OPENING CEREMONIES

Tree Opening Ceremony
Capital Area Council

Needed -  6 Cubs each with a poster with an appropriate picture on front and his words on the back.  Best if boys draw pictures they like for the words they will read.

CM          Introduce this ceremony by reminding each Scout that trees provide us with many useful things.  Point out that trees can be useful, but also that they should be cherished and protected for their natural beauty and shade.

• "What do I see when I see a tree?
  Oranges and apples and peaches to eat."
• What do I see when I see a tree?
  A pinewood derby car made by Dad and me."
• What do I see when I see a tree?
  The paper for books in the library?"
• What do I see when I see a tree?
  The walls of the home of my family."
• What do I see when I see a tree?
  The hull of Pilgrim ships sailing across the sea."
• What do I see when I see a tree?
  The staff of our flag, that flies so free."

CM:         "In honor of our flag that flies so free, would you please join us in the Pledge of Allegiance."

Cub Scout Trees
Sam Houston Area Council

Set Up: 7 cubs with letters printed on the front of cardboard cutouts and their words on the back in LARGE print.  The repeat the following in turn)

Cubmaster: As a tree grows, it gets larger and stronger, adding rings to its base each year. So do Cub Scouts.

Asst CM   With each activity the Cub scouts grow in character and become stronger citizens. They learn to serve family, God and country. Their branches will spread and touch many lives. The things they learn will help them to help themselves and others too.

• C - Cub Scouts, of course! And we are - .
• U – United in having fun.
• B – Being the best we can be.
• T – Training to be Boy Scouts.
• R – Ready to learn, ready to play, ready to help others.
• E - Is for the Extra effort it takes to go faster and do more than an ordinary person. A Cub Scout is not an ordinary person. He is a Scout!
• E - Is for Earning our Ranks until we obtain the Arrow of Light. We want to be the best and in Cub Scouts The Arrow of Light is the best!!

Cubmaster: May each of the boys here become a strong, useful, and fun “Cubtree”.

Tree Uses Ceremony
Capital Area Council

Preparation:

8 Cubs each with a poster with a picture of one of the following trees or if you are really lucky and have these trees in your back yard; carefully cut a small twig from each one (enough so you can tell there are different kinds of trees). 

Sugar Maple,                            White Ash

Red Cedar                         Long Leaf Pine

Douglas Fir                                    Aspen

White Birch

And cards with their words in LARGE print (or if using posters – on the back of the posters)

• This is a Sugar Maple; it gives us maple syrup.
• This tree is a White Ash, it is used to make baseball bats.
• You get pencils from this tree, it is a Red Cedar.
• Turpentine is a product from the Long Leaf Pine.
• The most important lumber is the Douglas Fir.
• Spools are made from this White Birch.
• This is an Aspen tree, it is used to make matches.  Don't use matches near it or other trees, you need to protect the trees in our forests.  We need to learn conservation of all our natural resources.
• Let's pledge allegiance to our great country and all its natural resources.

N-A-T-U-R-E, Take 1
Capital Area Council

Materials: 6 Cub Scouts 6 pieces of paper with the letters spelling NATURE printed in them.  Each Cub Scout holds up his letter and reads his lines (glue to back of letter card).  You can have the boys prepare these cards with pictures or fancy lettering.

• N- Stands for your NAME; be proud of it. As you advance from Bobcat to Arrow of Light, you will add new honors to your name. Everything you do affects your good name and your family.
• A is for ATTITUDE. Attitude affects your spirit. Cub Scouts know that, just as sunshine is essential for life, being cheerful and playing fair help a den grow and make scouting fun.
• T- Is for TASK. Each Cub Scout works hard at each job.
• U- Is for USEFULNESS. Your place in life depends on learning a lot and then using what you learn.
• R- Means you're READY. Just as squirrels gather food for the future, so Cub Scouts work hard and advance getting ready to be Boy Scouts.
• E- Stands for ENERGY. As the bee is always busy, Cub Scouts keep active giving goodwill.

