Blue and Gold Banquet Theme

Blue and Gold Banquet Ideas

Blue and gold banquet ideas including skits, songs, advancement ceremonies, opening/closing ceremonies and more can be found in our theme ideas.  

Printable View    Blue and Gold Banquet Ideas (.pdf)   (.doc)​

Ideas for Banquet Advancement Ceremonies

• Make a large paper-mâché birthday cake. Use whipped soapsuds to ice the cake. Before soapsuds harden, insert candles (one for each year). Candles can be lit before the awards presentation and blown out after the ceremony.
• Insert Cub Scouts’ award into birthday balloons (yellow for Lions, orange for Tiger Cubs, green for Wolves, blue for Bears, and red for Webelos Scouts) before blowing them up. Write each Cub Scout’s name on the outside of their balloon with a marker. All Cub Scouts pop them at once. (Do not use balloons if anyone in the pack is sensitive to balloons being popped).
• Package individual awards in small boxes wrapped in blue paper and tied with gold ribbons. Ask Cub Scouts to wait until all awards have been presented before opening their package. Then, while Cub Scouts open their packages, the rest of the pack sings “Happy Birthday.” (Make sure that it’s clear that the Cub Scouts earned these awards, they are not gifts).

Advancement Ceremony: Baden-Powell Advancement Ceremony

You can have one person read this or divide it into sections and have several people present.  Minimizing the reading (memorization) always enhances a ceremony.
Tonight, we are celebrating the birthday of Scouting and the __th anniversary of Cub Scouting. Many of you know that Scouting started in England in 1907 when Lord Baden-Powell took seven boys to Brownsea Island for a camping experiment. But the roots go even farther back. In 1899, Baden-Powell was a Colonel in the British Army fighting the Dutch Boers in South Africa. Colonel Baden-Powell was in charge of a town called Mafeking. It was under siege by the Boers. The Boers shelled the town every day except Sundays. When that happened, everyone had to hide in trenches until the shelling stopped. Baden-Powell noticed that the last ones into the trenches and the first ones out were the young boys. He needed to keep these young lads from doing risky things and getting wounded. So, he organized them into a Boys Corps. They ran messages from Headquarters to the troops and citizens, and they practiced Army Scouting skills. This helped him enforce discipline on them in a way that they could accept. 

The food was running out, the Boer force was ten times the size of the British force, but Baden-Powell used his cunning to hold the town for 217 days, until British reinforcements could arrive and rescue the town from the Boers. When he got back to England, he found himself a National hero and a small book he had written for the Army, “Aids-to-Scouting”, was being used by British boys to play games of Scouting. He remembered those boys in Mafeking and what his Boys Corps did for them. He rewrote his book in 1908 and Scouting was born. 

The tradition Baden-Powell started in Mafeking, we are continuing tonight. When the boys in Mafeking learned their Scouting skills, they were rewarded with a promotion in rank. So too, do Cub Scouts, after showing their abilities in learning certain skills, earn awards towards the ranks of Lion, Tiger, Wolf, Bear and Webelos Scouts. (Call up each den, present awards, and lead a cheer).

Advancement Ceremony: Blue and Gold Advancement

Props:  All awards have been individually wrapped in blue and gold paper and ribbon as birthday gifts. 
Setting:  Narrator presents ceremony from front of room with three stacks of birthday gift awards on a table in front.  

Introduction:	Cubmaster:  Tonight, being Cub Scouting’s __th Birthday Party,  It’s time to give presents so we won’t be tardy.
	Our first presents go to Cubs that are new.  So, we would like present Lion advancements to these few.  (call up Lion den, present awards, lead cheer)
	(call up Tiger den, present awards, lead cheer)
	To celebrate their efforts and time  we’d like to present Wolf awards to these Cubs combined.  (call up Wolf den, present awards, lead cheer)
	This next group of Cubs to be recognized tonight,  Richly deserve this gift by right.  The Bear badge they’ve earned take time and attention, And work on their part too numerous to mention.  (call up Bear den, present awards, lead cheer)
	(call up Webelos Scout, present awards, lead cheer)
Closing thought:	Enjoy these small gifts from Scouting that you have worked to achieve.   But, remember, a gift is much richer by far when you give instead of receive.   So please give what you have learned of Scouting to others, tonight when you leave.

Advancement Ceremony: Blue and Gold Traditions

Equipment: blue, white, red and yellow candle
Cubmaster: The blue and gold banquet is the time to celebrate the birthday of Scouting. Tonight, as part of our celebration, some of our Cub Scouts will be recognized for their accomplishments.
(Light the blue candle). The blue candle represents the spirit of Cub Scouting.
(Call Cub Scout candidates and parents forward). You have promised to do your best and to do your duty. That is what you have done by completing the requirements to advance in rank. You have earned the badge. 

(Use the blue candle to light the yellow candle). The yellow candle glows representing the warm sunlight. These Scouts have lived up to the Scout Oath and Law and completed the requirements to earn the badge.

The red candle stands for good cheer. These Scouts do not do anything half-heartily. They will be awarded the badge tonight.

The light of the white candle is the guiding light on the Cub Scout Trail. The light radiates happiness. The following Cub Scouts have been guided by the light and are on their way to the top of the Cub Scout Trail.

Advancement Ceremony: Cub Scout Birthday Box

The Cubmaster enters the room with a very large box wrapped as a birthday present. Usually, it is on a wagon or a cart so it can easily be pulled. There is a large bow and card on top of the birthday present. The card reads HAPPY BIRTHDAY CUB SCOUTS! Inside the large box are several smaller boxes, each wrapped as birthday presents. The boxes have cards and bows on the tops. These boxes have the den numbers on them and read: HAPPY BIRTHDAY CUB SCOUTS IN DEN 1, etc.
Inside the den boxes are several smaller boxes or packages. Each package or present is labeled with the Cub Scout's name, one for each member of that den. Inside the presents are the Cub Scouts' awards! NOTE: Make sure every Cub Scout in the pack gets a package. 
Cubmaster: Since today we celebrate the birthday of Scouting, it is only appropriate that we have a birthday present. This present has Happy Birthday Cub Scouts on it. Let's see what is inside.
(The Cubmaster opens the box, calls up each den one at a time. With the help of the den leaders, presents awards to each Scouts, leads cheer.) 

Advancement Ceremony: Cub Scout History Advancement Ceremony

Set up rank posters on the table with a blue candle in the center. The Cubmaster gives the Cub Scout sign for silence while the Assistant Cubmaster lights the candle.
Cubmaster: This is the light of Cub Scouting. It has been burning in the United States for almost __ years. Over thirty million Cub Scouts in blue and gold uniforms have been helping other people and having fun together for a long time.

needs updating

Introduction:	Cubmaster:  When Cub Scouting began in 1930, the animals in Rudyard Kipling's "Jungle Book" were used to represent the ranks. Just as the jungle animals live in dens and belong to a pack, so do our Cub Scouts.
	(call up Lion den, present awards, lead cheer)
	There was no Tiger badge when Cub Scouting began. Instead, the Cub Scout got their official uniform as soon as they passed a few entrance requirements. They were much like today's Cub Scout, except that they wore blue knickers or shorts with knee stockings. Cubmaster: Now our Cub Scouts buy their uniforms and learn what Scouting is all about to earn their Tiger Badge. (call up Wolf den, present awards, lead cheer)
	Every Cub Scout tries to do their best as they work in their Wolf book (call up Wolf den, present awards, lead cheer)
	Cub Scouting is for the entire family. The help and encouragement of your family is a very important part of Cub Scouting. The Bear Badge requires a lot of work. We have several Cub Scouts here tonight who have completed the Bear requirements. (call up Bear den, present awards, lead cheer)
	Would the following Cub Scouts please come forward with an adult who has helped you earn this badge. (Call up Cub Scouts and parents for the Bear Badge.) There may have been times when you wanted this badge so much you gave up something else you wanted to do to work on this badge You have certainly earned the badges which we are about to present to your family. As you gaze upon the light of Cub Scouting, think about what you have accomplished and what lies ahead for you in Scouting. I would now like to present your badge to your family while the Assistant Cubmaster presents each of you with a reminder that the light of Scouting will always be there to guide you. (call up Webelos Scouts, present awards, lead cheer)

Advancement Ceremony: History of Cub Scouting  

needs updating

Introduction:	Cubmaster:  We all know that the Boy Scout movement in America was started by William Boyce after he was directed to an address in London by a boy who refused a tip because he was a Scout. Mr. Boyce was so impressed by his talk with Lord Baden-Powell that he helped incorporate the Boy Scouts of America of February 8, 1910. It is this date that we celebrate each year with our Blue and Gold Banquet. Almost as soon as Scouting began, youth started clamoring for a chance to participate in Scouting. This resulted in the Wolf Cub program being started in England in 1916. It wasn't until August 1,1929 that the first demonstration Cub units were started. By 1933, it was felt the time had come for promoting Cub Scouting as a part of the Scouting program.
	(call up Lion den, present awards, lead cheer)
	Tonight, we would like to recognize our Lions who have been clamoring to join Scouting. (call up Tiger den, present awards, lead cheer)
	As we read in the Wolf book the basis for much of the program came from THE JUNGLE BOOK by Rudyard Kipling. In this book is the story of two wolves who find a man Cub Scout who is being hunted by SHERKAN, the tiger. They take in the boy, whom they name Mowgli, (which means frog) and raise him as part of their family. The wolves are part of a pack, which is led by Akela, the great gray Lone Wolf. Once a month, the new cubs are presented to the pack for acceptance. If two members of the pack do not accept them, they are turned out. When Mowgli was presented to the council, none of the other wolves would speak for him. Just as Mother wolf was ready to give up. Baloo, the kindly brown bear who taught the wolf cubs the Law of the Jungle stood up and said, "I will speak for the man cub." When no one else spoke, Bagheera, the black panther rose and offered to pay one bull if the man cub would be accepted into the pack. And so it was that Mowgli became a part of the Wolf Pack, for the price of a bull and on Baloo's good word. Just as the Wolf Cubs learned about the world around them by taking short trips into the woods, so have our own Cubs grown in their understanding of nature and of their families. (call up Wolf den, present awards, lead cheer)
	Just as Baloo the kindly Bear, taught the young Wolves the secret names of the trees, the calls of the birds and the language of the air so must each of you help others in you den in order to meet the requirements for Bear. (call up Bear den, present awards, lead cheer)
	In 1967, the Webelos program expanded and activity badges were added. A new Webelos Badge was also created and the original Webelos badge was retained as the Arrow of Light. The Webelos rank is the transition between Cub Scouting and Cub Scout Scouting. To become a Webelos Scout requires a further expanding of one's horizons. Advancements must be earned and involvement in church and civic activities are encouraged. (call up Webelos Scouts, present awards, lead cheer)

Advancement Ceremony: Jungle Book Ceremony 

Introduction:	Cubmaster:	This month we are celebrating the __th annual birthday of Scouting America and Cub Scouting 20 years later, February 22, 1930.  Cub Scouts traditionally hold the Blue and Gold Banquet to celebrate this birthday. Cub Scouting builds character in Cub Scouts. The blue stands for truth and loyalty; and the gold, cheer and happiness. In addition, the blue and gold of Cub Scouting helps to build spirit in the pack. And so, you can see how society over the years has benefited from Scouting. Let us all, through our efforts, make this the best celebration yet.
	Cubmaster:	Who will speak for the Lions?
	Lion Leader	I, Lion leader will speak for the Lions. These are the young ones, but they have already begun to show skills. These young ones are ready to be recognized. (call up Lion den, present awards, lead cheer)
	Cubmaster:	Now it is time for the Tigers. Who will speak for the Tigers?
	Bagheera:	I, Bagheera, will speak for the Tigers. These are learning many new Scout skills. I present them to the pack. (call up Wolf den, present awards, lead cheer)
	Cubmaster:	Now it is time for the wolves. Who speaks for the wolves?
	Wolf Leader	I, mother wolf, speak for the Wolf Cubs. I have nurtured them and watched them grow as they learn the skills of the wolf. I present them to the pack. (call up Wolf den, present awards, lead cheer)
	Cubmaster:	Next, we are ready for the bears, who speaks for the bears?
	BALOO:	I, Baloo, will speak for the bears. I have taught them well the Scout Oath and Law. They have come far and are ready to be recognized by the pack. (call up Bear den, present awards, lead cheer)
	Cubmaster:	Now we are ready for the maturest members of the pack to be recognized. Who speaks for the Webelos Scouts?
	Webelos Leader	I speak for the Webelos Scouts. Recite the meaning of Webelos Scout. (call up Webelos Scouts, present awards, lead cheer)
	Cubmaster:	I have looked over the members of the pack and I am proud to be their leader; would all of the members of the pack come forward and join in all a Grand Howl.

Advancement Ceremony: Let’s Celebrate

Props: Party decorations, streamers, boxed gifts
Awards: Wrap the awards like presents.  Have a large gift-wrapped box in which you put all the presents.
Cubmaster: We’re here to celebrate the advancement of (Cub Scout’s name(s) to the rank of (rank).  As their efforts to advance has been a gift to us, we present them now with their awards.  Let’s all join in singing (to the tune of Happy Birthday)
    Happy (actual rank earned) Lion to you!
    Happy Lion to you!
    Happy Lion dear (name of Cub) 
    Happy Lion to you!

