ADVANCEMENT CEREMONIES
A History of Cub Scouting
York Adams
Council
(Note that this and other
ceremonies should be reviewed and modified to suit the specific awards being
giving at the meeting. This ceremony is written so that any particular
award can be used or omitted without impacting the whole of the ceremony.)
We all know that the Boy
Scout movement in America was started by William Boyce after he was directed
to an address in London by a boy who refused a tip because he was a Scout.
Mr. Boyce was so impressed by his talk with Lord Baden-Powell that he helped
incorporate the Boy Scouts of America of February 8, 1910. It is this date
that we celebrate each year with our Blue and Gold Banquet.
Almost as soon as Scouting
began, younger boys started clamoring for a chance to participate in
Scouting. This resulted in the Wolf Cub program being started in England in
1916. It wasn't until August 1,1929 that the first demonstration Cub units
were started. By 1933, it was felt the time had come for promoting Cub
Scouting as a part of the Boy Scout program.
As we read in the Wolf
book the basis for much of the program came from THE JUNGLE BOOK by Rudyard
Kipling. In this book is the story of two wolves who find a man cub who is
being hunted by SHERKAN, the tiger. They take in the boy, whom they name
Mowgli, (which means frog) and raise him as part of their family.
The wolves are part of a
pack, which is led by Akela, the great gray Lone Wolf. Once a month, the new
cubs are presented to the pack for acceptance. If two members of the pack do
not accept them, they are turned out. When Mowgli was presented to the
council, none of the other wolves would speak for him. Just as Mother wolf
was ready to give up. Baloo, the kindly brown bear who taught the wolf cubs
the Law of the Jungle stood up and said, "I will speak for the man cub."
When no one else spoke, Bagheera, the black panther rose and offered to pay
one bull if the man cub would be accepted into the pack. And so it was that
Mowgli became a part of the Wolf Pack, for the price of a bull and on
Baloo's good word.
In looking back at old Cub
Scout books, we are reminded that the Cub Scout program has survived with
very little change. In a 1934 Cub Book, the rules for becoming a Bobcat are:
à He has taken the Cub
Promise.
à Explained & repeated the Law
of the Pack.
à Explained the meaning of the
ranks.
à Shown the Cub sign and
Handclasp.
à Given the Cub Motto and Cub
Salute.
Today as Bobcats, we must
do the same requirements. When Akela says that we are ready, we are
presented to the Pack or recognition.
(BOBCAT)
(List names of Bobcat
recipients and call them with their parents to the front of the room.)
(Hand parents the awards
to present to the boys and congratulate them with the Cub Scout handshake.
Offer an applause and ask them to take their seats.)
Just as the Wolf cubs
learned about the world around them by taking short trips into the woods, so
have our own Cubs grown in their understanding of nature and of their
families.
(WOLF)
(List names and invite
them with their parents to come forward)
(Hand out badges to
parents to give to the boys. Congratulate them and offer a suitable
applause. Have them sit down.)
Originally, only two arrow
points could be earned for each rank. The basic rank was called the Bronze
Badge. The first ten electives earned the Cub the Gold Rank, and the next
ten elective the Silver Rank. Today we award the Gold Arrow Point for the
first ten elective and Silver Arrow Points for each ten additional
electives.
(ARROW POINTS)
(List names and invite
them with their parents to come forward.)
(Hand out badges to
parents to give to the boys. Congratulate them and offer a suitable
applause. Have them sit down.)
Just as Baloo the kindly
Bear, taught the young Wolves the secret names of the trees, the calls of
the birds and the language of the air so must each of you help others in you
Den in order to meet the requirements for Bear.
(BEAR)
(List off Bear candidate
names and invite them and their parents to the front of the room.)
(Hand parents the awards
to present to the boys and congratulate them. Offer an applause and ask
them to take their seats.)
