ADVANCEMENT CEREMONIES

Fiesta Piñata Ceremony

Santa Clara County Council

Props: A piñata, with the awards pinned or taped to it.

Tonight, we are enjoying a real fiesta.  Everyone is having fun, but there is a more serious not to the festivities.  Tonight, we also come here to honor some of the boys in our pack.  These boys have been working very hard during the past month.  As you can see, here we have a piñata, a very special piñata with several awards attached.

First, let’s call up our new Bobcats (calls up boys and parents).  You are just beginning the Fiesta of Cub Scouting.  I hope you will continue to have fun.  (Presents award to parents, who give to boy.  Remember to pin Bobcat badge upside down until the boy does a good turn.  Give parent pins to boys to present to parents.)

Next we have some Wolf Badges and Arrow Points to present.  (Call up boys and parents, again presenting badges to the parents to give to boys and parent pins to boys for their parents.)  These Scouts are well on their way—olé!

Look, here are some Bear Badges and Arrow Points.  (Call up boys and parents and make presentations and suitable comments.)

Oh, I see there are still some awards on our piñata.  These must be for our Webelos Scouts.  Webelos Leader(s), would you please come forward and award these pins and badges?  (Webelos Leader(s) present awards with explanations, as needed.)

Now we have come to the end.  There are no more awards left on our piñata.  But, we have all had fun and learned much this month.  Let’s give everyone who earned an award the Fiesta cheer:  “Olé!”

Fiesta Advancement

Longhorn Council

PERSONNEL: Cubmaster (Ideally dressed in sombrero with shawl over shoulder)

EQUIPMENT: Piñata filled with awards

CUBMASTER: In following our theme for this month, which is Fiesta, tonight I would like to honor those Cub Scout señors who have completed requirements for various awards over the past month.

Would señors (Call out names of those receiving Bobcat), and their parents please come forward?

(Cubmaster reaches into piñata, presents badges, etc. to Bobcats)

Continue presenting awards in like manner. After all awards are presented, the Cubmaster states; Cub Scouts, we are all proud of you for the accomplishments you have achieved this month.

You obviously have been skipping your siestas in order to earn these awards! Congratulations and muy bien - keep up the good work. (If not a large pack, have piñata filled with wrapped candy, and after awards are presented, seal it up, hang it, and allow all boys to form a circle-and break it open). 

Fiesta Advancement #2

Longhorn Council

PROPS: Piñata open at the top or container decorated to look like a piñata. Awards are placed inside the piñata.

CUBMASTER: A piñata is lots of fun--fun to make and fun to break. Lots of hard work goes into making it and lots of hard work goes into breaking it. After all the hard work, comes the reward.

The Cub Scouts being recognized tonight have worked hard. They have had lots of fun along the way, too.

Would the following Cub Scouts and their parents please come forward to receive their awards. 

Fiesta Fun

Great Salt Lake Council

Besides using this as written to give a present to all members of the pack, you could just prep  triquitraques for the boys receiving awards that night.  Label them and present them with appropriate ceremony (perhaps using a ceremony found elsewhere in Baloo J )  CD

Set Up: - Before the meeting make enough triquitraques (pronounced tree-key­tra'-kays) in assorted colors for each of your boys.  Use the directions below. Put a World Brotherhood patch inside each triquitraque. Display them at the pack meeting in a brightly colored basket, pottery bowl, or .sombrero. Play a CD or tape of some Latin American music in the background as you speak. Music is available free at the library.

Cubmaster (or other Leader) - This month we have been learning a little about the culture of some Spanish speaking countries (name the country or countries that have been featured). It is good to learn things about other places and peoples. It helps us to understand and appreciate them. It enriches our lives to have lots of different kinds of experiences.  And, it is also a lot of fun!

Who can tell me some of the things that you have learned about another country this month? (Allow the children to tell some of the things they have learned. You may have to ask some leading questions to get them started. After they have had sufficient time to answer, continue. )

I have a surprise for each of you.  The Den Chiefs will pass out some Latin American triquitraques to you. Don't do anything with them until I tell you to. Just hold them. (Have Den Chiefs pass out the triquitraques while you talk.)  In Mexico triquitraques are often used on holidays or other special days, such as birthdays, to add to the fun of the occasion. Inside of the triquitraque is a little gift.

Does everyone have his triquitraque? Okay, when I count to three in Spanish, everyone pull on the little strings that are hanging out of your triquitraque. Can everyone find the strings? Bueno. Oh! How do 1 count to three in Spanish? Okay, on "tres" pull your strings. Everyone help me count. Altogether now, uno, dos, tres! Pull your strings! (After they pop their triquitraques make sure everyone finds their patch.) We have given you the World Brotherhood patch to show that you understand that all of us are God's children and we need to love and appreciate each other.

Triquitraques

Great Salt Lake Council

Needed:      empty toilet paper rolls, assorted colors of tissue paper, bright, narrow ribbon and "Pulling Fireworks" (little cylinders with strings coming out of each end).  You can buy the pulling fireworks or poppers at a craft or novelty store. 

