AUDIENCE PARTICIPATIONS

Santa’s Helpers

Baltimore Area Council

Divide audience into four sections and assign each section a part.  Have each section practice their part before beginning.

Santa:            Ho, Ho, Ho!

Happy :           Chuckle, Chuckle

Game:            1’11 try!

Fair:               Your turn.

Up at the North Pole in SANTA’S Workshop, there were many elves busy at work preparing for the rush on toys for the yearly Christmas Season.  Three of them were the Chief Helpers. They were called by names of HAPPY, GAME, and FAIR.

Now SANTA didn’t name all his elves, but he called them by number. However, these three, being Chief Helpers, had been named according to their main personality traits.

HAPPY seemed to be the jolliest, GAME would always tackle any project given him and FAIR always seemed to want to give others their turn at doing projects that were the most fun.

So one busy day, SANTA called HAPPY, GAME, and FAIR to his side because he had a special rush job which he wanted them to do. There was a new toy in the shop, which needed the alphabet printed on it, so he set the three elves busy at the task. After much discussion, it was decided that FAIR should not be left out this time and should be allowed to start this new project. He busily started printing A, B, C, D, E, H, G, F, when SANTA suddenly came by and glanced down at the work.

Immediately SANTA stopped the elf and asked FAIR why he did not print the alphabet correctly. Well, it seems that FAIR was always busy saying YOUR TURN to all the other elves that he never had learned some of the things that all elves should know. Being ingenious as all elves are, FAIR improvised a way to teach himself the alphabet by the method association.

SANTA has always called the three elves in the same way; HAPPY, GAME and FAIR. So when the elf came to the part of the alphabet he put H, G, F, in that order since that’s what he remembered hearing all the time.

After hearing the elf’s story, SANTA decided rather than confuse other elves in the future, and maybe cause a national disaster by giving out toys with the wrong letters printed, he would change and call his three Chief Elves by letters instead. And since SANTA knew his alphabet well he’d call out F, G, and H when he wanted HAPPY, GAME and FAIR. So let’s all make HAPPY, GAME and FAIR so familiar to us that it will automatically become our way of life.

The Littlest Snowflake

Baltimore Area Council

Divide audience into five sections and assign each section a part.  Have each section practice their part before beginning.

The Snow:                                                    Fluff. Fluff, Fluff

                                   (softly with downward hand motion)

The Ice:                                                              Brr! Brr! Brrr!

                                   (hold arms around self to keep warm)

Little Snowflake:                                                   Wheeeeee!

                                                         (hands held straight up)

The Wind:                                         Whoo! Whoo! Whoo!

                                             (arms up, sway back and forth)

The Sun:                                                            Ahhh! Ahhh!

                                              ( arms held in circle over head)

Legend has it that long ago in the wintertime there was a happy Little Snowflake. He was a jolly little fellow, floating along on the Wind, scooting across the Ice, and generally having fun with all the other Snow. Now, the one guy that Little Snowflake didn’t care for was the Sun. He could melt him right away.

One day, the Wind blew Little Snowflake way up high in the trees and left him on a big fat limb. This was fun, because below him he could see the Snow as it gleamed and the Ice, as it glistened. But then it started to get warm. And it got warmer and warmer, but there Little Snowflake sat all by his lonesome self. The Wind was having a good time blowing all the rest of the Snow around. The Sun continued to shine down on the Ice and made it shine like a mirror.

Now, Little Snowflake was really starting to get worried because the Sun was starting to melt him and before long he would be Ice and not the happy Little Snowflake he had always been. Suddenly, the Wind, seeing the fix he was in, blew extra hard and picked up a whole bunch of Snow, scooted it across the Ice, and up into the tree where they all rescued Little Snowflake from the hot Sun.

So, the next time you are out and the Wind has blown some Snow across the Ice and into the Sun, look extra hard and you just might see our friend, the Little Snowflake!

The Den Hike

Baltimore Area Council

Divide group into six smaller groups each assigned to say the appropriate phrase when their person is mentioned in the story. Read the story.

Characters:

Big Bill -                                       “C’mon boys”

Slow Joe -                           “Wait for me guys”

Messy Marvin -                         ”Count on me”

Little Billy -                                     “I’m comin”‘

Hungry Harry -                             “I’m hungry”

Smart Alex -                                     “Follow me”

One sunny Saturday Big Bill, the Webelos leader from Pack ____, took his Den out on a day hike. Smart Alex , the Denner, led the way as Messy Marvin, Hungry Harry, Little Billy, and Slow Joe took in the sites.

Slow Joe kept stopping to add rocks to his rock collection. They stopped to eat lunch and explore a cave. All too soon Big Bill said it was time to head back to the car. “Already?” said Little Billy. “But this is fun,” said Messy Marvin. “Let’s go home and eat,” said Hungry Harry. “But I need more rocks,” said Slow Joe. But Big Bill had seen the clouds on the horizon, so they headed back.  When the group was almost back to the car Big Bill called a halt. There before them was a rushing river where a dry wash had been. “What will we do?” asked Little Billy. “Let’s swim it,” said Messy Marvin.  “No,” said Smart Alex, “that’s too dangerous!” “He’s right,” said Big Bill, “we must wait until the water goes down.” “That’s O.K.” said Slow Joe. “I can find more rocks.” “But I’m hungry,” protested Hungry Harry. “We’re all hungry,” said Big Bill. “Let’s see what we have left to eat.” “I’ve got some carrot and celery sticks,” said Smart Alex, “I don’t know why my mom put them in my lunch. She knows I won’t eat them.” “I have half a hamburger,” said Slow Joe. “I was too busy collecting rocks to eat it all.” “I’ve got some left over French fries,” said Messy Marvin, pulling them out of his pocket. “I don’t have anything left,” said Hungry Harry, “and I’m hungry.”

