ADVANCEMENT CEREMONIES

Be sure to read this first ceremony.  Even if you are not planning on using it.  There is a thought process presented here for developing ceremonies and why we need meaningful ones that is excellent.  CD

Eskimo Dog Sled Advancement Ideas
Heart of America Council

Cubmaster can have awards at rear of assembly and drive his dog sled back and forth bringing the next set of awards on each trip. 

He could call the back of the room the landing area where a bush pilot flies in with the next batch of awards.  Have someone back there dressed like a bush pilot making plane sound effects for each landing. 

Then Cubmaster drives the sled to the front after each delivery and does the presentation. 

Add information about the importance of these rank advancements and the work of the Cubs who are receiving them.  Relate it to something about the North or South Pole, the Arctic or Antarctic, Alaska, Eskimos, Penguins, Polar Bears, Mt McKinley or the gold rush.

Let the boys and their parents know that you care about their progress in the Cub Scout program and expect them to continue the hard work and service necessary to maintain a successful pack. 

Be sure to lead a cheer for each group receiving awards.

A little effort for your ceremonies each month will encourage all to attend and participate.

Snowflake
Heart of America Council

Props: 1 small snowflake for each award with the award attached.

Cubmaster: Snowflakes always appear as six-sided crystals.  If you use your imagination just a little, you can see that there are six areas in the climb to the top of the Cub Scouting experience. Will all Bobcats please come forward with their parents. (Awards chairman present the award and gives each a snowflake.)

Do the same for each of the following:

Tiger Cub

Wolf

Bear

Webelos

Arrow of Light

(Have all boys remain at the front of the room
 until all awards are presented.)

Cubmaster: With this group of people gathered here, we have made a snowstorm out of a lot of small snowflakes. Just as the wind blows snow into a storm, parents provide a force to make a Cub Scout form all facets of his life as he grows into a bigger, stronger person both physically and mentally.

Seek The Explorer
San Gabriel Valley, Verdugo Hills, Long beach Area

ARRANGEMENTS: Cubmaster should dress like an explorer (Indiana Jones, etc.) Awards can be simulated "artifacts" of any type.

CUBMASTER: Our Tiger Cubs are always trying to SEARCH, DISCOVER and SHARE.  This is really the theme of all Scouting. As you advance along the Scouting Trail, you must search out new things to do. You must discover many things that you did not know about yourselves, your neighborhoods, your families, and friends. And you must share what you have learned with others, especially your den and other Cub Scouts. 

To do this, you must explore! Exploring means to seek knowledge you did not know. Each of us is an explorer in our own way. Our newest explorers are Bobcats. They don't stray too far from their dens because the world is large in their eyes. There are many things to learn, and they are kept busy trying to learn them all. (Call Bobcats and their parents forward and present badges to parents to present to Cubs.) Lead Cheer

Our youngest explorers are our Tigers.  They travel around with their adult partners as they travel on their “Go See It” trips to explore the world around them.  And as they learn to Search, Discover and Share.  (Call Tigers and parents forward and present badges to parents to present to Cubs.) Lead Cheer

Next, our explorers become Wolves.  Wolves travel in groups and often go far and wide in search of new things. Our Wolves have learned many new things about themselves and their neighborhood.  (Call Wolves and parents forward and present badges to parents to present to Cubs.) Lead Cheer

As he grows older, our explorer becomes a Bear.  Bears have a territory that they stay in which includes a place to eat, sleep, and have fun.  Our wise old Bears are finding out that there are many places in their neighborhood where they can learn and grow both mentally and physically.  (call Bears and parents forward and present badges to parents to present to Cubs.) Lead Cheer

As an explorer gains confidence, he set his sights on more difficult tasks. So our Webelos have discovered the many tasks involved in earning their activity pins. (call Webelos forward and present awards to parents to present to Cubs.) Lead Cheer

The next three ceremonies are from an Alaska Theme a few years ago.  Now as Alaska does go above the Arctic Circle, they could be used as is but it would be better if you adapt them a little to better fit the Poles Apart theme.  The Exploring Alaska one would be great if you changed it to South Pole Explorers.  Please, Let me know (send copy) if you do.  Thanks.  CD

Panning For Cub Scouts

Heart of America Council

Set Up:

Paint small rocks with gold spray paint, for gold nuggets. 

You will need a nugget for each boy receiving awards.

With a permanent marker put each boy's name on one side of the nugget.

Place the nuggets in a shallow pie pan, like a gold pan.

Divide up the speaking parts and presentations as you wish.

Those involved in the ceremony (the Awards Chairman and/or Cubmaster) should be in costume as prospectors or sourdoughs.

The early explorers of Alaska were a very rugged and hearty group of people.  They were outdoorsmen and lived off the land where they hunted for food and clothes.  They cleared the land to make room for their log cabins to live in.

Many of the early settlers of Alaska spent much of their time looking for gold.  And indeed some of the people of Alaska still pan for gold today.  Life in Alaska was rugged and challenging; much as our Cub Scouts are challenged as they work toward their goals, as they earn the ranks of Scouting.

Let's shake up this old gold pan and see if we can find a nugget that is worth something. (Shake gold pan and pull out one nugget at a time.) 

Read off boy's name and have him and his parents come forward to receive his badge.  Present the parents their son’s award and also present the Cub with the "Gold Nugget" with his name on it.  The first time, explain why we present badges to parents.  Lead cheers at appropriate times (e.g.  after each award, after all Bear badges awarded, after …) Continue until all the awards have been presented.)