(Might be fun to have party noisemakers instead of cheers so the audience can raise the roof)

Advancement Ceremony: Meaning of the Colors Blue and Gold

Introduction:	Cubmaster:  This month we are celebrating the __th annual birthday of Boy Scouting in America and Cub Scouting 20 years later, February 22, 1930.  Cub Scouts traditionally hold the Blue and Gold Banquet to celebrate this birthday. Blue and gold, the Cub Scout colors stand for some of the good things Cub Scouts gain through the process of advancement as they make progress towards the ranks.
	Gold stands for good cheer. The Lions here tonight are beginning to learn the basics of Cub Scouting and are full of the good cheer of Cub Scouting. (call up Lion den, present awards, lead cheer)
	Gold stands for happiness, and no one seems to be more full of happiness than the bright young Tiger Scouts. (call up Tiger den, present awards, lead cheer)
	Blue, the other color of Cub Scouting stands for truth. Truth shines through strong on the faces of the Wolf Scouts as they have learned that the truth is always the best. (call up Wolf den, present awards, lead cheer)
	Blue also stands for honor and the Bear Scouts have learned that Cub Scout honor really is important. (call up Bear den, present awards, lead cheer)
	The other meaning for the color blue is loyalty. This is one of the most important traits a Cub Scout can learn in the process of becoming a man. Loyalty to family, God, country, friends, and the most important, loyalty to their beliefs and convictions. There are many adults who do not display this trait, but the Cub Scouts who have progressed to the rank of Webelos Scouts have developed or are developing this trait of loyalty. (call up Webelos Scouts, present awards, lead cheer)
Closing thought:	These Cub Scouts honored tonight have been true to the gold and the blue by showing the traits represented by our Cub Scout colors.... good cheer, happiness, truth, honor and loyalty.

Advancement Ceremony: Scouting History

Introduction:	Cubmaster: Robert Baden-Powell was a British army officer who was stationed in India. He found his men didn't know basic first aid or elementary means of survival outdoors. He felt a need to teach his men resourcefulness, adaptability, and the qualities of leadership demanded by the frontier. He wrote a small military handbook called "Aid to Scouting." Boys in England started using the book play the game of Scouting, and in 1907, Robert Baden-Powell took 20 boys and 2 men to Brownsea Island, off the coast of England. This was the beginning of Scouting.
	Later Baden-Powell wrote a book that set in motion the movement that brought on the beginning of Scouting. The Lion program starts the beginning of the Cub Scout trail. (call up Lion den, present awards, lead cheer)
	In 1909 a Chicago businessman, William Boyce, was lost in a London fog. A boy appeared and helped Boyce to his destination. When Boyce tried to tip the boy for his kindness, the boy refused; he said he was a Scout and could not accept money for a good turn. Boyce asked the boy questions about being a Scout and asked to see Lord Baden- Powell. Mr. Boyce was eager to meet Lord Baden-Powell and learn about Scouting. Just as our Tigers are eager to do things and learn about Scouting. (call up Tiger den, present awards, lead cheer)
	After the visit to England, Boyce returned to America, captured by his dream and in 1910 Boyce incorporated the BSA. William Boyce brought Boy Scouting to the United States. He took the next step in bringing Scouting to our Cub Scouts. The next step on the Cub Scout trail is the Wolf badge. (call up Wolf den, present awards, lead cheer)
	Back in England, the younger boys were eager to join the older Boy Scouts. Baden-Powell designed a program based on Rudyard Kipling's "Jungle Book." The Jungle Book helped to bring the Scouting program to the younger boys, creating Cub Scouts. In 1930, Cub Scouting was formally launched in America. This was the third step in spreading the Scouting movement around the world. The next step on the Cub Scout Trail is the rank of Bear. (call up Bear den, present awards, lead cheer)
	The American style of the Cub Scouting program is home- and-neighborhood-centered. The program suggests a wide variety of interesting things for a Cub Scout, his den, and his family to do. The thrust of the entire Scouting program, including Cub Scouting, is to help promote citizenship, character development, and physical fitness, all the while being done in the spirit of fun. Tonight, we have Cub Scouts who have done all kinds of activities in the Cub Scout program and who have grown from their experiences. (call up Webelos Scouts, present awards, lead cheer)
Closing thought:	After the death of Baden-Powell, a letter was found that he had written to all Scouts. It said: "Try and leave this world a little better than you found it." These words are a fitting epitaph setting a great example for all of us to follow.

Audience Participation: The Story of a Pack, Like Ours?

Divide the audience into six parts. Assign each part a word and a response. Instruct them they are to say the response whenever they hear the word. Practice as you make assignments.

Once upon a time there was a pretty good PACK who did a lot of things and had a lot of fun. The PACK has a few new LIONS who had just joined the PACK. There were also a few WOLF Cub Scouts, who were eight years old. Most of the Cub Scouts in the PACK were BEARS, who were 9 years old and some of these BEARS were almost 10 years old.

After a Cub has been a LION, TIGER, WOLF, or BEAR, and has turned 10 years old, they becomes a WEBELOS. WEBELOS means, "We'll be loyal Scouts". The WEBELOS program differs from the BOBCAT, WOLF, and BEAR because WEBELOS prepares the WEBELOS Scout to be a Scouts BSA. The WEBELOS uniform is different too.

The WOLF and BEAR Cub Scouts work on achievements and electives for gold and silver arrows with their PARENTS. The WEBELOS work toward activity pins. These awards are presented at the PACK meeting for all the PARENTS to see.

The PACK was going along real well until summer came and a few PARENTS moved. The PACK is now in great need for PARENTS of the BOBCAT, WOLVES, BEARS, and WEBELOS to help the PACK. The PACK needs the help from the PARENTS so the PACK can grow and continue to provide lots of fun for the BOBCATS, WOLF and BEAR Cub Scouts and the WEBELOS Scouts too! The PACK can't do a good job with only a few PARENTS doing everything, so PARENTS help your BOBCAT,

WOLF and BEAR Cub Scouts and your WEBELOS Scouts get a better program of fun and adventure in our PACK. PARENTS help us now.

What do you say PARENTS?

Audience Participation: Very Special Birthday Party

Divide audience into four groups to respond with the following:

This is a story of a  DEN LEADER, CUB DEN 1, and a BIRTHDAY CAKE. One Thursday afternoon, as CUB DEN 1 was meeting at the home of their DEN LEADER, Mrs. Reid, the Scouts overheard her on the phone say “It will be a very special BIRTHDAY PARTY. “

“BIRTHDAY PARTY?” they said, to each other, “whose BIRTHDAY PARTY?” “That’s a neat idea, “ said Johnny. “Let’s have a BIRTHDAY CAKE, “ said Mike and Ike. “Swell, “ they all said.

So each went home and made special plans for the next Den meeting and the special BIRTHDAY PARTY for their DEN LEADER.

Den Meeting day dawned bright and sunny. At 3:30 all five boys arrived at their DEN LEADER’S house. Mike and Ike brought a BIRTHDAY CAKE. Jimmy brought paper hats, Johnny brought balloons and Billy brought ice cream for the BIRTHDAY PARTY.

As they trooped in the door, they all yelled, “Surprise! We’re having a BIRTHDAY PARTY”. Mrs. Reid, their DEN LEADER looked shocked. “My BIRTHDAY PARTY? Why? It’s not my birthday. “

But we heard you talking about a special BIRTHDAY PARTY on the phone last week, said Jimmy. “Oh,” said their DEN LEADER, and smiled. “It’s Cub Scouting’s birthday,” she said. “Cub Scouting is __ years old this month. But I think this is a wonderful idea. We’ll just celebrate a little early. “

And so they did. And that is how CUB DEN 1 and their DEN LEADER had a very special BIRTHDAY PARTY!

Grand Howl: This old ceremony to honor someone starts with the Cub Scouts in a circle around the honoree.

• They touch the floor between their legs with the forefinger and middle finger of both hands.
• Then, wolf like, they raise their heads and howl, "Ah-h- kay-y-la! W-e-e-e'll do-o-o- ou-u-r-r best!"
• At the word "best," they jump to their feet with both hands high overhead, making the Cub Scout sign.
• While hands are held high, a den chief or other leader yells, "Dyb, dyb, dyb, dyb," meaning "Do Your Best".
• On the fourth "dyb", each Cub Scout drops their left hand smartly to their side, make the Cub Scout salute with their right hand, and shouts,"We-e-e'll dob, dob, dob, dob!" meaning "We'll Do Our Best."
• After the fourth "dob", the Cub Scouts drop right hands smartly to their sides and come to attention.

Great Job Cheer: Group stands and says "GREAT JOB GREAT JOB, GREAT JOB," getting louder each time.

Lost in the Fog Applause: Divide audience into two groups. First group yells (as if lost): "Hello! Hello!" Second group answers: "I'll help you, sir!"

Guest Cheer: Have everyone stand where they are and say, "We're glad you're here with Pack        !"

Overeater's Applause: Looking uncomfortable, rub stomach and slowly say "I can't believe I ate the whooole thing."

Pack Cheer: The Cubmaster says, "Clap your hands.": (Everyone claps.) "Stomp your feet." (Everyone stomps.) Then everyone yells together, "Pack     can't be beat."

Pack Cheer. "Who's the best in Blue and Gold? Pack ____ so we've been told!"

Way Back Applause: Make a fist but point your thumb backward like a hitchhiker does. Move your arm from front to back as you say "Way back!"

When I Do - You Do Cheer: Tell the group that when you applaud so should they, and when you don't, they shouldn't either. Use false starts several times to try and trick them up.

Bobcat Applause. Pretend to lick the back of your hand and wipe your face, like a cat does, and say meow, meow, meow.

Lion Applause: Begin to make a growling sound, but then change at the end to "Meow".

Wolf Applause 1: Make fists out of your hands and place at the side of your head, like wolf ears, then howl.

Wolf Applause 2: Turn head towards ceiling and let out a howl.

Bear Applause 1: Hold your hands up like bear paws with your claws out and growl.

Bear Applause 2: Start with low pitched growl, and gradually get louder and louder. At the end of growl, do quick clawing motion with hand.

Webelos Scout Applause 2: Shout "Who's the best, everyone knows, WE-BE-LOS, WE-BE-LOS."

Webelos Scout Applause1: Make Scout sign and say "We'll Be Loyal Scouts".

Arrow of Light Applause: Hold your hands out to your left side. Make an arc by moving your hands over your head to your right side while you say, "WHOOOOOSH."

Closing Ceremony: Birthday of Cub Scouting

(Boy Scouts began in England in 1908 and Cub Scouts started in the US 1930)

Have a small birthday candle at each Cub Scout table setting and have a larger candle on all tables.  At the proper time, the Cubmaster announces that each Webelos Scout should come forward and receive a lighted candle to take to their table.  After they reach the table all other lights are turned off.

CM: America’s manpower begins with Cub Scout power.  As we light all our candles, you can see the room is growing brighter.  (Cubs light their candles.)  That is the way it is in Cub Scouting in our community as we increase our Cub Scout power.  One Cub Scout may not be very big, but as our members grow we can light up all our homes and make everyone aware of our Cub Scout spirit.  Let’s make Cub Scouting really shine with kid power (lights come on and candles are blown out.  Do Your Best!

Cub Scouts: We’ll do your best!

Closing Ceremony: Anniversary Closing Ceremony

Equipment: Candelabra with 3 candles & 1 larger candle

Personnel: Cubmaster and all present and former Cub Scouts

Cubmaster: Tonight, we have had a lot of fun at the __^th birthday party of Scouting and the __^th birthday of our own pack. As Cub Scouts and leaders, we are following the trail left by millions of other Cub Scouts and men who have been in Cub Scouting over the last three-quarters of a century.

All of those Cubs have had the Scouting spirit, which we symbolize with the flame of this one candle. (light separate candle. Turn room light off.)

What is the Cub Scout spirit? That’s easy. It’s the three things we promise to do in the Cub Scout Promise. In the Promise, we say, “I promise to do my best to do my duty to God and my country.” That’s the first part. (lights first candle) The second part is: “To help other people.” (lights the second candle.) And the third is:” To obey the Law of the Pack.” (lights the third candle.)

Now while these three candles burn as a reminder to us, all Cub Scouts, and all former Cub Scouts with us tonight, please stand, make the Cub Scout sign, and repeat the Promise with me. (Lead the Cub Scout Promise.)

Closing Ceremony: Baden-Powell Closing

Baden-Powell had a vision which he made come true, So that we enjoy Scouting, and have fun while we do.
He wasn't an American, but he's famous to us.
He has earned in America, our admiration and trust.
May the Spirit of Scouting, be with both young and old. As you never forget, the blue and the gold.
May you strive for truth and spirituality, in the warm sunlight under the sky above.
May you bring good cheer and happiness to others and have steadfast loyalty and love. 

Closing Ceremony: Baden-Powell Had a Vision

The following closing could be done by a den of Cub Scouts standing up front and reciting together the first eight lines or have one of them as narrator, take a few steps forward and say:

Baden-Powell had a vision,
That he made come true.
So now we can enjoy Scouting
And have fun while we do.

While he wasn’t an American,
He’s become famous to us,
Earning through America,
Our admiration and trust
Now may the Spirit of Scouting,

Be with both young and old.
As you remember again,
The meaning of Blue and Gold
May you strive for truth and spirituality.
In the warm sunlight under the sky above,
As you bring good cheer and happiness
With steadfast loyalty brought through love.
Happy __^th Birthday and Happy Scouting!

Closing Ceremony: Badge Book and Candle

Props: Place a Cub Scout badge, a handbook, Bible, and a lighted candle on a table.

Cub Scouts, these three things have been significant in Cub Scouting since it began in 1930. This badge is a symbol of Cub Scouting all over America. There are many books that are important to Cub Scouts. The Wolf and Bear and Tiger and Webelos handbooks help us to learn new skills. The Bible is another important book. It guides our daily lives. The candle is a symbol of the light of Scouting which penetrates the darkness of hate, prejudice and distrust. It is a light that must be kept burning in the heart of every Scout, now and as they grow into adulthood.

