ADVANCEMENT CEREMONIES

Ceremony Ideas
Capital Area Council

• Cut a branch from a tree and "plant" in a bucket or pot, hang the awards from the tree.
• Give each boy a neckerchief slide made from a slice of a tree with each award.

Nature
Capital Area Council

Equipment: 

• A three foot high tree limb with several branches, set as if it were a tree, in a can of plaster of Paris. 
• Green paper leaves (made with a thin wire and wire stem sticking out) with Cub Scouts’ names, awards, badges, and arrow points.

Personnel:  Cubmaster, Webelos Den Leaders, advancing Cub Scouts and Webelos Scouts and parents.

Cubmaster:  “This little tree is a symbol of the natural beauty of our land.  The tree also represents Cub Scouting.

It takes a long time for a beautiful tree to grow.  In the same wave, a Cub Scout spends a lot of time and effort in advancement from rank to rank.  So do his parents who help him.

Today we will see how much prettier this Cub Scouting tree will be when we put some leaves on it.  Each of these leaves represents the time and effort put into their advancement work by our Cub Scouts and parents.

Call forward boys and their parents, who are receiving Bobcat badges and arrow points, give them awards and have them put one leave for each award on the tree. 

Then award the Tiger badges and arrow points, putting their leaves on the tree. 

Then award the Wolf badges and arrow points, putting their leaves on the tree. 

Then award the Bear badges and arrow points, putting their leaves on the tree. 

Have the Webelos leader call the boys and the parents for activity badges and Webelos badges which have been put on leaves. 

After all awards are presented and leaves added to the tree, the Cubmaster resumes speaking.  Each of you has helped to nurture this tree.  Just as trees endure for many years, so the values gained from working on achievements, electives, and badges will last you a lifetime.  May you always stand strong and tall like a tree – and be a beautiful resource for our land.

Outdoor Advancement
Grand Teton Area Council

The Cubmaster marches out dressed in hiking clothes, complete with backpack. He carries an old canvass bag.

"This is a bear bag. When people go camping in areas where there's likely to be a lot of bears, they take all their food at night and put it in a bag like this. Then they hang it from a tree. This keeps the bears from getting it and ensures that the guy who hung it from the tree gets to keep his goodies. Well, in this bear bag, I've got stuff not only for bears, but for Bobcats, Tigers, Wolves and even Webelos."

Plant A Tree Advancement
Grand Teton Area Council

This is the closing that may be used with
 the Plant A Tree Opening.  CD

Later in the meeting, return to the hole which has been dug to the proper depth.

Remove the tree from its container and place it in the hole.

As each boy steps forward to receive his award, he first carefully places a shovel full of dirt around the tree.

CM:      This little tree is a symbol of the natural beauty of our land. We plant it tonight so that it can grow unencumbered to reach its full potential. To grow it will require nutrients from the soil which we place about its roots ... water ... sunshine ... and all of the love that nature holds for living things.

CA:      In a way, this tree is like Cub Scouting, too. It takes a long time and a lot of effort for a beautiful tree to grow. In the same way, a Cub Scout spends a lot of time and effort in advancing from rank to rank. So do his parents, with all the help and encouragement they provide.

Call forward the award recipients and parents.
Have them each place a shovel full of soil around the root ball of the tree.

CM:      Each of you has helped to nurture this tree. Just as this tree will endure for many years, so too will you. The skills and the values which you gain from working on achievements, electives and activity badges will last a lifetime. May you always stand strong and tall, like this tree. May you, too, be a beautiful resource for our land.

CA:      Lead a cheer.  Since you are planting a tree, “Chip Chop” may not be the appropriate cheer.

Tree Advancement 

Materials needed:

• Picture of a giant Redwood tree.
• Artificial tree with cutout leaves.
• Awards are attached to leaves.

Cubmaster: The tallest and biggest trees all began as little seedlings. It takes many years for them to grow from seedlings into giants. Each of you Cub Scouts are like these trees for you are growing into great men. (Take awards off tree, mentioning positive benefits of trees: i.e., strong, sturdy, enduring, etc).  Then follow usual Pack protocols for awarding badges – present to parents, cheers, individual recognition, boys talk about what they did, move clothespins up to next rank, …  Whatever you usually do!!! CD

What Do We Plant?
Sam Houston Area Council

The poem used in this ceremony could also make a great Closing Ceremony CD

Props:

• Make a large tree from cardboard, or paint one on an appliance box.
• For each award to be given, cut out a green paper leaf.
• Write the Cub's name on the leaf and tape on his awards.
• Arrange the leaves on a table beside the tree.

Cubmaster:

What do we plant when we plant a tree?
We plant a ship, which will cross the sea.
We plant the mast to carry the sail.
We plant the planks to withstand the gale.
The keeps, the keelson, the beam, and knee,
We plant a ship when we plant a tree.
What do we plant when we plant a tree?
We plant the house for you and me.
We plant the rafters, the shingles, the floors;
We plant the studding, the lath, and doors.
The beams and siding are all parts we need.
We plant a house when we plant a tree.
What do we plant when we plant a tree?
A thousand things that we daily see,
The paper for books from which we learn,
Tools to help us do a good turn.
The wood for a Pinewood Derby car,
For model planes that we fly so far.
We plant the staff for the flag of the free,
Yes, we plant all these when we plant a tree.
But what do we plant when we plant a lad?
With the help of his mother and his dad,
We plant a Cub who'll become a Scout;
We plant ideas that will round him out,
The skills, the games, the joy to be had.
We plant a Scout when we plant a lad.

The Cubmaster calls forward boys and parents at this time.
As awards are given, each boy tapes his leaf onto the tree branches.

Cubmaster:

You have all helped make this tree more beautiful. It is a part of you. Just as Mother Nature's trees endure for many years, the things you have learned from your achievements and badges will last you a lifetime. May you always stand straight and tall like a tree, and be a worthy resource for our country.

What do we plant when we plant a lad?

We plant a Scout when we plant a lad.

Congratulations to all of you!

Lead Cheers