FOCUS

Cub Scout Roundtable Leaders’ Guide

Viva Fiesta!  It is party time for scouting, and what better way to celebrate than with a Mexican flavor?  Boys will learn about that country’s festive traditions as they make cascarones and fill piñatas for the Blue and Gold Banquet.  Perhaps they can even learn to sing “Happy Birthday” or other songs in Spanish.  They’ll enjoy planning the menu too – fajitas, tacos or quesadillas, anyone??  It’s “nacho” ordinary Blue and Gold Banquet!!  Ole!!

CORE VALUES

Cub Scout Roundtable Leaders’ Guide

Some of the purposes of Cub Scouting developed through this month’s theme are:

•  Character Development, Cub Scouts grow in character as they learn about people from other countries.

•  Respect, By learning about and understanding other cultures, boys will develop an increased respect for others.

•  Fun and Adventure, What better way to have fun than with a Mexican themed party!!  Ole!!

• The core value highlighted this month is:

•  Respect, Cub Scouts learn to appreciate other cultures and people through learning about their games, foods, and customs.

Can you think of others??? Hint – look in your Cub Scout Program Helps.  It lists different ones!! All the items on both lists are applicable!!  You could probably list all twelve if you thought about it!!

COMMISSIONER’S CORNER

There is a recurring theme in this issue of Communication.  I did not intend it that way but it happened.  Checkout the Communication quotes in Prayers and Poems.  In the Tiger section the item, “Delivering News or Spreading Gossip?” has communication hints for all of us – not just Tigers.  The Training Tip on “Working with Challenging Adults” discusses communication as a key tool to prevent these problems from occurring.  Even the Special Opportunity, Interpreter Strips, is involved with communication. 

This has been an interesting month.  I have -

·         Planned and emceed my Pack Meeting using November’s theme, Pilgrims of Plymouth Rock, on December 1

·         Prepped and held a roundtable on January’s Theme, Home Alone, December 10 and

·         Written this issue of Baloo’s Bugle on February’s theme, Fiesta. 

No wonder I never know what time it is.  Nor can I remember the theme related bad jokes from month to month.  Too many floating by me.

My stock of Pow Wow Books is growing slowly.  Please consider helping us.  I was really excited when I received my Sam Houston Area Council book and opened it up.  They always have a great book and this year it is based on themes!!  Their previous issues had chapters for games, songs, skits, and ceremonies.  This one has a chapter for each theme and all the items for that theme are right there.   It will be a big help each month for Baloo and Roundtable.

The last time BSA had Fiesta! As a Cub Theme was August 1995, when I was an active Scoutmaster and not doing much Cubbing and, although Baloo was published in 1995, it was not on USSCouts back then and computer crashes over the years have taken their toll.  So I started intently reading my Pow Wow books looking for material for this issue which I wanted to get out before Christmas.  As I did, I noticed something strange – there was not as much variety as usual, almost all the books had quite a bit of common material.  And when I opened my Pow Wow Rom CD (available at http://usscouts.org/tradingpost/ ) I saw where they probably found the material.  It was all there.  It makes me wonder if all this technology is helping or hurting.  Are we stifling imagination by collecting all this stuff together and making it available for Packs and Dens?  Is it too easy to find ideas from Baloo and other on-line resources and new ideas and items are being missed?  I hope not.

An apology to Karen for not listing the Mt Diablo-Silverado Pow Wow last month after our discussion about one of my favorite Scouting songs – “Song of my Shoes” which originated at her council. (You’ll see it in the March theme issue,  “Walk in my Shoes”)