Closing Ceremony: Closing Thought

Narrator: Lord Baden-Powell, the founder of Scouting, wrote: “While you are living your life on earth, try to do something good which may remain after you. “One writer says: ‘I often think that when the sun goes down the world is hidden by a big blanket from the light of heaven, but the stars are little holes pierced in that blanket by those who have done good deeds in this world. The stars are not all the same size; some are big, some are little, and some men have done great deeds and others have done small deeds, but they have made their hole in the blanket by doing good before they went to heaven.’

“Try to make your hole in the blanket by good work while you are on earth. It is something to be good, but it is far better to do good.” Think of Baden-Powell’s words when you promise to help other people.

Closing Ceremony: Cub Scouts

Prior to the meeting, prepare large cards with Letters on them for each Scout.  Print the accompanying lines of text on the back of each card in large print.  On cue, each Scout enters the stage area and presents their letter and words.  Be sure to practice ahead of time and make sure everyone reads well and loudly enough to be heard.

C stands for COURTEOUS, something that all Cub Scouts should be.
U stands for UNIQUE, something that of our Cub Scouts are.
B is for BOYS and GIRLS, without which there would be no Cub Scouting.
S stands for SPECIAL, something that every Scouting volunteer is.
C stands for CHARACTER, something developed by time in Scouting.
O stands for OUTINGS, one of our favorite parts of Scouting.
U stands for UNIFORM, we’re proud to be wearing ours.
T stands for TALENT, something that each leader shares with the boys and girls.
S stands for SPIRIT OF SCOUTING, something that lives in the hearts of everyone involved in SCOUTING.

Closing Ceremony: A Hundred Years from Now

Have a Cub Scout in uniform stand at the front of the room.

A hundred years from now,
It will not matter at all what your bank account was, whether large or small.
The kind of house you lived in will be immaterial too, as will the kind of car you drove and the famous folks you knew.
But the world may be a better place because you gave your time to Scouting.
Guiding future leaders down life's trail on each and every outing.
So, keep that Scouting light shining as a beacon for each Cub Scout.
Then in years to come you'll see them as adults who fill you with pride and joy.
Yes, Scouting is (shine flashlight on Cub) that Cub Scout!

Closing Ceremony: A Scout’s Pledge to Himself

Arrangement: The pack flag is placed in center of the stage. Cub Scouts in uniform, in turn come on stage, stand near the pack flag, and recite one of the statements below. Upon finishing, each Cub Scout salutes the Pack and retires to the rear of the stage, where a horseshoe is formed.

# 1:   May I grow in character and ability as I grow in size.
# 2:   May I be honest with myself and others in what I do and say.
# 3:   May I always honor my parents, my elders, and my leaders.
# 4:   May I develop high moral principles and the courage to live by them.
# 5:   May I strive for health in body, mind, and spirit.
# 6:   May I always respect the rights of others.
# 7:   May I set a good example so that others may enjoy and profit from my company.
# 8:   May I give honest effort to my work.
# 9:   May I learn things that will help me make life better for every living thing in God’s beautiful world.

As the last Scout finishes their line and completes the horseshoe formation behind the Pack flag, all Cub Scouts join hands for the Living Circle and repeat the Promise.

Closing Ceremony: Thank You Parents

Personnel: Eight Cub Scouts

Equipment: Large poster divided into eight, when put together has a heart on it with the words THANK YOU in it.

Setting: Each Cub Scout has a piece of the heart. After all lines have been read, the first four stand in a line and hold their cards while the second four kneel in front and hold up their cards so that the heart is formed.

# 1:   Our leaders are grand, the best in the land
# 2:   They deserve a thank you, and a big hand, too.
# 3:   This celebration's the time and the place, to tell them we think so, right to their face.
# 4:   So thanks to the den leaders, committee and Cubmaster, that making Scouting fun, they're truly the masters.
# 5:   But there's someone special we don't want to leave out, after all, they're a big part of what Scouting's about.
# 6:   We want to say thank you, Mom and Dad, and tell you that we are really glad.
# 7:   To have you as parents, yes, it's true, because of your help and all that you do.
# 8:   To help us through Scouting's achievements and ranks you truly deserve our heartfelt thanks.

Cubmaster Minute: A Badge

A badge in Cub Scouting is a piece of embroidered cloth. If you were to try to sell one of these badges, you'd find that it wouldn't bring much money. The real value of the badge is what it represents … the things you've learned to earn it … how to keep healthy, how to be a good citizen, good safety practices, conservation, and many new skills. Does your badge truly represent all these things? Were you prepared to meet each test at the time you passed it, or did you try to get by? Maybe you were prepared when you passed the test, but through laziness and neglect, you have forgotten the skill now. If this is true, then the badge you wear has little value. Don't wear a cheap badge. Wear one that has real value… one that represents what you can really do and know.

Cubmaster Minute: Be Prepared for Any Old Thing

What is a Cub Scout supposed to be prepared for? "Be prepared for any old thing," replied Baden-Powell, the founder of Scouting when asked that question. That's a tall order. Life holds a lot of surprises, and you probably won't be prepared for all of them. But in Scouting, you're learning how to deal with most of them. You're prepared to help your family, give service to our community and the nation, help clean up our environment, and provide many other Good Turns for people. Preparing you for life is what Scouting is all about. Learn as much as you can, and you'll be ready to meet life's challenges.

Cubmaster Minute: Closing Thought

Those whom we seek to serve come our way but once – as Cub Scouts.  Neglect none of them – for somewhere among them may be the man who will lead the world to everlasting peace.

Cubmaster Minute: Cubmaster's Closing Thought

Set Up: Cubmaster places a chair and a small table in front of the group. Turn the lights out. The Cubmaster lights a candle, walks across to the table and lights an oil lamp or another candle.

Let us close this evening by placing a bookmark in another chapter of our Scouting Tales. (Puts a bookmark in a large book and closes it.)

But let us in the near future, re-open our book and proceed to the next chapter.

Good Scouting to us all. (Blows out the lamp or candle and ends the banquet.)

Cubmaster Minute: Do Your Best

One of the most important things to learn in life is to put forth your best effort when doing something.  That is why we have the Cub Scout motto.  As a member of this Pack, I hope you will put forth your best effort for the good of the pack and for your own good.

Cubmaster Minute: Honesty

Lord Baden-Powell, the founder of Scouting said: "Honesty is a form of honor. An honorable man can be trusted with any amount of money or other valuables with the certainty that he will not steal it." When you feel inclined to cheat in order to win a game, just say to yourself "After all, it is only a game. It won't kill me if I do lose." If you keep your head this way, you will often find that you win after all. It's great to win, but if you can't win, be a good loser.

Cubmaster Minute: Lord Baden-Powell's Farewell Message

This letter was found among Baden-Powell's papers after his death January 8, 1941.

Dear Scouts:

If you have ever seen the play "Peter Pan" you will remember how the pirate chief was always making his dying speech, because he was afraid that possibly when the time came for him to die, he might not have the time to get it off his chest. It is much the same with me, so, although I am not at this moment dying, I shall be doing so one of these days, and I want to send you a parting word of goodbye.

Remember, it is the last you will ever hear from me, so think it over. I have had a most happy life, and I want each one of you to have a happy life, too. I believe that God put us in this jolly world to be happy and to enjoy life. Happiness

doesn't come from being rich, nor merely from being successful in your career, nor by self-indulgence. One step toward happiness, is to make yourself healthy and strong while you are a Cub Scout, so that you can be useful and can enjoy life when you are a man.

Nature study will show you how beautiful and wonderful things God has made the world for you to enjoy. Be contented with what you have got and make the best of it. Look on the bright side of things instead of the gloomy one.

But the real way to get happiness is by giving out happiness to other people. Try and leave this world a little better than when you found it; and when your turn comes to die, you can die happy in feeling that at any rate you have not wasted your time but have done your best. "Be prepared" in this way to live happy and to be happy ¡V stick to your Scout Promise always even after you have ceased to be a Cub Scout

God help you to do it. Your friend,

Baden Powell

Games: Alphabet Pong

This is a good game for a den activity. Have the Cub Scouts from a circle, with each Cub Scout holding a book (hardcover) with both hands.  One player takes a ping-pong ball, hits it with the book across the circle, and calls, “A.”  The person on the other side then returns it to someone and calls, “B,” and so forth.  The circle works together to see how far down the alphabet then can go before they miss.  There is no particular order for hitting the ball.  Anyone can hit the ball when it comes to him or her, but no one may hit the ball twice in a row.

Games: Bean Pick Up

Arrange the players around a table or kneeling in a circle on the floor.  Give each a saucer with two toothpicks and 12 beans.  On signal, see who can be the first to lift out five beans. 

Games: Blind Sardines

This is a good game for large groups.  You will need a blindfold for each player – neckerchiefs work great for this. 
To play, one person volunteers to be the sardine.  The sardine may choose to wear or not wear a blindfold.  All the other players wear blindfolds, and their objective is to come in contact with the sardine.  As the players roam around the room, when one player touches or bumps into another, they grab the other player and asks, “Are you the sardine?” The sardine must answer, “Yes” if asked. Once a player finds the sardine, they must hang onto the sardine for the remainder of the game and becomes a sardine too.  Eventually, more and more players are bumping into the line of sardines and adding themselves to the chain.  The game is over when everyone has become part of the sardine chain.

Games: Blind Volleyball

Split the Cub Scouts into two equal teams. The two teams then get on each side of a volleyball court and sit down either on chairs or on the floor in rows, arranged like regular volleyball. Hang a blanket over the net so that a solid barrier is form and obstructs the view of the other team. The divider should also be low enough that players cannot see under it.  Then play volleyball, using a big, light plastic beach ball instead of a volleyball.  Regular volleyball rules and boundaries apply.  A player cannot stand up to hit the ball.

Games: Blue and Gold Toss

One blue team and one gold team.  Have two butter dishes, one blue and one gold.  Each team has a specified amount of change to toss into the dishes.  Team with the most points wins. 

Games: Blue and Gold Balloon Bang! 

Relay teams line up at an equal distance from group of balloons. Each player races to the group of balloons in front of their line, blows up a blue or yellow balloon, sits on it to pop it and then races back to touch off the next player. 

Games: Blue and Gold Smile 

Divide the group or table into two teams and line them up, facing each other about 10 feet apart.  Name one team “Blues” and the other “Golds.”  Then flip a coin and call out the side that turned up, heads means Blue and tails mean Gold.  If it comes up heads, the Blues laugh and smile while the Golds try to keep sober faces.  The Blues, of course, try to make the Golds laugh.  Any who do laugh must join the other team.  Then flip the coin again. 

Games: Blue and Gold Source 

This game is played in pairs. A number of pieces of colored blue and gold construction paper are scattered around the room. Cub Scouts are in pairs, some are blue and some gold. Cub Scouts are tied together as a pair at ankles with blue ribbon for blue’s and yellow ribbon ‘for gold’s. Have only as many paper pieces on the floor as you have pairs of Cub Scouts. A tape player or radio is used for music. When the music stops, each pair must find their color paper and stand on it (only one pair on each sheet of paper). During the music, the Leader removes one sheet of paper so one pair will be without a color. The pair who cannot find their “color” when the music stops is eliminated. Action is repeated until one pair remains. 

Games: Blue and Gold Stringer 

People at each table form a team.  Give each team a blue or gold chenille stem and several buttons (as many as will fit on the stem).  At the signal, the first person strings a button on the stem and passes it to the next player, who does the same.  Continue until all buttons are on the stem.  First team to finish is the winner. 

Games: Bumper Box Relay

For this game, you will need a large refrigerator box for each team. Each player stands with the box over their head and the open end at their feet. At a signal, the players race to the opposite wall (or goal) and back while their team shouts directions to them from behind the starting line.  The boxes can be decorated ahead of time at a den meeting.

Games: Catch A Bear, Wolf, or Etc.

Equipment: cup, cut out figures of bears, wolves or etc. 
Cut out figures you want to use.  They must fit into the cup.  Place numbers on the figures. Players all toss several figures in the air and try to catch them with the cup.  Add the numbers on the figures caught. 

Games: Cub Scout Dress Up Relay Race

Materials Needed: 2 sets of large or extra large Cub Scout, Scouts BSA, den leader, or Scout leader uniforms, 2 American Flags in stands
How to Play:

• Flags in stands are at one end of the playing area. The two sets of clothing are in a back pack, bag or suitcase about half-way down the playing area. 
• Divide players into two teams and have them stand in lines at the beginning of the playing area. 
• On the word "go" the first Cub Scout in line runs to one set of clothing. They open the container and puts on the clothing. They then run the rest of the way to the flag. 
• The player salutes the flag and runs back to the clothing container. They remove the clothing and puts it back into the container making sure to close and fasten the container. 
• He runs back to the beginning and tags the next Cub Scout in line. The next Cub Scout repeats the process. This continues until everyone on the team has had a turn. 
• The first team finished is the winner.