“Let’s make stew!” said Little Billy. Big Bill built the fire while Little Billy found some watercress in a nearby spring while filling Slow Joe’s rock can with water. The boys added the French fries, hamburger, carrots and celery and soon they had stew.

“I feel much better now,” said Hungry Harry as the boys relaxed after their meal. “Who’d have thought all our leftovers would taste so good?” said Smart Alex. By this time the water had gone down and Big Bill, Little Billy, Messy Marvin, Slow Joe, Hungry Harry, and Smart Alex were able to return to the car and they were soon safely home.

The Legend of the Christmas Scout

Connecticut Rivers Council

The story is usually introduced by saying - This is the legend of the Christmas Scout. It was told to me by a small boy whose faith in the story was absolute. He had a toy airplane he showed everyone that he said emphatically came from the Christmas Scout.

Frank Wilson, a 13-year old Scout, was returning on Christmas Eve from a party of his relatives where he had received all his gifts. He had a sled full of presents, just the things he had been hoping for - for although it was cold, he was warm because he was wearing the new plaid jacket for which he had been hinting. It was his favorite gift.

In spite of everything, he was not happy. This was because it was to be his first Christmas without his brother who had, during the year, been the tragic victim of a reckless driver. His brother had been a good Scout and a fine example to him.

The Christmas Scout had taken a short cut through the Flats hoping he might meet his patrol leader who lived there with his widowed mother. This was a section of town in which many of the poor lived. His patrol leader, one of the best Scouts in the troop, had to work hard. Not that the Christmas Scout was rich. His family was just a step above the Flats.

As he hiked down the street, the Christmas Scout caught glimpses of the trees and decorations in many of the homes. He had no intention of prying but suddenly in one glimpse, he had seen a shabby room with two limp stockings hanging above an empty fireplace and a woman sitting near them weeping. The stockings reminded him of the way he and his brother had always hung theirs side by side. But they had always found them, next morning, full to brimming. Then he remembered that he had not done his Good Turn for the day.

He knocked at the door. ‘'Yes?" the sad voice of the woman replied. "May I come in? I am a Scout." "You are very welcome," she said, "but I cannot help you. I have nothing for my own children." "That is why I am here," he replied. "You are to choose whatever you need from this sled." "May God bless you!" she answered gratefully. “My little boys will be very happy.”  She took some candies and a game, a toy airplane and a puzzle. Then, as she took the new official flashlight, the Scout almost cried out, but he did not. He saw that the stockings were full and turned to go.

"Won't you tell me your name?" she asked. "Just call me the Christmas Scout,” he replied.  He was glad to have done the Good Turn, but he was not really any happier. He had seen that his sorrow was not the only sorrow in the world and before he got out of the Flats that night, he had given the remainder of his toys away. The plaid jacket had gone to a boy who had none at all. He trudged homeward, cold and disconsolate.

He had given his presents away and he could think of no explanation he could give his family that would seem reasonable. He wondered how he could make them understand. His parents tried to be patient. "But Son, I don't see how you could have been so foolish," his mother said.

His father was firm, "You made your choice, Son. You know we cannot afford to give you any more presents."  The Christmas Scout realized that he seemed foolish in the eyes of his parents and even, to a degree in his own. His brother gone, his family disappointed, he suddenly felt dreadfully alone. He had not thought to be rewarded for his generosity, for in the wisdom of his young life, he knew that a good deed should always be is own reward. It would be tarnished otherwise. He did not want the gifts back. He thought of his brother and sobbed himself to sleep.

The next morning he found his parents listening to a Christmas program on T.V.  Then the announcer spoke. "Merry Christmas everybody! The nicest Christmas story we have this morning comes from the Flats. It appears that a crippled boy down there has a new sled this morning; another youngster has a fine plaid jacket and several families have reported that their children have been made happy by the visitation of a Boy Scout who gave no name but simply referred to himself as the Christmas Scout. The boy with the jacket declares that the Scout gave it off his own back. No one can identify him, but the children of the Flats are claiming that the Christmas Scout was a personal representative of old Santa Claus himself."

The Christmas Scout felt his father's arms go around his shoulders and he saw his mother smiling at him through her tears. "We are proud of you, son.” The Christmas Scout caught his breath. "Mother, Father!" he cried. "This is a happy Christmas after all!"  The carols came over the air again filling the room with music. "And praises sing to

God the King, and peace to men on earth."

If you are using this story as a Cubmaster’s Minute or to make a point you might want to end with –

Let us follow Frank's example in some way. If there are poor among you in one of the towns of the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not be selfish or greedy toward them. But give freely to them, and freely lend them whatever they need.

This story can be found on the web in many places.  Try a search on www.google.com for “The Christmas Scout” Be sure to use parentheses so it looks for the phrase.