ADVANCEMENT CEREMONIES

Tree
Crossroads of America

Use a bare tree branch with play money hanging from it with the advancements hanging on it.

Cubmaster: They say that money does not grow on trees. That’s true, but our pack has done the next best thing to show how much we value the work of our boys. (Then pull off the advancements and have the boys bring their parent(s) and award the advancement.

An Investment In The Future
York Adams Area Council

What is Scouting? What is anything that’s worthwhile but an investment in the future. Tonight, as we reflect on “Dollars & Sense,” it makes absolute sense that, if it is nothing else, the Cub Scout program is about making a sound investment in the future—the future of our children, our community, and the world as a whole.

It starts small, just as most savings accounts do.  Each boy invests his time in understanding the Cub Scouting program, what it is, who he is in it, and what the program demands of him. The dividend for his investment is not an award. It is not a badge.

The dividend is what he has gained in knowledge and in understanding his ability to grow. That’s a whole lot more than just a piece of cloth. What we do as a community is to properly and appropriately recognize him for his accomplishment. We do this by awarding him the rank, or status, of Bobcat. This is symbolized by his wearing the Bobcat badge. But just as a savings book is only the record of the savings (and not the money itself), the Bobcat badge is a record of all that the Cub Scout has accomplished.

If I want to grow my savings and investments, I have two options—I can depend only that initial investment to gain value or I can continue to add to the initial investment and watch the value grow a whole lot faster. Again, so it is with the Cub Scout program. What our boys gain from one level of investing themselves can never be taken away from them—that would be like trying to stop someone from knowing how to ride a bike after they’ve already learned. That investment is already locked in! But if our Scouts really want to grow, they must continue to invest their time and energy in the program.

Each “advancement level” of the Cub Scout program is more opportunity for each boy to invest and grow.  To be more valuable than they were before.

Whether it is the Wolf, Bear, Webelos or Arrow of Light level, as the Cub Scout accomplishes the  requirements for the level, he grows and improves himself. And as he sticks with it, he just gets better and better—more and more valuable.

Tonight we recognize all of the Cub Scouts in the Pack who have been working to invest in their own future and have made significant progress in doing that. [Call boys forward with parents and award the badges earned.]