Games: Domino

This is a game that is as fun to watch, as it is to play.  It’s also easy to play and requires no props.  
Teams line up in single-file lines parallel to each other. The lines should have the same number of people, and everyone should be facing toward the front of the line.  
At a signal, the first person in each line squats, and then each person in turn squats, all the way to the end of the team’s line. (You cannot squat until the person immediately in front of you squats first.) 
The last person in line squats and then quickly stands up again, and in reverse, each person stands up in succession, instead of squatting.  
The first team with the person standing at the front of the line is the winner.  
This game works best with at least twenty people in each line (the more the better).  Have the teams try it several times for speed.
Dressed for the Blue and Gold
Have the dens line up for a relay, each with a suitcase filled with the following clothing: old hat, trousers, shirt, jacket or overcoat and tie. On signal, the first Cub Scout in each line races with the suitcase to the center of the room, puts on the clothing, and then scrambles back with the suitcase to the starting point.  They then take off the clothing and repacks it in the suitcase.  The second Cub Scout repeats the performance and so on until all have finished.  First team wins. 

Games: Handy Balloon Game

Materials Needed: Many balloons of various colors inflated
How to Play: On the signal "go" all balloons are tossed into the air. Players then try to keep them in the air as long as possible by batting them up with their hands. You may want to give specific directions to go with different colors of balloons. For example, red balloons may only be hit with the left hand, green balloons may only be hit with the head, all other colors must be hit with the right hand.  Any balloons that fall to the ground are considered out of play and cannot be picked up and restarted. After 30 seconds the game director sounds the signal to "stop" and the balloons still in the air are caught and counted. Compare how many your group has left to other groups or the last time you did it.  Or do it again and try and improve. This is really fun when done as teams.

Games: Human Obstacle Course

Each team lines up single file behind a starting line. Ten additional team members are used as the obstacle course: a standing pole to circle around, a leg tunnel to go under, kneelers on all fours to leap over, sitters with outstretched legs to step in and among, another standing pole to circle around and back to the starting line. At the signal, the first person runs the course, then the next person, and so on. If an obstacle is missed or improperly executed, the runner must repeat that obstacle.

Games: Lean-Too 

A good game for the pack meeting to get the parents involved.  The Cub Scouts and parents stand in a circle by Dens holding hands.  Everyone numbers off alternately one or two.  On the signal, keeping legs and backs as straight as possible, the players who are “ones” lean forward toward the center of the circle, while the “twos” lean outward.  Players counterbalance each other for support.  Once the group has gotten its balance, slowly reverse the leaners.  Then have the players see how smoothly they can alternate. 

Games: Long, Long, Long Jump

The object of this game is for the group of children to jump collectively as far as possible.  The first player begins at a starting line and makes a jump. The next player starts their jump where the previous person landed.  The players can attempt to improve their total collective distance on successive tries.  This can be played indoors or outside, with a backward broad jump, forward long jump (standing or running), hop-skip-and-jump, and so forth.

Games: Nonverbal Birthday Line-up

This game can be played with children and parents.  Have all the players try to line themselves up according to the month and day of birth, without any talking.  The game is a lot of fun with a large group of people.

Games: Pass the Baton

Have the group form a circle.  Give one person a baton-like item, such as a paper towel roll. Have the group members say the words of the Pledge of Allegiance, a song, cheer, prayer, etc.  The first person says the first word, and pass the baton to the person on their left. The second person says the next word, and passes the baton, and so on until someone makes a mistake. If a mistake is made, that person steps out of the circle. The next person says the correct word, and play continues until only one person is left.  Repeat the game with the Cub Scout Oath, or a new song or prayer.

Games: Pass Your Instrument

Players sit on the floor in a circle. Each player chooses an instrument they want to represent. They must then decide on an action that will represent that instrument. 
To begin play, have everyone demonstrate their instrument's action. Then one player is chosen to be the Conductor and stands in the middle. One player begins by making the sign of their instrument and then makes the sign of another player's instrument.  The player whose instrument's action was made must then make the sign of their instrument and then the sign of still another player's instrument and so on. This is to be done without letting the Conductor see any of the actions. If the Conductor catches any player making the actions of an instrument that player becomes the new Conductor and the old Conductor sits in that player's place.

Games: Ping-Pong Ball Relay

This is a good party game for a den meeting.  Give the Cub Scouts a ping-pong ball and a party blower (the type that uncoils when you blow it), and have them line up at the starting line. Each Cub Scout is to push their ball across the floor using only their blower.  They cannot blow directly on the ball or touch it in any way with the party blower.  The first one across the finish line wins.

Games: Table Upset 

Can be played in a circle or with people sitting at tables (although this can be a little hectic).  The leader stands in the middle of the circle or room and gives each person the name of something connected with a Blue and Gold banquet, such as a dish, knife, spoon, plate, place card, napkin ring, placemat, etc.  More than one person can have the same name.  The leader then makes up a dramatic story of a Blue and Gold Banquet.  As they name each banquet item, the players with that item must rise, turn around and resume their seat.  The leader may mention these items as many time as they choose.  Suddenly they say:  “The table turned over.”  At this signal, all players must change seats.  The leader sits in an empty chair and the player left standing becomes the new leader. 

Games: Toss the String 

You will need a ball of yarn or string for each circle.  Have the group form one or more circles of 15 or less players.  The Cub Scout with the yarn starts by calling out another Cub Scout’s name in the circle and tosses the yarn to him, being sure to hold the end of the string in their own hand.  The Cub Scout who catches the ball must call out another name and toss them the ball, while keeping hold of the string.  The object is to include everyone and create a spider web with the yarn.  The leader then asks one Cub Scout to pull on their string while everyone else holds on.  Ask how many Cub Scouts can feel the string being pulled.  Ask another one to let go of their string and see what happens to the web.  Experiment with the web, have everybody pull or half of them pull.  This would be a good time to talk to them about the importance of cooperation and team work.  It is also an excellent time to discuss the need to help each other when help is needed, and doing it with a positive attitude. 

Games: Trust Tag

This game is played like regular tag, except that the players play in groups of two. One partner must wear a blindfold. Their teammate guides them by keeping their hands on their blindfolded partner’s waist and shouting directions. The object is for the blindfolded player to tag another blindfolded player.

Games: Tug of War in the Round

Get a large rope about 24-feet in length and tie (or splice) the two ends together to form a large round rope.  
Four teams line up on the four sides of a square that is drawn on the ground.  
In the center square, the rope is placed opened out into a circle.  
The teams should be equal in size and each team member is numbered off.  
The leader then calls a number, and the four kids (one from each team) with that number grab one side of the rope and try to get back across their team’s line.  
As soon as a player crosses the line (pulling the rope), they are declared the winner.  
Continue the game until everyone has had a try. 
You can also try calling out several numbers at once.

Games: Wagon Wheels

A wagon wheel is created by having about seven children facing each other and joining hands to form a circle.  The wheel then moves in a circular motion around the walls of gym.  Two or three children (the bottom of the wheel) have their backs touching the wall momentarily as the wheel spins along the wall.  The fun increases as the wheel picks up speed.  Try putting the wheel into reverse or changing the speed. The wheel can stop by turning itself into a human hubcap.  One child lets go of their teammate’s hand on either side and begins to turn toward the inside of the circle, drawing the line into the center.  This coiling process continues until everyone, still holding hands, is wrapped into a human hubcap.  

Gathering Activity: Blue and Gold Gathering Activities

• Provide a “Photo Op” as Cub Scouts and parents arrive. Have a scene. Choose a typical Scouting activity such as hiking, sketching, cooking around the campfire – cut out the face area so that Cub Scouts, siblings or even adults can stick their head through and be photographed as if they are in the scene. 

• Have a variety of games and activities available for everyone to try as they arrive. Marbles, driving hoops, making tops, practicing making different shadows using your hands would all be fun activities. You could even make an indoor “Nerf-type” version of Croquet to play!

Gathering Activity: Baden-Powell

Give each family a sheet of paper with Baden Powell written across the top. Have each family see how many words of three or more letters they can make from: BADEN POWELL. Set a time limit like 3 to 5 minutes.

Gathering Activity: Baloo and Gold Word Search

This puzzle contains words and phrase related to Cub Scouting.  
Shere Khan    Bagheera    Mowgli
Red Flower    Rann    Mang
Father Wolf    Tabaqui    Mother Wolf
Gidur-log    Law of the Jungle    Raksha
Council Rock    Mao    Akela
Bagheera    Baloo    Bandar-log
Kaa    Lost City    Hathi
Rikki-tikki-tavi    Chuchundra    Darzee
    Chua

Gathering Activity: Banquet Quiz

This is a gathering activity to be completed before the start of the meeting. When you find someone who fits the descriptions in # 1-10, have him or her sign in the blank provided. A person may only sign your form once, so choose wisely! 
1. Someone who earned the rank of Eagle Scout __________
2. Someone with a daughter in Scouts __________
3. Someone who drives a red car __________
4. Someone who has a birthday in February__________ 
5. Someone who has a child who has earned the rank of Eagle Scout __________
6. Someone who has been to the Philmont Training Center __________ 
7. Someone who wears size 8 shoes __________
8. Someone who was born in another state __________
9. Someone who was a Cub Scout as a youth __________
10. Someone who has attended day or twilight camp _______.__________

Bonus Questions: 
1. Who was the founder of Scouting? __________
2. The words DEN, PACK, AKELA and LAW OF THE PACK come from a book by an English author. The book was _________________ written by _____________ 
3. Three men are generally regarded as the fathers of Scouting in the US. They were…__________

Gathering Activity: History of Cub Scouting

Identify the correct decade (1930, 1940, 1950, 1960, 1970, 1980, 1990, 2010) in which the following events occurred in Cub Scout history:
_______  1.    Tiger Cubs introduced
_______  2.    First Pinewood Derby
_______  3.    Cub Scouting officially approved in the U.S.
_______  4.    Garfield the Cat named National Cub Scouting “spokescat.”
_______  5.    First Blue and Gold banquet. Packs sell war bonds and war stamps
_______  6.    National Summertime Pack award introduced
_______  7.    Seven ranks established: Bobcat, Lion, Tiger, Wolf, Bear, Webelos Scout, Arrow of Light
Answers:  1-1980 (1982), 2-1950 (1953), 3-1930, 4-1990 (1999), 5-1940 (1943), 6-1960 (1964), 7-2010 (2018)

Gathering Activity: Jungle Book Characters Matching Quiz

How well do you know you’re The Jungle Book characters?  
     1.  Shere Khan    a.  Monkey People
     2.  Bagheera    b.  Rat
     3.  Mowgli    c.  Black Panther
     4.  Red Flower    d.  Teacher of the Law
     5.  Rann    e.  Kite
     6.  Mang    f.  Tailor-Bird
     7.  Tabaqui    g.  Bat
     8.  Gidur-log    h.  Wild Elephant
     9.  Raksha    i.   Rock Python
     10. Mao    j.  Tiger
     11. Akela    k.  Lone Wolf
     12. Baloo    l.   Peacock
     13. Bandar-log    m.  Jackal
     14. Kaa    n.  Fire
     15. Hathi    o.  Jackal People
     16. Rikki-tikki-tavi    p.  Boy Cub
     17. Chuchundra    q.  Musk-Rat
     18. Darzee    r.  Mongoose
     19. Chua    s.  Demon
See how well everyone did in putting the right animals with the names Kipling gave them in his book 
Answers: 1– j, 2 – c, 3 – p, 4 – n, 5 –  e, 6 – g, 7 - m, 8 – o, 9 – s, 10 – l, 11 – k, 12 – d, 13 – a, 14 – i, 15 – h, 16 – r, 17 – q, 18 – f, 19 – b

Gathering Activity: Name Bingo

Each Cub Scout has a sheet of paper marked off in a grid (six across, six down). The Cub Scouts then go around to other guests and ask them to sign a square. At a designated time, everyone stops and puts their own name on a piece of paper and puts them in a "hat". The leader pulls names out of the hat and reads them out loud. If a guest has that name on their paper, they put an X on that square. The object is to get a straight line, horizontally, vertically or diagonally.

Gathering Activity: Play Gifts & Talents Bingo

Give each person a Board. They are to go around and meet people. After meeting someone and learning their name, they are to ask them to sign a box. Each person can only sign one box!!! This is not a speed contest; there should be discussion and introduction before signing!! Here is a sample board- boxes may be changed to suit your group

Be sure to enlarge the BINGO Board to fill a sheet of paper and put some directions on the sheet, too.

Gathering Activity: Roman Numerals

Roman numerals are often used in marking the anniversary of special events (i.e. the Olympics, The Super Bowl, etc.). Can you write the Roman numeral for our 75th birthday of Scouting?
Here are some helps if you need them.
The basic symbols are:
I= 1, V= 5, X= 10, L= 50, C= 100, D= 500, M= 1000.
And there are two rules to remember. Put a number of lesser value before one of greater value to decrease the amount of the second letter by the amount of the first. 
Put a number of lesser value after one of greater value to increase the amount of the first letter by the amount of the second.
Here are some examples:
1= I     8= VIII
2= II     9= IX
3= III     10= X
4= IV     40= XL
5= V     94= XCIV
6= VI     1,770= MDCCLXX
7= VII     1,999= MCMXCIX
Now write the Roman numeral for 75: _______
For extra practice, write the Roman numerals for the following:
98:    301:    1,240:    
47:    532:    2,945:    
(Answers: 98:XCVIII 47:XLVII 301:CCCI 532:DXXXII 1,240:MCCXL 2,945:MMCMXLV)
Oh yes – 75 = LXXV

Gathering Activity: Search for Blue and Gold

Directions:  Go around the room and ask people if they have the following objects or fit the descriptions asked for. Have the person sign his or her name next to the statement that fits them.  
1.    Do you have a gold watch on?    
2.    Are you a child wearing a blue shirt?    
3.    Are you an adult wearing a blue shirt?    
4.    Do you have glasses with gold rims?    
5.    Are you wearing gold socks?    
6.    Do you have blue eyes?    
7.    Do you have golden hair?    
8.    Is your last or first initial “B”?    
9.    Is your last or first initial “G”?    
10.    How many electives to earn a gold arrow point?    
11.    What does Blue and Gold mean?    
12.    Are you wearing gold earrings?    
13.    Do you have gold braces?    
14.    Are you wearing a gold ring?    
15.    Does your belt have a gold buckle?    
16.    Is your belt blue?    
17.    Are your shoes blue?    
18.    Are you wearing a Blue ribbon?    
19.    Are you wearing gold shoes?    
20.    Are you wearing blue socks?    