Cut a toilet paper roll in half to make two cylinders. Put a small gift or patch inside. Put the popper in the cylinder, leaving the strings dangling out of each end. Lay the cylinder on colored tissue paper leaving about two inches of extra tissue on each end. Put a tiny piece of clear tape over the strings on each end to attach it to the tissue.  Wrap the tissue around the cylinder. Tie a narrow ribbon at both ends of the tissue close to the cylinder and flare out the loose ends, making sure the strings are still dangling out.

Bobcat Ceremony

Circle Ten Council

Who got it from Bay Area Council

It seems we always have boys who join at different times throughout the year, so a bobcat ceremony at Blue & Gold is not unusual for us.

This was in the Circle 10 Pow Wow Book as a Bobcat Ceremony but with a little work, it could be an effective Cubmaster’s Minute closing thought or useful for recruiting more volunteers.  CD

Personnel: Cubmaster, Den Chief, Den Leader, Bobcat candidates and parents

Equipment: Ceremonial Board consisting of arrow with three candles on a balance, Bobcat pins and advancement certificates

Cubmaster: Will the candidates and their parents please come forward and face the pack. (They do so) You boys and your parents have come to be inducted into our Cub Scout family as members of Pack ___. You are ready to start your adventure along Akela's trail, together with your friends and their parents.

Here is the arrow (points to ceremonial board) that points the way along the trail. The awards you can earn along the trail are: the Wolf, the Bear, the WEBELOS, and the Arrow of Light awards. The parts of the Cub Scout program that cannot be seen are the value of things you will learn and the good times you will have.

This is the scale of Akela. Both the parents and the Cub Scouts are important to keep the scale in balance.

(To Den Chief): (name), will you light the candle representing the Cub Scouts. (Candle on feather)

(To Den Leader): (name), will you light the candle for the parents. (Points to the candle on the arrow point)

If the boy does not do his part, the scale is out of balance and the program goes downhill. (Removes candle representing boys, then replaces it) On the other hand, if the parents part is taken away, the scale is out of balance in the other direction and the Cub Scout loses his way along Akela's trail. (Removes candle representing parents, then replaces it)

So, you see, to keep the Cub Scout program in perfect balance, both Cub Scouts and parents must take part in the activities by coming to all meetings, following the leaders, and advancing from point to point along Akela's trail.

Now boys, give the Cub Scout sign, and repeat the Promise with me.

They repeat Cub Scout Promise

And, parents, will you please repeat the following: We, as parents, will do our best...to aid and assist our son...in his Cub Scout activities. We will encourage him with enthusiasm...criticize him with fairness...and judge him with lenience. And, realizing that the Cub Scout program...is one of equal participation for boys and parents...we will assist as we are able...in serving as leaders, advisors, or workers.

I Salute You

An Arrow of Light Ceremony

Circle Ten Council

CUBMASTER: Tonight I have the honor of presenting the Arrow of Light to some of our WEBELOS Scouts. Would (names) and their parents please come forward to receive the award?  A WEBELOS Scout must have passed the following requirements: Been active in the WEBELOS den for 6 months, have earned the WEBELOS badge, know the Scout Promise and the Scout Law, give and know the meaning of the Scout Motto, slogan, sign, salute and handshake, know the hurry cases in first aid, have earned a total of seven activity badges, have visited a troop meeting with his den attended an outdoor activity, participated in a WEBELOS overnight or day hike and attended a troop meeting but this time with his parents.

Will you now light the candles in the order of which you have progressed along the Cub Scout trail. From Bobcat to WEBELOS. Now welcome to the highest award, the Arrow of Light, which you, with the help of your parents, have obtained. So it gives me great pleasure in giving this award to your parents to present to you. Because your parents have helped you along the Cub Scout trail, here are miniature Arrow of Light pins for you to present to them. I salute each of you, (names), as WEBELOS Scouts. You will soon know the adventure of a Boy Scout.

Gold And Silver Arrow Ceremony

Circle Ten Council

Who got it from - Detroit Area Council

Equipment: Arrows (gold and silver) and Arrow cards

Personnel: Cubmaster; Assistant Cubmaster (or Den Leader Coach)

Cubmaster: Tonight we have some Wolves and Bears who have been hard at work on their electives and so (number) of them have done enough to earn their Gold Arrow under Wolf (Bear) and (number) have earned their Silver Arrows.

I would like the following boys and their parents to come up onto the stage with the parents standing in back of their sons. (Read list of boys and whether gold of silver arrow, and under which badge).

Cubmaster: It gives me great pleasure to award these boys their Arrow Points tonight. As I read your names, ______ our Assistant Cubmaster, will hand you the awards with our congratulations for a job well done.

After this is done, the Cubmaster says:

These boys have learned how to make and do many useful and fun things while working on these electives. For each 10 projects he completes, he receives an Arrow Point, so that you can see that these boys have been busy fellows indeed. For all of their fine efforts, we're doing to give them a special applause stunt.