Up until a few years ago,
the next rank was Lion. In 1967, this was dropped and the Webelos program
expanded to cover an entire year. The Webelos Colors (GOLD representing the
Pack; GREEN, the Troop, and RED the Explorers) and 15 activity badges were
added at this time. A new Webelos Badge was also created and the original
Webelos Badge retained as the Arrow Of Light.
The Webelos rank is the
transition between Cub Scouting and Boy Scouting. Originally the name was
derived from the three ranks: Wolf, Bear, Lion and Scouts. To become a
Webelos requires a further expanding of one's horizons. Activity Pins must
be earned and involvement in Church and Civic activities are encouraged.
(List names and invite
them with their parents to come forward.)
(Hand parents the awards
to present to the boys and congratulate them. Offer an applause and ask
them to take their seats.)
The Arrow of Light is the
highest award in Cub Scouting. It can also be worn on the Boy Scout uniform
in recognition of your achievement. To be standing here tonight, means that
you have reached the highest point along the Cub Scout trail. Do not stop
here for the trail leads on to Boy Scouting and great new adventures that
can only be dreamed about for now.
(ARROW OF LIGHT)
(List names and invite
them with their parents to come forward.)
(Hand boys the parent's
Arrow of Light pins to present to their parents. Then give parents the
awards to present to the boys and congratulate them. Offer an applause and
ask them to take their seats.)
Jungle
Book Advancement Ceremony
Circle Ten Council
This a lot to do for the Cubmaster – split it up ad add in Assistant
Cubmaster and Committee Chair and such. CD
Characters:
Cubmaster
Person offstage to shout
part of Bandar-log
Cub Scout boys can be the
Monkey People
Cubmaster You know that
our lives today are much like the jungle that Mowgli lived in. Oh we don’t
have a real jungle, but we do have a pack, and we have lots of people like
Baloo the bear that have taught you the law of the pack. We also have Akela,
the leader, in many forms – I, your Cubmaster, along with your parents,
teachers, and your ministers. We also have Bandar-log, the Monkey people.
Remember that they are the ones who are only brave when the odds are in
their favor. They don’t follow any of the laws. They are thoughtless and
silly. They have no goals and are ready to lead you into things that are
bad for you like drugs, alcohol, tobacco, and gangs.
Offstage Rules,
rules, rules!!! We don’t like rules, come and play with us.
Cubmaster Ah, hear them
call you?
Offstage (different
voice) Be gone, Bandar-log, they belong to the pack . . . you can’t have
them!
Cubmaster Oh, Bageera,
the Black Panther is watching out for you. While he watches out for the
Bandar-log, lets give out some awards that you have worked so hard for.
(Webelos pins)
Offstage The man
cub is mine, give him to me!
Cubmaster Oh, no!
That’s Shere-khan, the fierce jungle tiger.
Offstage The man
cub is mine . . . give him to me!
Cubmaster No,
Shere-khan, these cubs are in the pack and you can’t have them. Be gone
with you. Boy, the bad guys are everywhere. He is gone now. Would the
Wolves that are receiving rank and their parents and den leaders please come
forward.
Cubmaster The Cub Scout
promise and the Law of the Pack are your guideline in Cub Scouts as well as
in your life. Following these will make the Monkey people, the Bandar-log
and Shere-khan pretty mad at you, but the pack is behind you. Keep these
laws and you will succeed where the Bandar-log won’t. Light the candle from
the spirit of scouting candle and repeat with your den the Cub Scout Promise
and the Law of the Pack.
Offstage Laws and
rules, laws and rules, come with us, we break them all.
Cubmaster Den leaders,
ignore them, present the awards.
ü
Would the Bears that are
receiving rank awards please come forward with your parents and den
leaders! Please light your candle from the spirit of scouting candle and
say the Cub Scout Promise and the Law of the Pack. Den leaders please
present the awards.
ü
Will the Tigers that are
receiving rank awards please come up with your parents and den leaders.
Tigers please light your candle from the spirit of scouting candle and say
the Tiger promise and the motto with your den. Den leaders please present
the awards.
