scout units from around the region on a 3.2-mile walking loop yesterday.

Scott Randels, one of their leaders, said the hike focuses on one of the personal qualities contained in the Scout Law: reverence.

"Even if you don't have religion, you need to be respectful of religion," he said. "[The hike] is an opportunity for Scouts to see different faiths."

At each stop, the Scouts went inside to hear presentations on one or two of the commandments, and on the history of the faiths.

"The motivation is breaking down barriers," Jones said. "It's an opportunity for those who already go to church to learn more about other churches. For those who don't, it's a chance to get in to see a church and what it's like."

On a yellow sheet of paper were the outlines of stone tablets with lines for the Scouts to fill in the commandments.

At the Salvation Army, the Scouts heard about honoring their parents, a lesson that brought smiles to the parents in the group.

"There's going to come a time when you're older and you look at your son or daughter and say, 'Oh, my gosh, they were right,'" Capt. Christine Harris told the group.

For some of the boys, the activity was part of the transition from Cub Scout to Boy Scout. Four of the Scouts from Pack 57 went on the hike with Eric Ground of Troop 165. One requirement of the transition is that the Scouts do joint activities, Randels said.

For Michael O'Donoghue of Pack 57, the day was especially fun. Yesterday was his 11th birthday.

"I like learning about the different churches and beliefs," he said. "It's a cool thing to do. I guess it's my birthday present."

After learning about Beth Sholom Temple and visiting the Presbyterian Church and St. George's Episcopal Church, the Scouts headed back to where they started, to pick up their patches.