OPENING

Nature Opening
Crossroads of America

Cub #1: America and Cub Scouting are just one big outdoor adventure.

Cub #2: The outdoors can be mild or wild..

Cub #3: I will use my mind to watch out for its dangers and protect myself.

Cub #4: I will use my sense for nature is forceful.

Cub #5: If you don’t know the forces, read about them.

Cub #6: Let us show our respect for the nature of our land, please rise and join me in the Pledge of Allegiance. 

Conservation Pledge Opening
National Capital Area Council

(Provide copies of the "Conservation Pledge" below to each person in audience, and ask them to repeat it together. Follow by Pledge of Allegiance.)

"I give my pledge as an American to save and faithfully to defend from waste the natural resources of my country - its soil and mineral, its forests, waters and wildlife."

"Nature" Opening
National Capital Area Council

Arrangement:        6 uniformed Cub Scouts, each holding sign with a letter to spell the N-A-T-U-R-E, read the lines which have been written on back of signs.

1st Boy: N - stands for all the nests in the trees.

2nd Boy: A - is for all the acorns to be.

3rd Boy: T - stands for the trunks so firm and high.

4th Boy: U - is for under the stars in the sky.

5th Boy: R - stands for the rain that makes things grow,

6th Boy:                 E - is for the earth that we all love so.

The Rainbow
Trapper Trails Council

Personnel: Narrator and 6 Scouts

Equipment: Large flannel board, cardboard rainbow cut into separate bands.

Narrator: Almost everyone loves to watch rainbows.  They remind us that even on rainy days, the Sun is not far behind.
Cub Scout 1:  (Put up the inside purple band) Purple is for hope, as we remember it is always darkest just before the dawn.

Cub Scout 2: (Put Blue band up) Blue is the joy of fair skies and the peace of calm, starry nights.

Cub Scout 3: (Put Green band up) Next is for the rain, turning the spring world to Green.

Cub Scout 4: (Put Yellow band up) Yellow is the sun’s gentle warmth, coaxing seeds from the earth each spring.

Cub Scout 5: (Put Orange band up) Orange reminds us of the contrast between the seasons’ the beauty of spring, summer’s freedom, falls bounty, and winter’s time of rest once more.

Cub Scout 6: (Put Red band up) Last of all.  Red is for dreams, born like kites, high on the wind.

Forces of Nature
Central New Jersey Council

Personnel: Eight Cub Scouts

Equipment: Script for each Cub Scout on the back of a picture representing his words. (Suggested pictures are shown in parentheses; they can be hand drawn by the boys, or otherwise prepared.)

Cub Scout 1: “Forces of Nature” sounds scary. It makes us think of tornadoes, hurricanes, lightning, blizzards, floods, earthquakes, and volcanoes!

(Picture one of the natural disasters mentioned.)

Cub Scout 2: But the actual forces-earth, air, fire, water-were thought of by the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle as the world’s four basic elements. (The earth)

Cub Scout 3: The forces of earth include gravity, which keeps us from flying off the earth, and magnetism, which helps us find our way (Compass)

Cub Scout 4: The forces of air bring us gentle breezes and power for windmills, kites, and sailboats. (Sailboat)

Cub Scout 5: The forces of fire from lightning were first tamed by humans in 500,000 BCE, and people have used fire for all kinds of purposes ever since. Benjamin Franklin invented the lightning rod in 1752 to help keep people safe from this natural force. (Fire or lightning)

Cub Scout 6: The forces of water have created great canyons and seashores, and we have tamed them for irrigation and harnessed them for turning mills and making electricity. (Niagara Falls)

Cub Scout 7: The forces of nature are strong-they are here for us to work with, play with, and learn to live with so our lives can be better.

(Irrigation)

Cub Scout 8: Every time we see a rainbow, we should think of the greatness of the forces of nature. (Rainbow)