Gathering Activity: Trivia Gathering Challenge

Register arriving Cub Scouts and their families. Use one set of name tags (shaped like a campaign hat) for adults and a different set (shaped like Cub Scout ball cap) for Cub Scouts.

Scouting Trivia

Hand out a sheet of paper with the 10 questions before the meeting. Give out the answers just before closing.
1.    On the Scout badge, what does the knot at the bottom of the scroll represent?
2.    Has the Cub Scout Promise changed and if so, how?
3.    Multiple choice: In the BSA 1911 Handbook for Boys, which was a first class requirement?
    a.    Swim 75 yards.
    b.    Capture a reptile and tell how you would cook it to survive.
    c.    Use an ax for felling light timber.
    d.    Take a hike at night of at least one mile using the night stars to navigate.
4.    Why was the first National Jamboree in 1935 called off?
5.    What current merit badge is earned the most?
6.    Name a patch that had to be earned in the past, and can now be worn by everyone. What was the requirement for this patch?
7.    In which war did Baden-Powell fight? (This is when he first started formulating ideas for Scouting.)
8.    Who was the first Eagle Scout to become President?
9.    In the last “Indiana Jones” movie, how many more ranks did young Indy need to become an Eagle Scout?
10.    What Cub Scout rank was eliminated in 1967?
Answers:
1.    Reminder to “Do a Good Turn Daily”
2.    Yes. It used to say “and to be square”, but in the 1970’s “square” became associated with a negative meaning, so it was taken out.
3.    (c), Use an ax for felling light timber.
4.    An epidemic of polio in this country.
5.    First Aid.
6.    World Crest patch. You had to spend an overnight with an international Scout.
7.    The Boer War.
8.    Gerald Ford
9.    Indiana Jones was a Life Scout, but in 1910 Life Scout came before Star; thus “two more ranks” is the answer.
10.    The Lion rank was dropped from Cub Scouts in 1967.

Gathering Activity: Think Fast

Assign people to groups as they arrive. Have them complete the following questions.  Review answers during Roundtable (or Pack Meeting) Ice Breaker time or score and award prizes for most correct, fastest, … 
1.    What letter is a beverage?
2.    What letter is a body of water? 
3.    What letter is a bid?
4.    What letter is a sheep? 
5.    What letter is a vegetable?
6.    What letter is a slang expression? 
7.    What letter is a question?
8.    What letter is a verb of debt? 
9.    What letter is a clue?
10.    What letter is an insect? 
    Answers: (T, C, I, U, P, G, Y, O, Q, B)

Gathering Activity: Who Am I?

Have a topic pre-selected such as PARTY. Come up with about 20 related items associated with that topic, example: horn, party hat, favor, balloon, candy, cake, punch, ice cream, music, games, invitations, presents, fireworks, napkins, plates, cups, forks, piñata. Write each item on a slip of paper and as the Scouts arrive, tape a slip with an item on their back (they aren't supposed to see their item). The object of this activity is for each Cub Scout to ask questions to determine what they are.

Gathering Activity: Who Is Who? - Who Was Who? 

Find 10 people here who fit the descriptions in #1 - #10. have him/her write their name in the blank provided.  As you are meeting new people discuss the other questions and see if you can complete them. 
Someone who:
1)    wears size 8 shoes:       
2)    has blue eyes:       
3)    plays a musical instrument:       
4)    has red hair:       
5)    has a younger sister:       
6)    likes liver:       
7)    speaks a foreign language:       
8)    was born in another state:       
9)    has a birthday in January:       
10)    was a Cub Scout as a youth:       
Who was the founder of Scouting?       
When was the BSA incorporated?      
Three men are generally regarded as the “fathers of’ Scouting in the United States.  They were: 
•    E      T    S     
•    D      C    B     
•    J      E    W     
When did Cub Scouting begin in the U.S.?       
The words PACK, DEN, AKELA and the LAW OF THE PACK come from a book by an English author 
The book is       
It was written by        

Gathering Activity: Word Scramble

Have the Cub Scouts unscramble these words pertaining to Cub Scouts

EULB NAD DGLO QBAUENT     (Blue and Gold Banquet)
WOARR FO GITLH    (Arrow of Light)
EECVETHMINA    (Achievement) 
FOWL    (Wolf)
ABRE    (Bear)
BEELOSW    (Webelos)
TCEEIVEL    (Elective)

Right-click on the graphic, click Open Image in New Tab, then right-click to save the graphic to the desktop.

Invocation: Akela, Make Me An Eagle

by Harlan G. Metcalf, Adapted by Merl Whitebook

Give me the strength to stand for right
When other folks have left the fight,
Give me the courage of the eagle
Who knows that if he will, he can.
Teach me to see in every face
The good, the kind, and not the base.
Make me sincere in word and deed,
Blot out from me all shame and greed,
Help me to guard my troubled soul
By constant, active, self-control.
Clean up my thoughts, my speech, my play,
And keep me pure from day to day.
0, Akela, make of me an Eagle!

Invocation: Blessed Are the Cub Scouts

Blessed are the Cub Scouts who are taught to see beauty in all things around them.
For their world will be a place of grace and wonder.
Blessed are the Cub Scouts who are led with patience and understanding...
For they will learn the strength of endurance and gift of tolerance.
Blessed are the Cub Scouts who are provided a home where family members dwell in harmony and close communion. –
For they shall become the peacemakers of the world. Blessed are the Cub Scouts who are taught the value and power of truth...
For they shall search for knowledge and use it with wisdom and discernment.
Blessed are the Cub Scouts who are guided by those with faith in a loving God...
For they will find Him early and will walk with Him through life.
Blessed are the Cub Scouts who are loved and know that they are loved...
For they shall sow seeds of love in the world and reaps joy for themselves and others.

AMEN.

Invocation: Cub Scout Parent's Prayer

Look down upon my child.
This smiling Cub Scout of mine.
Please take their hand along the way,
So that they may never stray.
Bless my child tonight and help them walk with Thee.
Give them comfort, warmth and love;
They’re all the world to me.
Bless their daily efforts,
And make them strong and true;
for life's a heavy burden,
And we're all in need of you. 

Invocation: Cub Scout’s Prayer

0 Lord, that I will do my best,
I come to Thee in prayer.
Help me to help others every day.
And teach me to be fair,
To honor my Mother and Father,
And to obey the Cub Scout Law, too.
This I ask, that I may be a loyal
Cub Scout true. Amen

Invocation

Dear God, bless all the Scouts around the world. Help us to remember that we are all working together to help make our world a better place. Guide our words and our actions so that we set the kind of example you want us to set. Amen.

Invocation

We fold our hands and bow our heads; And then thee Lord for our daily bread; For home and school and family, WE give thanks O Lord to thee. Teach us to be both brae and true; And bless our banquet, Gold and Blue.

Invocation

Our God and God of our fathers, we gather as loyal members of our Cub Scout Pack, and we pray for Thy blessings. Give us the vision to see our duty and the courage to perform it. Teach us to walk together in the spirit of brotherhood, so that we are true to Thee, who art Father of all. Guide us and guard us so that we shall be faithful sons of the righteous God, who is from everlasting to everlasting.

Invocation

Our dear Heavenly Father, we ask your blessing on the families in our Cub Scout Pack. We ask a special blessing on each Tiger Cub, Cub Scout, and Webelos Scouts as they give service to other people. Guide their steps as they grow into men, and help them as they do their duty to You and our country. Bless our food and the people who have prepared it.

Invocations and Blessing for the Blue and Gold Banquet

Our God and God of our fathers, we gather as loyal members of our Cub Scout pack, and we pray for Thy blessings. Give us the vision to see our duty and the courage to perform it. Teach us to walk together in the spirit of brotherhood, so that we are true to Thee, who art Father of all. Guide us and guard us so that we shall be faithful sons of the righteous God, Who is from everlasting to everlasting.

Our dear Heavenly Father, we ask a special blessing on the families in our Cub Scout Pack. We ask a special blessing on each Lion, Tiger, Wolf, Bear, and Webelos Scout as they give service to other people. Guide their steps as they grow into men, and help them as they do their duty to You and our country. Bless our food and the people who have prepared it. Amen 

Invocation: Philmont Grace

For food, for raiment,
For life, for opportunity,
For friendship and fellowship,
We thank thee, Oh Lord. Amen

A Reflection on the Philmont Grace

FOR FOOD: For food of combined thought from all around the world, to help us grow wiser in Scouting
FOR RAIMENT: For our Scouting uniform, which we have not only the blessing to wear, but the duty to honor
FOR LIFE: For a life of freedom in these great United States, a nation unsurpassed anywhere on this fragile planet, where we are truly free to live the aims of Scouting
FOR OPPORTUNITY: For the opportunity of Scouting itself – to be here with you – some of the finest people in Scouting
FOR FRIENDSHIP: For those we have met through Scouting and grown to love through that common interest – our love for ideals that we offer to the Cub Scouts who mean so much to us.
AND FELLOWSHIP: To share a laugh, to help a friend in some small way. To share a sunrise, a sunset. To climb a mountain and reach the stars.
WE THANK THEE, O LORD: The one to whom we owe so much. Amen.

Invocation: Roundtable Prayer

 “We are grateful for this opportunity to look back over the past 100 years of the Boy Scouts of America. We thank those who brought Scouting to America and helped the BSA make a difference in the lives of youth for a century. Help us in our effort to carry on the mission of the BSA. Bless those who will continue on in the next century.”

Leader Recognition and Induction Ceremonies

Opening Ceremony: Aging Time Capsule

Equipment: PVC pipe painted gray or covered with aluminum foil. Objects to be used include a pickle, raisin, cheese, dried fruit, and prunes.
Setting: Cubmaster comes forward with a large PVC pipe and announces the following.

Cubmaster: All things age with time. A time capsule is a container filled with things from the present like newspapers or clothing that is meant to be opened by people in the future. Sometimes people will bury a time capsule in buildings and they will be found when the building is remodeled.

I found a time capsule and have special permission to open it and share the contents with everyone. (Bring out the capsule and pull out items as well as rank advancements for later. As items are removed, comment that while it was once something else, now it is something different with a little age, as our Cub Scouts have worked and are now a different rank.)

•    Raisin (was grape) – Lion rank
•    Pickle (was cucumber) - Tiger rank
•    Cheese (was milk) - Wolf rank
•    Prunes (were plums) - Bear rank
•    Dried fruit (was apricot) - Webelos Scout rank

We will learn more about these later when we present our awards. But for now, everyone rise for the presentation of the Flag. (Do your usual Flag Ceremony and Scout Oath and Law.)

Opening Ceremony: Blue and Gold Birthday Opening

Have a narrator say the three verses with the Cub performing the listed actions. 

We're gathered here tonight, to honor the blue and gold, and to celebrate Scouting, which is ___ years old.
Now, as we look all about us. Scouting in action we see, bringing fun and adventure, as Baden-Powell meant it to be.

Let us all join together, as our program we start, by pledging allegiance to our flag, with our hand over our heart.

Actions for Cub Scouts:

Opening Ceremony: Blue and Gold Opening

Props: One large candle and 3 smaller candles (candles could be blue and gold)

Cubmaster: Tonight we will have a lot of fun at this, the 75th birthday of Cub Scouting and Pack ___’s __^th birthday.  As Cub Scouts and leaders, we are following a trail blazed by millions of other Cub Scouts, men, and women, many of them who are with us tonight.

All of them have had the Cub Scout spirit, which we symbolize with the flame of this one candle.  (Light the larger candle.  Extinguish the room lights.)  What is the Cub Scout spirit?  That’s easy.  It’s the three things we promise to do in the Scout Oath. We say “I promise to do my best to do my duty to God and my country.”  That’s the first part.  (Light one candle.)

The second part is, “To help other people.”  (Light second candle.)

And the third is, duty to self.”  (Light third candle.)  

Now, while these candles burn as a reminder to us, please stand, and repeat the Scout Oath with me.  

Opening Ceremony: Blue and Gold Banquet Skit

Preparation: Print large block letters with permanent markers on 8” x 10” sheets of white cardstock---the word BLUE in Blue, AND in black, and GOLD in red. Add silver stars to the letters. Print speaking parts on the back of each card.

Action: Cub Scouts hold up cards and say their parts in turn. 10 Cub Scouts required.

B is for BADEN POWELL—the founder of Scouting
L is for LEADERS--the Cubmaster who guides us
U is for UNDERSTANDING--We learn to help others
E is for EXCELLENCE--we try to “do our best”
A is for ANNIVERSARY--Cub Scouting’s 75th
N is for NEIGHBORHOOD--where dens meet each week
D is for DEN CHIEFS--Scouts who help us in many ways
G is for GOALS--for which Cub Scouting stands
O is for OPPORTUNITIES--for boys and girls to learn and do
L is for LIBERTY--in the years to come
D is for DEN LEADER--who loves and helps us

Opening Ceremony: Blue & Gold Opening

Equipment: 4 candles (penlight flashlights for fire safety), (2 blue and 2 gold), candleholders, U.S. Flag, 5 Cub Scouts, 4 cards each bearing one letter of the word CUBS, place candles in candle holders on the table with a lettered card behind each one. At the proper time, the Webelos Scout lights their candle and reads their part.