Offstage Laws and
rules, laws and rules – who needs them!
Cubmaster We all need
them silly Monkey people. Rules make games fair; laws keep us safe. You
can’t have the cubs . . .Now leave us alone; go somewhere else, we aren’t
Monkey people. All boys who are earning gold and silver arrow points please
come forward with your den leaders.
Cubmaster Ten
activities have to be completed to earn each arrow point. The first arrow
point that is earned is gold. The rest that you can earn are silver. These
boys have been working hard and these arrow points show it. Den leaders
please present the arrow points.
Cubmaster Will the
Webelos that are receiving rank, please come forward with your parents and
den leaders.
Offstage Give the
man cub to me!!! I want him!!
Cubmaster Shere-khan .
. .This/these boy(s) have earned their Webelos rank. They are not about to
come with you, and we are not giving them to you. They know about the Cub
Scout Promise and the Law of the Pack; they also know the Boy Scout Oath and
the 12 points of the Scout Law . . . They will never come to you or the
Monkey people. There is nothing here for you . . .go away.
Cubmaster Webelos
(names) your choice has been made. You have earned the Webelos rank. You
have worked hard and kept yourself physically fit. You know about the
citizenship that is required for our society to succeed. You are ready for
the emergencies that can come up at any time. You will always have choices
to make in life. The Shari-khans and the Bandar-logs of this world will
always be there to tempt you to join them. Light your candle from the
spirit of scouting candle and say the Scout Oath and the 12 Points of the
Scout Law with your den. Den leaders present the awards.
Shorter Jungle Book Ceremony
Great Salt
Lake Council
Preparation Ideas and Suggestions:
1)
Use a Jungle Book theme for the banquet; and use it in giving the
awards.
2)
Seat the group to receive awards in a circle, adults towards the
back and boys in front on the floor.
3)
Cubmaster is dressed as Akela, leader of the pack, and the other
leaders are dressed appropriately.
4)
Have the pack leaders role play the parts of Bagheera, mother
wolf, and Baloo, and Webelos leader.
NARRATOR: This month we are celebrating the 95th annual birthday of Boy
Scouting in America and Cub Scouting 20 years later, February 22, 1930.
Cubs traditionally hold the Blue and Gold Banquet to celebrate this
birthday. Cub Scouting builds character in boys. The blue stands for truth
and loyalty; and the gold, cheer and happiness. In addition, the blue and
gold of Cub Scouting helps to build spirit in the pack. And so, you can see
how society over the years has benefited from Scouting. Let us all, through
our efforts, make this the best celebration yet.
CUBMASTER: Who will speak for the Bobcats?
BAGHEERA: I Bagheera, will speak for the Bobcats. (Call new Bobcats
forward with parents). These are the young ones, but they have already
begun to show skills. I present them to the pack (present awards).
CUBMASTER: Now it is time for the wolves. Who speaks for the wolves?
MOTHER WOLF: I, mother wolf, speak for the wolf cubs. I have nurtured
them and watched them grow as they learn the skills of the wolf. These young
ones are ready to be recognized. (Wolves come up and are awarded with
parents. Wolf den gathers and gives a wolf howl).
CUBMASTER: Next we are ready for the bears, who speaks for the bears?
BALOO: I, Baloo, will speak for the bears. I have taught them well the
Law of the Pack. They have come far and are ready to be recognized by the
pack. (New bears come up with parents and are awarded. Den gathers and gives
bear growl.)
CUBMASTER: Now we are ready for the maturest members of the pack to be
recognized. Who speaks for the Webelos?
WEBELOS LEADER: I speak for the Webelos (same scenario). Recite the
meaning of Webelos.
CUBMASTER: I have looked over the members of the pack and I am proud to
be their leader; would all of the members of the pack come forward and join
in all a Grand Howl.
Baden-Powell Advancement
Ceremony - All ranks
Baltimore Area Council
You can have one person read this or
divide it into sections and have several people present. Minimizing the
reading (memorization) always enhances a ceremony.