Exploring Alaska
Heart of America Council

I would divide this up amongst several presenters – one for each rank or have Cubmaster and Assistant Cubmaster alternate.  CD

PERSONNEL: Cubmaster

EQUIPMENT: Awards for boys glued to gold nuggets  (gold nuggets are butterscotch candies or candy covered in gold foil)

ARRANGEMENT: Cubmaster in front of audience

CUBMASTER: This month the dens have been exploring Alaska. Alaska is the most northern part of the United States. The name Alaska comes from the Aleut native word meaning "The Great Land."  The nickname for Alaska is the Last Frontier and the motto is North to the Future.  In 1741, a Russian, Vitus Bering led an expedition which landed in Alaska. The Russians found villages of Eskimos, Aleuts and Indians. The Alaskan territory was good to the Russians, the exporting of furs was a profitable industry until the sea otter was almost wiped out. Just as Vitus Bering explored a new frontier, we have some boys here tonight who are also in search of their new frontiers. (Call forward the boys to receive their Tiger Cub Badges and their parents. Present the badges.)

Later in 1778 James Cook mapped the coast between Sitka and the Bering Strait.  Also during the 18th and 19^th Centuries, the other sea captains from Spain, France and Great Britain came to explore the frontier of Alaska. As these explorers kept coming to the frontier each was in search of the wonders Alaska has to offer. We have some boys who have continued to explore the Cub Scout trail. (Call forward the boys to receive their Wolf Badges and their parents. Present the badges.)

On March 30, 1867, the Alaskan territory was sold to the United States for seven million, two hundred thousand dollars. This was less than two cents an acre.  Now that Alaska had become a territory of the U.S., prospectors started to explore Alaska to see what additional treasures there were to discover. In 1896, gold was discovered in Alaska. The Alaskan Gold rush was on.  Tonight we have some boys who have answered the challenges to explore the new territories along the Cub Scouting Trail. (Call forward the boys to receive their Bear Badges and their parents. Present the badges.)

The exploration of Alaska hasn't stopped with the discovery of gold.  In 1959, Alaska became the 49th state.  And in 1963 Congress authorized the construction of a pipeline to transport oil from the rich North Slope oil field on the Arctic Ocean. The plans called for the 800-mile long pipeline to extend to the Pacific coast port of Valdez.  As the exploration continues in Alaska, so does the exploration of the Cub Scout Trail.  We have some boys here who have discovered a new plateau along the Scouting Trail. (Call forward the boys to receive their Webelos Badges and their parents. Present the badges.)

As we have explored Alaska together we can also as Cub families find the treasures that are there to be discovered along the Cub Scout Trail.

Iditarod Trail
Heart of America Council

Set Up & Arrangement:

Poster board with outline map of Alaska showing Iditarod trail with trail signs marking each Cub rank;

A dog sled team picture (paper, cardboard, wood) for each boy receiving advancement on the map.

Boys move their team to the next rank along the trail after badge is presented.

Cubmaster: Each year in Alaska there is a famous dogsled race called the Iditarod. It is a 1,000 mile journey from Anchorage to Nome.

The Scouts who have traveled the trail trough the ranks of Cub Scouting may think their journey is as long as the Iditarod, and they made their journeys with the same determination as those sleds.

Reaching the first marker of Bobcat, is ____________ (call names). Just as the sledders are not alone on the trail, so our Scouts have their parents with them. Would the parents of these Scouts join them? (Give badge to parent to present to Scout.) Continue in the same manner for other badges.

Four Corners of the Earth
Great Salt Lake Council

Personnel:         Cubmaster and 4 scouts representing four corners of the earth.  East||South|| North||West.

Preparation:      Place each scout at a different corner of the meeting place, matching east, west, north, and south.

Materials:          Add interest with a Headband with Symbol of each Corner of the Earth for each helper.  East || Chinese Laborer Cap, South || Sombrero, North || Furred hood, West || Indian head dress/Cowboy hat.

Cubmaster:       O Great Spirit, bring forth the four winds.

East:           I am East. From me comes the sun each day, sharing it life giving light to all living. Just as I am the first direction, cub scouting begins as the Bobcat.

South:        I am South. From me comes heat and rain, so all living things might have warmth and water to drink. Just as I am the second direction, cub Scouting’s second step is the Wolf.

North:         I am North. From me comes cold and snow, so all living things might experience coolness and the beauty of winter. Just as I am the third direction, cub Scouting’s third step is Bear.

West:          I am West. To me the sun comes at the end of each day, giving the world darkness so all living things might rest. Just as I am the last direction, so Webelos is the last step of cub scouting.

Cubmaster:       Names each Boy to receive his rank advancement and has him Join the and Stand with the boy representing the rank earned.
Brothers East, South, North, and West - will you lead us in the Law of the Pack?

(4 scouts raise the Cub Sign)

East:           'The cub scout follows Akela.”

South: '       The cub scout helps the pack go.”

North: '       The pack helps the cub scout grow.”

West: '        The cub scout gives good will.”

Cubmaster  The Cubmaster has each Cub receiving his advancement escort his parents in turn to stand in front of the audience with the Cubmaster.  The Cubmaster presents the rank to the parent and the parent pins it on the Cub.