Opening Ceremony: Blue and Gold Welcome

#1: We'd truly like to welcome you to our banquet of gold and blue.
#2: The food is great, the program grand, and everyone lent a hand. 
#3: We’re having a party to celebrate the Cub Scout birthday.
#4: And we give our thanks to all those who have helped promote the gold and blue. 
#5: Blue and gold are our colors true No other colors would really do.
#6: Blue is the color of the sky above. Gold is for sunshine, warmth, and love.
#7: Come join us in our Cub Scout fun, and delight in our colors of sky and sun. 
#8: So now we'll say it loud and bold, welcome to our blue and gold.

Opening Ceremony: Campfire Candle Opening

Equipment: ‘Campfire’ built of logs around a yellow light bulb, electric candle with blue light, tape of crackling fire sounds. 
Setting: Fire is dark as CM enters and ‘lights’ candle (turns bulb). 
We will light our council fire tonight with this candle that represents the Spirit of Cub Scouting, and the promise to do their best.
This light is a symbol of a Cub Scout’s promise to do their duty to God and their country. This light is a symbol of a Cub Scout’s promise to help other people. This light is a symbol of a duty to stay physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight.
(CM stops, touches ‘campfire’ with the ‘candle.’ Someone off stage then plugs in the fire and starts the tape.)
I now declare this council fire open. Let the ceremonies begin!  Please stand and repeat the Scout Oath.

Opening Ceremony: Cub Scouting is…

Arrangement: 7 Cub Scouts line up across stage holding up posters as indicated.  Each says their line, pausing a moment after the Cub Scouting…

Opening Ceremony: Flag Opening

Materials: Flag, 3 candles (red, white, blue), board or holders, narrator with script, three to five Scouts to light candles, 

Opening Ceremony: The History of Scouting

In 1910, newspapers featured Model T Fords chugging along rutted roads at 8 miles an hour; Detroit's center fielder, Ty Cobb, batting .385; and Tom Swift hitting the book market with a bang. Buried deep in one newspaper, it was reported: "William D. Boyce, a Chicago publisher, incorporated the Boy Scouts of America in Washington, D.C. on February 8.” That was all it said. We can't blame reporters for missing the biggest story of the day, because who could have guessed that from such a small beginning, Scouting would become the giant it is today? From about 2,000 Boy Scouts and leaders in 1910, Scouting in the United States has grown to nearly 6 million strong. Although changes have been made in Scouting over the years, the ideals and principles have remained the same since its beginning--service to others and duty to God and country. Please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Incident on a London Street -- 1908
(Lights dim, curtains open, spotlight with blue gel [to simulate night] comes on to center stage, fog fills stage)

Narrator: It was a foggy night in London, England, eighty-eight years ago, and an American businessman and publisher from Chicago, William D. Boyce, was lost. (Enter a Scout in costume--overcoat, bowler or derby, carrying briefcase).
It had been a long day, and now here he was -- after dark, in a strange city, looking for a street address during one of London's famous heavy fogs. (Scout pantomimes the narrative)
Mr. Boyce stopped and took out a street map and, after looking at it for a minute, scratched his head and tried to get his bearings. It looked impossible, although he knew he couldn't be very far from his destination. Mr. Boyce was almost ready to give up and hail a hansom cab for a ride...(Enter another Scout in uniform)
 ...when a boy, wearing some kind of strange uniform, appeared mysteriously out of the fog and said, "May I help you, sir?" Mr. Boyce nodded gratefully and showed him the address he was trying to find. "A piece of cake, sir," the boy said. "It's not far. I'll be happy to show you the way." (Scout leads "Mr. Boyce" off, and they walk slowly around the stage, pretending to talk)

The boy led Mr. Boyce off. As they walked along, Mr. Boyce asked the boy about the uniform he was wearing, and the boy told Mr. Boyce about a new organization for boys, called Boy Scouting. It had been started the year before by a British army general named Baden-Powell. Scouting had 5,000 boys in it the first year, but now, less than 24 months later, 100,000 boys had joined. Boy Scouts stood for something, the boy said--faith in God, love of family, friends, King and country, belief in self-reliance and personal discipline, and the value of always doing your best. Boy Scouts also believed in doing a "good turn" daily.
After a short walk, they arrived at Mr. Boyce's destination. Boyce reached into his pocket to give the boy a coin for a tip, but the Scout held up his hand and declined. "No sir," he replied, "this was my good turn today. Good night." And the boy disappeared into the fog, as mysteriously as he had appeared. (Scout exits the stage. After a brief pause, "Mr. Boyce" exits, too. Lghts come up here)

Boyce was deeply impressed by this incident, and the next day made an appointment with General Baden-Powell. He returned to America a few days later with a trunk full of uniforms and manuals, and a head full of ideas for starting Scouting in America.
And so, a little over a year later, on February 8, 1910, a notice appeared in a Chicago paper, announcing the incorporation of the Boy Scouts of America. Thousands of Scouts joined that first year--and the rest, as they say, is history.
Today we in this room are part of a worldwide movement, with almost 5 million boys and thousands of adult leaders in this country alone. More than 90 million American men have been Scouts since 1910.

As for the mysterious English Boy Scout--no one ever learned who he was, and his identity to this day remains a mystery. But he lives on in the memories of millions of American Scouts, past and present. And in London today, outside Gilwell, the birthplace of the world Scouting movement, is a statue of a buffalo, put there by American Scouts, to honor and memorialize that unknown English Boy Scout. Such is the power of a single, simple good turn. So boys, as we sit down tonight for dinner with our friends and families and fellow Scouts, it's altogether right that we remember this incident, and also remember always that we are part of something great, and important, and meaningful.
Would our color guard please present the colors.

Opening Ceremony: Interpretation of the Scout Oath 

Props: Each Cub Scout holding a sign with his part of the Cub Scout Oath on it. 
 

Opening Ceremony: Information About Baden-Powell

Assign parts to different Scouts.  Have them place pictures of Baden-Powell on cards and their parts on the back in LARGE print.  (or every so often during the night toss out a fact or two about BP) 

Opening Ceremony: In the Shadow of our Founders

Set up: Prepare silhouettes on black paper – for “head shots” you can use large construction paper. For “whole body” silhouettes, use a roll of black paper available to use as table cloths.

Version #1:
Set-Up: Make or print out silhouettes of the founders and important Scouters of your choice – spotlight each one in a dimmed room as a short history of their accomplishments is read. (You could use actual silhouettes by making shadow versions of photos or even sketches of real people, or pose the Cub Scouts as real people) Start with Baden-Powell, go through the early years, then include other world-changing events, such as a silhouette of an astronaut, representing Eagle Neil Armstrong, first man on the Moon.

Narrator: Welcome to the __^th anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America! Tonight, we will look back at the history of Scouting in America.

Version #2:
Set-Up: During the month, pose Cub Scout’s on large black paper, using their whole body to make silhouettes of Scouts doing various activities familiar to Scouting – flying a kite, sitting by a campfire, fishing, playing a game, blowing out candles on a cake, saluting the flag – Use a roll of black tablecloth paper, trace around Cub Scout’s bodies posed as it they are doing various Scouting activities; add appropriate props, such as a kite or the silhouette of a cake with candles, cut out silhouettes and tape on the wall all around the room as decorations.
For an opening, have each Cub Scout stand in front of their silhouette while they say a sentence about the activity portrayed and how it fits with Scouting.
Save the birthday cake till last, then finish with a quick review of the __th Anniversary of BSA, and have everyone sing “Happy Birthday..to Scouting, Happy Birthday to US”

Opening Ceremony: The Light of Scouting’s History

Personnel: Four readers (or prerecord narration on tape)
Equipment: Flashlight, four candles on a table.
Setting: The room is completely darkened except for the flashlight held by the first reader, who passes it to the next reader, etc.

Opening Ceremony: Lord Baden-Powell

Equipment: 15 Cub Scouts, each holding a large square of paper. On each square is one of the letters that spells out "Lord Baden Powell." When it is the appropriate Cub Scout's turn, they flip the square over, and reads the following which is printed on the back (in LARGE letters) of the square for him to read as the audience views their letter.

Tell each Cub Scout to emphasize the word that is underlined.

L - A Scout Loves the outdoor. 
O - Cub Scout Obeys Akela. 
R - A Scout Respects others. 
D - A Scout Does their best.
B - A Scout Believes in God. 
A - A Scout is Always prepared. 
D - The den is where fun begins. 
E - Everyone grows in Scouting. 
N - Scouting needs your support.
P - The Pack helps the Cub Scout grow. 
O - Scouting teaches the Outdoor Code. 
W - Webelos Scout transition to Scouts BSA.
E - Eagle Scout is the highest award in Scouting.
L - Scouts Learn skills.
L - A Scout Leads others.

Opening Ceremony: Magic Candles

You will need white candles, approximately 8” long, blue and yellow crayons, a drill, block paraffin Drill _” holes every inch down opposite sides of the candle. Put the crayons, one color at a time, in a plastic bag or between two pieces of waxed paper, and crush with a mallet or wooden spoon. Fill the holes in the candle with blue crayon bits on one side and yellow on the other side. Melt a block of paraffin and remove from the heat. As the paraffin starts to cool, whip with a fork or whisk (something you don’t mind getting wax on), much like you are beating eggs or cream. As the paraffin cools, it will get the appearance of whipped cream. Working quickly, cover the sides of the candle with the whipped paraffin to hide the holes (use the fork or wear rubber gloves to protect your hands from the hot wax). If desired, sprinkle the candle with blue and gold glitter before the wax completely cools. As the candle burns, it will drip blue and gold. Magic!

Opening Ceremony: Magic Candle Opening Ceremony #1

Opening Ceremony: Magic Candle Opening Ceremony #2 – The Magic Light of Scouting 

Cub Scouts hold magic candles while the poem if being read, then candles are placed on each of the banquet tables so everyone can watch the blue and gold colors appear as they burn. Our candle stands tall, straight and white. It burns and gives forth inspiring light. As it’s light shines forth, you will see Our colors blue and gold are regal as can be. As the blue appears, think of truth and loyalty The sky so blue, steadfastness and spirituality. When the gold shines forth, be of good cheer And think of the happiness and the sunlight so clear. As our candle’s flame reaches toward the sky so blue Let us ask the Lord to give us wisdom to lead each Cub Scout straight and true. Hold each of us to be like our candles, straight and tall And to be inspired to give to God and our country, our all.

Opening Ceremony: Make America Proud of You

Divide the following poem up into parts.  Assign each part to a Cub.  Have each Cub make a large card with a picture about America on front and their part in LARGE print on the back.

Make America proud of you,
In everything you say and do.
Make America proud to say
That you’re a son or a daughter of the USA
In America you are free,
To write your name in history.
But now it’s up to you,
So what are you gonna do,
To make America proud of you.
Whatever the game you choose to play, play fair!
Whatever you are or hope to be—be square!
Whatever the road you choose to take—take care!
Walk it straight with your head up in the air.
Have the Cubs all repeat first 8 lines and the have the Cubmaster (or someone lead the Pledge of Allegiance.

Opening Ceremony: Meaning of Blue and Gold

Personnel: Eight Cub Scouts line up holding large cards that are blank on one side. The first four carry blue cards and the second four have gold cards. As they speak their lines they turn over their cards spelling out BLUE and GOLD. The letters on the cards should be in the opposite color, such as blue on the gold cards and gold on the blue cards.

B - Boys and girls that are clad in blue and gold, you see,
L - Live up to their promise, good Cub Scouts to be
U - Under the sky above, striving for truth and spirituality.
E - Each Cub Scout learns a steadfast loyalty.
G - Giving good cheer as part of the pack.
O - Obeying the Scout Law, never to be slack
L - Living under warm sunlight, seeking joy in each day,
D - Doing and learning, in the Scout way.

Opening Ceremony: Opening

Scouting was started by Lord Baden Powell of yore, 
To teach young Cub Scouts hunting and tracking lore. 
Our Cub Scouts learn to have pride in all that they do, 
Whether it be daily activities, crafts, or what have you. 
So, wear the Blue and Gold for truth and spirituality, 
Also for sunshine, happiness, and steadfast loyalty.

Opening Ceremony: Scouting Is…

Opening Ceremony: Story of the Blue and Gold

Personnel: 8 Cub Scouts
Equipment: Blue felt board, cards for felt board: TRUTH, STEADFAST LOYALTY, SPIRITUALITY, WARM SUNLIGHT, GOOD CHEER, HAPPINESS, yellow sun for flannel board.

Opening Ceremony: Story of Cub Scout Colors

Arrangement: As curtain opens, three Cub Scouts dressed in American Indian costume are seated around an artificial campfire. One wears a chief's headdress; the other two are braves. Hanging on a tripod over the fire is a kettle that has a small can of dry ice and a blue and gold Cub Scout neckerchief concealed in it.

Action for Cub Scouts: Cub Scouts could hold up blue and gold cared for the first 2 lines and then turn them over for the last 2 lines where the # is printed on the back. 

Now, as we look all about us, Scouting in action we see, 
Brining fun and adventure, As Baden-Powell meant it to be. 

Action for Cub Scouts: As the first 2 lines are read they place hands over eyes as if shading them and looking from left to right. As the second tqo lines are read, each one can hold up something showing Cub Scout fun such as pinewood derby cars, sailboats, etc. 

Let us all join together, As our program we start, 
By pledging allegiance to our Flag With our hand over our heart. 

