Inside-Out
Trapper Trails Council
Have
signs that each boy can hold (3 that say inside, 3 that say outside, 1 that
says inside-out)
Boy 1: (Inside sign) I am proud to live in the United States.
Boy 2: (Inside sign) I am happy to be free to say what I want and be what
I want to be.
Boy 3: (Inside sign) I am grateful for those who fought and died so that
we could enjoy our freedom.
Boy 4: (Outside sign) I will show respect for those who fight for our
country.
Boy 5: (Outside sign) I will show respect for the flag by wearing my
uniform tucked in during flag ceremonies.
Boy 6: (Outside sign) I will salute the flag or place my hand on my heart
during the Pledge of Allegiance.
Boy 7: (Inside-Outside sign) Inside and Out, I will always be proud to be
an American. Please rise and repeat the Pledge of Allegiance with me.
Opening
Inland NW Council
Start this ceremony from the bottom do it backwards!
Cubmaster: Ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of the Cub Scouts and Leaders
of Pack ___ Welcome to your Pack Meeting.
At
this time, I will light the candle that represents the Spirit of Cub Scouting
and will let it burn throughout our meeting to remind us of our overall
purpose in the program of Cub Scouting.
I
have here four candles. With the "Spirit", let me ignite the first to
represent the imagination of you the parents and you the adult leaders. The
second represents the material, the Cubs whom you have molded into
masterpieces of art; good men of tomorrow. The third and the fourth candles
represent the various tools you use to build these men, let's call them
citizenship training and character development.
May
I remind you to work carefully but not slowly. We have the material available
and the world is in due need of the finished product. If you make a mistake
or if the material is not easily worked, be careful. Make the corrections
carefully and with patience. We cannot afford to lose a single product.
Boys, do your part by responding readily to these Imaginations. When a
builder sees progress, they are urged to build more. We need the builders to
be encouraged too.
From the Inside Looking Out
York Adams Area Council
Setup: Have the boys prepare
their own pictures for each of the sets of lines, maybe even from the
perspective presented. (For example, for the Cub 1 lines, the picture might
be someone looking longingly for freedom.)
Narrator: Have you ever imagined what it must be like seeing things
from a different perspective? Tonight, as we focus, or unfocus, on seeing
things differently, let’s consider another perspective for some everyday
things…
Cub 1: As it waves and
unfurls in the breeze
There are many things that our flag sees
It sees those who upon it stare
And see the power and beauty there.
Cub 2: As our highway across
the land
It’s awfully hard to understand
How someone could think himself better
To not obey the law when it comes to litter.
Cub 3: The air we breathe is
all around
It also is there to carry sound
How strange it must feel to carry forth
Words that tear down—that have no worth.
Cub 4: So as this
great country comes to be
The land that protects both you and me
Let’s all commit to a different view
Let’s all commit to goodness anew
Narrator: To seal our
commitment, let’s begin our meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance.
A Backwards Pledge
York Adams Area Council
Note: The following is not
meant to be disrespectful in any way. In fact, it hopefully will be different
enough that everyone will stand up and take note—it might keep us from saying
the Pledge as rote.
Setup: Have the boys who
will be reading their lines practice them ahead of time so that they can run
through the ceremony smoothly and with full sincerity. Give each boy a card
with the lines for one Cub to read, in the order they are presented here. If
you are using a color guard to present the colors, have everyone stand for the
posting and remain standing during the reading of the Pledge.
Leader: Tonight, as we enjoy
our “Inside Out and Backwards” theme, we are opening with a different look at
the Pledge of Allegiance the we say each month. Our color guard will present
the colors and all will please remain at attention as the Cubs from Den ___
recite the Pledge for us.
Cub #1: With liberty and
justice for all—Freedom and fairness. This is what every person in every land
wants for him or herself. Isn’t it only right that each of us work to make
that happen for everyone else so that each of us has it? Let’s work to make
this real throughout the US and the world.
Cub #2: Indivisible—It
cannot be broken apart. Our country’s very short history has been tested time
and time again, but we stand fast to this. We cannot and will not be broken
apart.
Cub #3: One nation under
God—We are a community that as a community understands and recognizes that God
is our strength and our protection. We may have different names for God, but
that does not change our basic understanding and belief.
Cub #4: And to the Republic
for which it stands—We are a people united. Although we are all different,
when we combine the strengths of our differences, we are the strongest united
people in the world.
Cub #5: To the flag of the
United States of America—A symbol of a nation that stands for all we have just
described.
Cub #6: I pledge
allegiance—I am a part of all of this and I will do my part to keep it so.
Leader: Two.
Crossroads of America
Note: Since the theme is partially
backwards, use the closing as the opening and the opening as the
closing.
We have had a lot of fun with the
theme in inside out and backwards today (or evening). But we also saw
that even when viewed from a different angle, they remain the same. For
example, a frown is a backwards smile. Just depends on how one looks at it. A
frown may cause a person to stay away while a smile will cause a person to
feel welcome and valued. A smile is a welcome as well as a goodbye. Tomorrow,
lets each of us smile to not only those we know, but also to those we do not
know so well. A smile is a wonderful thing to share. Please rise and join me
in the Pledge of Allegiance. When done, have everyone sit down.