Tonight we are
celebrating the birthday of Scouting and the 75th anniversary of
Cub Scouting. Many of you know that Scouting started in England in 1907 when
Lord Baden-Powell took seven boys to Brownsea Island for a camping
experiment. But the roots go even farther back. In 1899, Baden-Powell was a
Colonel in the British Army fighting the Dutch Boers in South Africa.
Colonel Baden-Powell was in charge of a town called Mafeking. It was under
siege by the Boers. The Boers shelled the town every day except Sundays.
When that happened, everyone had to hide in trenches until the shelling
stopped. Baden-Powell noticed that the last ones into the trenches and the
first ones out were the young boys. He needed to keep these young lads from
doing risky things and getting wounded. So he organized them into a Boys
Corps. They ran messages from Headquarters to the troops and citizens, and
they practiced Army Scouting skills. This helped him enforce discipline on
them in a way that they could accept.
The food was
running out, the Boer force was ten times the size of the British force, but
Baden-Powell used his cunning to hold the town for 217 days, until British
reinforcements could arrive and rescue the town from the Boers. When he got
back to England, he found himself a National hero and a small book he had
written for the Army, “Aids-to-Scouting”, was being used by British boys to
play games of Scouting. He remembered those boys in Mafeking and what his
Boys Corps did for them. He rewrote his book into “Scouting for Boys” in
1908 and Boy Scouting was born.
The tradition
Baden-Powell started in Mafeking, we are continuing tonight. When the boys
in Mafeking learned their Scouting skills, they were rewarded with a
promotion in rank. So too, do Cub Scouts, after showing their abilities in
certain skills, earn their ranks of Bobcat, Wolf, Bear and Webelos. Would
the following Scouts and their parents please step forward? (read names of
award winners) You have learned new skills and have shown yourselves ready
for ‘promotion. Wear your new rank proudly like all Cub Scouts have for the
last 75 years. (Read the name and award given, exchange the Cub Scout
Salute, and let the parent pin on the award.) Lead a cheer after
presentation of each award.
Blue and Gold Advancement
Baltimore Area Council
Props: All awards have been individually wrapped in
blue and gold paper and ribbon as birthday gifts.
Setting: Narrator presents ceremony from front of room
with three stacks of “Birthday Gift Awards” on a table in front.
The
presentation talk is arranged in rhyming couplets.
Narrator:
Tonight being Cub Scouting’s 75th
Birthday Party,
it’s time to give presents so we won’t be tardy.
Our first presents go to Cubs that are
new.
So we would like to award Bobcat badges to these few.
(Read names and give each a “Birthday Gift”.)
To celebrate their efforts and time
we’d like to award Wolf badges to these Cubs combined.
(Read names and give each his “gift”)
This next group of Cubs to be
recognized tonight,
Richly deserve this gift by right.
The Bear badge they’ve earned take time
and attention,
And work on their part too numerous to mention.
(Read names and give each Cub a gift)
(After names have been read and gifts
given, present Webelos badges in much the same fashion, and then give the
closing thought below:)
Enjoy these small gifts from Scouting
that you have worked to achieve.
But, remember, a gift is much richer by far
when you give instead of receive.
So please give what you have learned of Scouting
to others, tonight when you leave.
Let’s
Celebrate
Circle Ten Council
Props – Party
decorations, streamers, boxed gifts
Awards
– Wrap the awards like presents. Have a
large gift-wrapped box in which you put all the presents.
Cubmaster
“We’re here to celebrate the advancement of (boy’s name(s)) to the rank of
(rank). As his (their) efforts to advance has been a gift to us, we present
him (them) now with his (their) awards. Let’s all join in singing (to the
tune of Happy Birthday)
Happy (actual rank earned) Bobcat to you!
Happy Bobcat to you!
Happy Bobcat dear (name of Cub)
Happy Bobcat to you!
Note – might be fun to have party noisemakers instead of cheers so the
audience can raise the roof!