Action for Cub Scouts: Cub Scouts stand at attention and turn to face the Flag and lead the Pledge

Poem: A Lone Scout Leads the Way

Scouter Jim, Bountiful UT

Sometime during 1909, William D Boyce, a wealthy newspaper publisher in London England, during a stop in London on his way to the British East Africa for a safari, lost his way in the city. An unknown young man offered to help and lead him to his hotel. As was probably his habit, Mr.

Boyce offered a tip to the young man who had come to his aid. The young man refused the tip, explaining he could not take money for doing a “good turn,” because he was a Scout. Mr. Boyce must have asked questions about this organization as he was given the address to the Scout Headquarters. Later on a return trip to London, William D Boyce went to the Scout Headquarters and collected information about the Scouting program founded by Lord Baden-Powell. Once back in the United States W D Boyce incorporated the Boy Scouts of America on 8 February 1910.

The Boy Scouts of American owes its roots to several groups, including Baden-Powell’s Scouts as well as the Sons of Daniel Boone formed in 1905 by Daniel “Uncle Dan” Beard and the Woodcraft Indians formed by Ernest Thompson Seton about 1901 to 1902. Even Baden-Powell based his organization on an earlier organization know as the Boys’ Brigade formed by William Alexander Smith in 1883, who was influenced by the YMCA..

After the Boy Scouts of America was incorporated, they began to absorb the other similar groups, including the Sons of Daniel Boone and the Woodcraft Indians. W D Boyce included others in the Boy Scout movement to help it grow. That included Daniel Beard, Ernest Thompson Seton, William T. Hornaday, and James West. There was disagreements among the principals and W D Boyce created the Lone Scouts of America (LSA) and the Rhode Island Boy Scouts, (RIBS).  Joseph Lane, a member of RIBS started the Boys Life in 1911, which was purchased a year later by BSA. The LSA and RIBS were later absorbed into BSA. The RIBS exist today and the Narragansett Council of the Boy Scouts of America.

No one may ever know who that lone Boy Scout was that dark night in 1909 who helped William D Boyce. But there is no doubt he was the match that struck the fire to the

carefully prepared foundation that would become the Boy Scouts of America. As we look back, we must be thankful for that “divine spark” that continues to burn one hundred years later. Happy Birthday Boy Scouts of America, and Thank you Lone Scout.

Poem: Scouting’s Bottom Line

What happens to a Scout?  For every 100 Cub Scouts who join Scouting, records indicate that:

• Rarely will one be brought before the juvenile court system
• Two will become Eagle Scouts
• Seventeen will become future Scout volunteers
• Twelve will have their first contact with a church
• One will enter the clergy
• Five will earn their church award
• Eighteen will develop a hobby that will last through their adult life
• Eight will enter a vocation that was learned through the merit badge system
• One will use their Scouting skills to save their own life
• One will use their Scouting skills to save the life of another person

Scouting’s alumni record is equally impressive.  A recent nation-wide survey of high schools revealed the following information:

• 85% of student council presidents were Scouts
• 89% of senior class presidents were Scouts
• 80% of junior class presidents were Scouts
• 75% of school publication editors were Scouts
• 71% of football captains were Scouts

Scouts also account for:

• 64% of Air Force Academy graduates
• 68% of West Point graduates
• 70% of Annapolis graduates
• 72% of Rhodes Scholars
• 85% of FBI agents
• 26 of the first 29 astronauts

Poem: Ten Needs of a Cub Scout

To climb a mountain and look afar.
To sit around a campfire with good friends.
To test their strength and their skills on their very own.
To be alone with their own thoughts and with their God.
To be ready to reach out and find the hand of an understanding man ready and willing to help.
To have a code to live by – easily understood and fair.
A chance to play hard just for the fun of it –
And to work hard for the thrill of it.
To have a chance to fail – and know why.
To have and to be a good friend and a chance to prove both.
To have a hero – and a vision to measure them by.
After the tenth need is said, the following could be said:
In Cub Scouting these needs are not always filled for each Cub Scout. What Cub Scouting does is to put each Cub Scout on a path where they can travel the world in theirbackyard and fulfill theirneeds with confidence in himself and others.

Options: Break into parts and use it for an Opening Ceremony.  Adults, each holding a white candle and when each speaks, he or she lights their candle from the Spirit of Scouting Candle.  

Poem: Thoughts on The Scouting Experience

We must depend upon the Cub Scout Scout Movement to produce the MEN of the future. Daniel Carter Beard

"The goodness of a person and of the society he or she lives in often comes down to very simple things and words found in the Scout Law. Every society depends on trust and loyalty, on courtesy and kindness, on bravery and reverence. These are the values of Scouting, and these are the values of Americans." President George W. Bush

"In the 30 years that I've been doing this for a living, I've never had a parent say to me, I regretted the time I spent with my son or child in Scouting. Roy L. Williams, Chief Scout Executive, Boy Scouts of America

"The Boy Scouts of America stands for a set of principles. These principles have a lot of staying power. The values you learn as a Scout are like a compass. They can help you find your way through difficult and sometimes unchartered terrain. The principles of Scouting give you a sense of what's important. I feel I owe the Boy Scouts a great deal, both personally and professionally." Bill Bradley, former U.S. senator, New Jersey

"I assure you of my own personal appreciation of Scouting as a magnificent experience and form of social and religious commitment." His Holiness Pope John Paul II, the Vatican

"One of the proudest moments of my life came in the court of honor when I was awarded the Eagle Scout badge. I still have that badge. It is a treasured possession. I am the first Eagle Scout president. The three great principles which Scouting provides -self discipline, teamwork, and moral and patriotic values - are the basic building blocks of leadership. I applaud the Scouting program for continuing to emphasize them. I am confident that your ability to bring ideals, values, and leadership training to millions of our young people will help to bring about a new era - a time in which not only our republic will progress in peace and freedom, but a time in which the entire world shall be secure, and all its people free." Eagle Scout Gerald R. Ford, 38th President of the United States

The generation now being shaped by Scouting will be strengthened by deserved self-confidence and molded with its own history of kindness, bravery, honesty, and its all-out pursuit of excellence. Earl G. Graves, Publisher, Black Enterprise magazine

Following the Scout Law sounds like a game plan that would give us all a better chance for success in life—and I mean every area of life.

Zig Ziglar, Author and Motivational Speaker

Poem: 100 Years Ago...

It May Be Hard to Believe That A Scant 100 Years Ago...

• The average life expectancy in the United States was forty-seven.
• Only 14 percent of the homes in the United States had a bathtub.
• Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone. A three-minute call from Denver to New York City cost eleven dollars.
• There were only 8,000 cars in the US and only 144 miles of paved roads.
• The maximum speed limit in most cities was ten mph.
• Alabama, Mississippi, Iowa, and Tennessee were each more heavily populated than California. With a mere 1.4 million residents, California was only the twenty-first most populous state in the Union.
• The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower.
• The average wage in the U.S. was twenty-two cents an hour. The average U.S. worker made between $200 and $400 per year.
• A competent accountant could expect to earn $2000 per year, a dentist $2500 per year, a veterinarian between $1500 and $4000 per year, and a mechanical engineer about $5000 per year.
• More than 95 percent of all births in the United States took place at home.
• Ninety percent of all U.S. physicians had no college education. Instead, they attended medical schools, many of which were condemned in the press and by the government as "substandard."
• Sugar cost four cents a pound.
• Eggs were fourteen cents a dozen.
• Coffee cost fifteen cents a pound.
• Most women only washed their hair once a month and used borax or egg yolks for shampoo.
• Canada passed a law prohibiting poor people from entering the country for any reason, either as travelers or immigrants.
• The five leading causes of death in the U.S. were:

1. Pneumonia and influenza
2. Tuberculosis
3. Diarrhea
4. Heart disease
5. Stroke

• The American flag had 45 stars. Arizona, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Hawaii and Alaska hadn't been admitted to the Union yet.
• Drive-by-shootings, in which teenage boys galloped down the street on horses and started randomly shooting at houses, carriages, or anything else that caught their fancy, were an ongoing problem in Denver and other cities in the West.
• The population of Las Vegas, Nevada was thirty. The remote desert community was inhabited by only a handful of ranchers and their families.
• Plutonium, insulin, and antibiotics hadn't been discovered yet.
• Scotch tape, crossword puzzles, canned beer, and iced tea hadn't been invented.
• There was no Mother's Day or Father's Day.
• One in ten U.S. adults couldn't read or write.
• Only 6 percent of all Americans had graduated from high school.
• Punch card data processing had recently been developed, and early predecessors of the modern computer were used for the first time by the government to help compile the 1900 census.
• Eighteen percent of households in the United States had at least one full-time servant or domestic.

Author Unknown

Skits       Run-ons      Jokes

Skit: Blue and Gold Skit to Music

Tune: “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad”

REPEAT CHORUS TWICE

(Sung by all the Cub Scouts but one who blows the horn)
                                          Blow horn
                                          Blow horn
Bear won’t you blow your horn?                            Blow horn

Skit: The Cub Scout Trail-Skit

Props needed: Teepee or tent, Tiger Cap, Large boxes to make store and mountain Cardboard signs that read: Tiger Treat Center, Bobcat Store, Bear Mountain, Webelos Bridge, Rugged Road

Setting: A simulated trail, with the teepee standing at the beginning, four signs held along the way by Cub Scouts, and the Den Chief and the end with the fifth sign. Blue and gold crepe paper streamers are wound around the signs marking the trail. Akela, attired in an “Indian” blanket and headband, is at the teepee. The prospective Cub Scout wears an old baggy shirt over their uniform as they step up to meet Akela.

Skit: Happy Birthday

Five Scouts are needed with one of them selected to be the "singing telegram." This Scout needs to be sure to wear a hat with a small sign on it that says "singing telegram."

Setting: A table with a birthday cake on it that notes how old Scouting is. A bright table cloth and balloons can add color and atmosphere. The four Scouts are gathered around talking when the "singing telegram" Scout enters, and starts to sing.

Skit: Happy Birthday to Us!

Equipment: “Birthday cake” made from a cardboard box big enough for a small Cub Scout to hide inside, a note of paper on the top.
Personnel: Six Cub Scouts, one hidden in the cake.
Setting: Five Cub Scouts come on stage and gather around the huge cake.

Skit: The History of Cub Scouting

Staging: Grandpa (may be played by a Den Chief, Cubmaster, Den Leader, Cub Scout, or a real Grandpa) is sitting on stage in a rocking chair. A Cub Scout enters.

Skit: Scouting Spirit

Characters:

Skit: The Spirit of Baden-Powell

Setting: The narrator is the 'spirit of Baden-Powell'. He may be a den chief in full uniform with a campaign hat. Cub Scouts dress as indicated.

Narrator: I represent the spirit of Lord Baden-Powell, the founder of Scouting. I am also the spirit of Scouting past and present. Here is our future - the Cub Scouts of America.

Skit: Story of Scouting Skit

Set-Up: A pantomime skit with four scenes.  Pantomime takes place, then the curtain closes and the narrator describes the scene, allowing time for scenery changes.

Skit: Weather Or Knots

(with apologies to Abbott and Costello)

Skit: The Unknown Scout

Personnel: Cub Scout dressed as William D. Boyce, Cub Scout dressed as old-style Boy Scout, narrator.

#1: Did you hear about the birthday candle that was upset?
#2: Those birthday parties really burn him up!

Theme Related: 100 Famous Eagle Scouts for 100 Years

My original plan was to choose 100 famous Scouts – but I soon discovered that in Scouts, hundreds of famous people learned to set goals, try new skills, practice and perfect those skills, and persevere to reach their goals – I had to list only Eagle Scouts instead, and edit it down from hundreds of well-known and accomplished people. The list below is just a sample – authors, politicians, athletes, Nobel prize winners, actors and activists used the skills they learned as Scouts to reach other goals as adults.

1. Barber B. Conable, Jr. President, World Bank Eagle Scout
2. Bill Alexander, U.S. Representative from Arkansas
3. Gary Anderson, U.S. Representative from New York
4. Charles Bennett, U.S. Representative from Florida
5. William Bennett, Former Secretary of Education
6. Bill Bradley, Pro basketball star and U.S. Senator from New Jersey
7. Milton Caniff, Comic Strip Artist "Steve Canyon"
8. William Dannemeyer, U.S. Representative from California
9. Arthur Eldred, (First Eagle Scout) Clementon, NJ. Buried in a cemetery in Southern NJ Council territory. http://www.eaglescout.org/history/first_eagle.html
10. 1Gerald Ford, 38th President of the U.S.
11. Murphy J. "Mike" Foster, Governor of Louisiana
12. Richard Lugar, U.S. Senator from Indiana
13. Sam Nunn, U.S. Senator from Georgia
14. J.J. Pickle, U.S. Representative from Texas
15. Samuel Pierce, Former Secretary of HUD
16. Harrison Salisbury, Pulitzer Prize winning Author
17. William Sessions, Former FBI Director
18. Steven Spielberg, Film Director/Producer
19. Wallace Stegner, Pulitzer Prize winning Author
20. Percy Sutton, Chairman of CBS
21. John Tesh, TV Celebrity, New Age & Christian Musician
22. James Stewart - Actor
23. James Brady, Former Press Secretary to President Reagan
24. William C. DeVries, M.D., Transplanted first artificial heart
25. Henry “Hank” Aaron, Home Run King;
26. J. Willard Marriott, Jr., President, Marriott Corporation
27. H. Ross Perot, Chairman, EDS Corp.
28. Daniel J. Evans, Former US Senator & Governor of Washington state
29. Sam Walton, Chairman/CEO, Wal-Mart
30. Danny Ainge, Suns Head Coach
31. Wallace Stegner, Writer, Pulitzer Prize for “Angle of Repose”
32. Steve Fossett, Adventurer – went around the world in a balloon
33. Sam Skinner, Secretary of Energy, USA
34. Peter Agre, Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 2003
35. Lamar Alexander, Sect. of Education, Senator & Governor, Tennessee
36. Bill Amend, Cartoonist “Fox Trot”
37. Marvin J. Ashton, LDS Church, Quorum of the Twelve
38. John Edward Anderson, Founder of Topa Equities
39. Daniel Carter Beard, Scouting Pioneer, Illustrator
40. Michael Bloomberg, Mayor of New York City
41. Edgar Cunningham, Earliest known African American Eagle – 1926
42. Michael Dukakis, Governor of Massachusettes
43. Philo Farnsworth, holder of first patent for television
44. Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Poet, Co-owner of City Lights Bookstore
45. William H. Gates, Sr., CEO-Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
46. Ernest Green, Civil Rights Activist, one of the Little Rock Nine
47. James Van Johnston, Jr., Roman Catholic Bishop
48. Jim E. Mora, Sports Commentator, Former Head Coach
49. Howard Lincoln, CEO, Seattle Mariners, posed as Cub for Rockwell
50. Michael Kahn, Academy Award, Editing - Schindler’s List & others
51. Sheldon Leonard, pioneering film & TV producer, director, actor
52. Richards Miller, Dentist, one of founders of Venturing program
53. Robert McNamara, Sect. of Defense, President of World Bank
54. Ozzie Nelson, Actor & Band Leader
55. John D. Wahiee III, First native Hawaiian Governor of Hawaii
56. William Westmoreland, Chief of Staff of the United States Army
57. Paul Theroux, Travel writer and novelist
58. T. Gary Rogers, CEO of Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream
59. James D. Rogers, CEO of Kampgrounds of America, brother of T. Gary
60. Kevin Rose, Founder of Digg
61. Frederick Reines, Nobel Prize in Physics Astronauts & Eagles:
62. James C. Adamson
63. Neil A. Armstrong, First man to walk on the moon- Apollo 11 Mission
64. James P. Bagian
65. Guion S. Bluford, Jr.
66. Kenneth D. Bowersox
67. Charles E. Brady
68. Gerald P. Carr
69. Manley Lanier “Sonny” Carter Jr.
70. Roger B. Chaffee – Died in the Apollo 1 fire on Jan. 27, 1967
71. Gregory Errol Chamitoff
72. Richard O. Covey
73. John O. Creighton
74. Charles M. Duke, Jr. – Walked on the moon – Apollo 16 Mission
75. Donn F. Eisele
76. Patrick G. Forrester
77. Michael E. Fossum
78. Charles G. Fullerton
79. William G. Gregory
80. S. David Griggs
81. Jeffrey A. Hoffman
82. Gregory H. Johnson
83. Thomas D. Jones
84. Mark C. Lee
85. Don L. Lind
86. Steven W. Lindsey
87. James A. Lovell, Jr. – Apollo 13 Mission
88. William C. McCool – died during re-entry of Columbia, Feb. 1, 2003
89. Michael J. McCulley
90. Brian T. O’Leary
91. Ellison S. Onizuka – died when Challenger exploded, Jan. 28, 1986
92. Stephen S. Oswald
93. Scott E. Parazynski
94. Donald R. Pettit
95. Kenneth S. Reightler, Jr.
96. Richard A. Searfoss
97. Elliot M. See, Jr.
98. Joseph R. Tanner
99. Richard H. Truly
100. David M. Walker

Now look at some other famous people who were Scouts: David Hartman, actor; Richard Gere, actor; Walter Cronkite, beloved TV anchor and journalist; Henry Fonda, actor; Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft (his dad is an Eagle); Bruce Jenner, Olympic Gold Medal – Decathlon; Jim Morrison, Rock Legend; Merlin Olsen, Actor & Sportscaster; Eddie Rabbitt, Country-Western Singer; Richard Roundtree, Actor; Alberto Salazar, 3-time winner New York Marathon; John Schnieder, Actor-Singer; Mark Spitz, Olympic Gold Medal Swimmer; Howard K. Smith, ABC TV Commentator; George Strait, Country-Western Singer; Peter Ueberroth, Commissioner of Baseball; Joe Theisman, Sportscaster, NFL Player; Paul Winfield, Actor; Steve Young, NFL Quarterback; Jimmy Stewart, Actor, WW II hero; Sir David Attenborough, historian; John F. Kennedy, President.

Theme Related: Honor the Founders

Honor the Pioneers of Scouting by following their example:

• Baden-Powell - Play some of the games he used to teach his Scouts, or put together a book of sketches as he often did.
• William D. Boyce - Put out a pack newspaper about the 100th Anniversary to honor him as he was a publisher.
• Ernest Thompson Seton - Learn about animal tracks or how wolves live to honor Ernest Thompson Seton, who began as a bounty hunter and learned to love and protect the wolf. He even added a wolf track to his signature! There’s a great comic book about Seton’s wolf adventures, to download at www.pbs.org/wnet/...comic-book-lobo-king- of.../4360
• James E. West - Read some articles in “Boy’s Life” – he purchased the magazine in 1912 – or earn the new Disability Awareness Belt Loop, since West had one leg permanently shortened by tuberculosis as a child.
• Dan Beard - Practice telling stories about the outdoors (maybe even a folktale!) to honor Dan Beard, who was a beloved storyteller and outdoorsman.

Dan Beard in a Daniel Boone outfit telling a story to a Scout painted by Norman Rockwell in 1931.

Theme Related: Great Events in Scouting

First Scouts
Robert S.S. Baden-Powell, a British hero of the Boer War, conceived the idea of Scouting in the early years of the last century. To test his idea of a new movement for youth, he took 21 English boys and another man to Brownsea Island in a boy off England's southern coast in the summer of 1907.
These 21 boys were the world's first Boy Scouts. In a two-week encampment, Baden-Powell taught the boy outdoor skills such as tracking, stalking, ropework, plant identification, and campcraft. He devised games and contests to test their knowledge.

Unknown Scout
Baden-Powell formally launched Scouting in 1908. The following year, a Chicago publisher named William D. Boyce was in London on business when he became lost in a pea soup fog. As he groped to find his bearings, a boy materialized out of the murk and asked if he might help. He led Boyce to his destination, and when the publisher offered him a shilling, the boy replied, ¡§Sir, I thank you. I am a Scout. A Scout does not accept tips for courtesies and Good Turns.¡¨ Intrigued, Boyce questioned the boy and learned where Baden-Powell could be found. The next day, he interviewed Scouting's founder and was captured by his dream. On his return to the United States, Boyce was determined to establish Scouting in this country. On February 8, 1910, he filed incorporation papers for the Boy Scouts of America in Washington, D.C.

Theme Related: Seton's Woodcraft Indians

Ernest Thompson Seton, a famous author, and illustrator, was one of the fathers of Scouting in America. Eight years before Boy Scouting came to this country, he had started the Tribe of Woodcraft Indians with the aim of promoting outdoor life and woodcraft. Many of the skills and values he taught were incorporated into Scouting.
The Woodcraft Indians had no uniforms but wore an honor band (like a merit badge sash) to show their awards. The honor band was a red sash 2-1/4 inches wide worn across the right shoulder and fastened to the left hip.

Theme Related: Dan Beard's Sons of Daniel Boone

Another of Scouting's fathers in the United States was Daniel Carter Beard, a noted author, and editor. In 1905, he founded the Society of the Sons of Daniel Boone. The purpose was ¡§the elevation of sport, the support of all that tends to healthy, wholesome manliness; the study of woodcraft, outdoor recreation, and fun¡¨ as well as serious work in conservation.
Mainly through correspondence with readers of the Recreation magazine, Beard established local groups of the Sons of Daniel Boone. Boys were organized into groups of eight called stockades, four stockades constituted a fort.

Theme Related: The Tagalong Kids

The early Boy Scout troops were bedeviled by younger boys who wanted to join the fun. Many an exasperated Scoutmaster, tiring of chasing them away, assigned an older Boy Scout to take them off somewhere and keep them occupied. The problem led to the establishment of Cub Scouting in 1930.
The program was similar to today's Cub Scouting, except that the den chief led the den. The den mother (yes, den mother) was in the background, and, in fact, she was not even a registered leader until 1938.

Theme Related: Some Scouting Facts

• During the first World War, Scouts sold more than 2 million Liberty Loan Bonds and over $3 million worth of saving stamps. Scouts also helped with food and conservation and planted Boy Scout war gardens.
• In 1938, a Tulsa oilman, Waite Philips, donated some land in New Mexico to the Boy Scouts of America. Philturn Rocking Mountain Camp is now called Philmont Scout Ranch. It has been enjoyed by Scouts for many years. This is where each summer, thousands of Boy Scouts spend two weeks hiking and camping in the mountains. Philmont is also a wonderful place for a family vacation, and hundreds of Scouting families go there every year, so adult leaders can take part in training conferences.
• In 1938, Irving Berlin donated the royalties from his song "God Bless America," to the Boy Scouts of America. He is one of many famous people who have helped Scouting by their service and contributions.
• During World War II, Scouts again provided service in the war effort. They collected rubber, wastepaper, and aluminum. They also planted victory gardens. Scouting's service help to win the war.
• Scouts have always given help in time of disasters, such as fires, floods, tornadoes, and earthquakes. They help their Scouting brothers in foreign lands through the World Friendship Fund.

 Theme Related: Cub Scout History

• 1930 Cub Scouting officially began in the United States in April 1930. There were, however, unofficial packs established as early as 1916
• 1936 The first Cub Scout dens were run by Den Chiefs. Den Mothers were added in 1936. Their jobs were to help the Den Chiefs.
• 1941 The Webelos Badge was created in 1941 for boys who had already earned their Lion Badge. It was essentially what we now call the Arrow of Light.
• 1943 First "Blue and Gold Banquet." Parent-Cub dinners were being suggested as early as 1933.
• 1945 "Cubbing" changed to "Cub Scouting"
• 1949 At the start of the American Cubbing program, boys had to be ages 9-11 to join. In 1949, eight-year-old boys were allowed to join. Cub Scouting received a boost in enrollment of 150,000 that year.
• 1954 First Pinewood Derby was held; Cub Scouting enrollment reached two million.
• 1964 National Summertime Award was created.
• 1967 Major revisions in all the advancement programs. The biggest change was the addition of Webelos Scouting. The activity badges were initiated, the Lion Badge was changed to the Webelos Badge, and for the first time, boys began earning the Arrow of Light Award. The meaning of Webelos changed from Wolf- Bear-Lion-Scout to We'll Be Loyal Scouts.
• 1968 Cub Scout Day Camps approved.
• 1960 Project SOAR (Save Our American Resources) launched.
• 1971 Cub Scout Promise changed from "to be square" to "to help other people."
• 1973 Achievements and electives updated.
• 1974 Bobcat is now a rank. Safe Bicycle Driving Program and Cub Scout Physical Fitness Program introduced and emphasized.
• 1975 Webelos Transition Program, and the Learn to Swim Program launched. Den Chief's cord repositioned on the uniform. Cub Scout Day Camp School introduced.
• 1976 Women now approved as Cubmaster and Assistant Cubmaster. Cub Scout Family Book prepared.
• 1977 Five ranks established for Cub Scouting: Bobcat, Wolf, Bear, Webelos, Arrow of Light. Family Camping encouraged.
• 1978 Wolf Book rewritten. New Bear neckerchief
• 1980 New designer uniforms for boys and leaders.
• 1981 Cub Scouts visit National Jamboree for the first time.
• 1982 The Tiger Cub program introduced.
• 1983 Extended camping was approved for Webelos Scouts. The Big Bear Cub Scout Book was introduced
• 1985 New sports program for Cub Scouts launched.
• 1986 Cub Scouts expanded to serve all elementary school grades. Webelos Program now two years. Revised Wolf Book introduced.
• 987 Revised Webelos Book with 5 new activity badges published.
• 1988 Scouting for Food program launched.
• 1991 Cub Scouting introduced two programs: Ethics in Action to promote ethical decision making, and the BSA family program to strengthen the family from within.
• 1992 Cub Scouts Academics program introduced.
• 1996 Tiger Cubs become part of the pack.
• 1997 Cub Scout Academics and Sports program opens to Tiger Cubs.
• 1999 New Webelos Book introduced. Cub Sports and Academics program modified and renamed Cub Scout Academics and Sports program. Garfield (the cat) named as national Cub Scouting 'spokescat.'
• 2000 Pack family camping approved. "Climb on Safely" introduced to allow Cub Scouts to climb and rappel in a controlled environment.
• 2001 Introduction of new Webelos oval badge and Tiger Cub badge. Character Connections and Core Values introduced. Wood Badge for the 21st Century for all leaders in Scouting. Tiger Cub rank introduced.
• 2002 Age-appropriate guidelines adopted. Leave No Trace Frontcountry Guidelines and Leave No Trace Award introduced.
• 2003 Character Connections activities included as part of Cub Scout advancement requirements.
• 2004 National "Good Turn for America" launched. 75th Anniversary Award and Cub Scout Outdoor Activity Award introduced. A new Cub Scout Hispanic outreach initiative known as Soccer and Scouting is launched.
• 2005 Cub Scouting celebrates its 75th Anniversary: "75 Years of Fun, Family, and Friends."
• 2010 Cub Scouts 2010 begins September 2010 changing the delivery method of the Cub Scouting program.
• 2018 Lion program added