ALL        NATURE - God's way of telling us He cares. Let us always be grateful for His gifts and His guidance.

Leave No Trace
Grand Teton Area Council

Needed -  5 Cubs each with a poster with an appropriate picture on front and his words on the back.  Best if boys draw pictures they like for the words they will read.

• Our outdoor resources are wonderful and can provide hours of fun and enjoyment to all of us.
• But, they will only stay that way if we all do our part to help.
• In Cub Scouts we learn about the Leave No Trace front county guidelines. They are important guidelines and should be used by everyone.
• We encourage you to learn them as a family and know them for yourself.  Remember that to have what there is, we must leave what we find.
• May we respect our country also tonight as we respect our flag. Please join us in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Outdoor Code
Grand Teton Area Council

Materials - Have handouts with printed Outdoor Code on it for everyone. Or include it on the back cover of your program for the Pack MeetingShow

CA:     Let us all join in reciting the Outdoor Code.  You can find it ….

The Outdoor Code

As an American I will do my best

To be clean in my outdoor manners,
To be careful with fire
To be considerate in the outdoors and
To be conservation minded.

CM:      As stated in the Boy Scout Handbook "Let no one say, and Say it to your shame, That all was beauty here until you came"

CA       Let us all be respectful of the outdoors to be sure it will be preserved for years to come for future scouts like us.

N-A-T-U-R-E, Take 2
Grand Teton Area Council

The boys should prepare for the Opening Ceremony during one of their den meetings, preparing the props and practicing what they're going to say.

For the props, have the boys draw each letter on a separate piece of paper/cardboard (big enough to be seen everywhere in the Pack Meeting area) and cut out or draw pictures that relate to what they're going to say.

• "N" is for Nighttime
  When many animals come out,
  Like the owl and the bat,
  The possum with its snout.
• "A" is for Always,
  When there are special things to see.
  You can find big ones and small ones,
  An elephant or bee.
• "T" is for Time
  We should take all we can.
  To stop and appreciate
  The beauty of the land.
• "U" is for Unbelievable
  What the Creator has given us
  So we should stop to smell flowers
  Not in a hurry or a fuss.
• "R" is for Remember,
  Where this beauty comes from.
  And remember to be thankful
  For each rising sun.
• "E" is for Everyone,
  Yes, all should see take part
  For Nature is from God
  And it comes from the heart.

Plant A Tree Opening
Grand Teton Area Council

Take your pack meeting outdoors this month to the lawn area of your chartered organization or to a neighborhood park.

If you made use of a live, container grown tree at your December Pack Meeting or you can get a live tree (I can’t get used to Southern California.  Today I was in a warehouse store and they were selling potted palm trees for people’s yards.  Wow! CD), this month for this theme would be an appropriate time to plant it.

Obtain permission and special instructions as to where it should be planted prior to the meeting.

As an opening, have all members of the pack each take turns in turning one spade of dirt.

While the hole is being dug, the Cubmaster can speak of the tree as a lasting legacy of the pack's love of nature and of our country.

If you do this opening, or you plant a tree during your Pack Show, there is an advancement and a closing ceremony that completes the process.  Be sure to check it out.  CD

Trees
Grand Teton Area Council

Personnel: Five Cub Scouts

Equipment: Each boy holding a poster with sheets with one letter from the word TREES and an appropriate picture on front and his words on back in LARGE print

Setting: Boys lined up in front of audience.

• T-T stands for Time, they grow on and on.
• R-R stands for Reaching, reaching arms to protect us and guide us.
• E-E stands for Each, each one is unique and special.
• E-E also stands for Everywhere, we can find them all around us, in many lands, in many forms.
• S-S stands for Special, they are special and should be respected.

ALL        TREES- They are much like us. We are each unique and constantly growing. May we all grow strong with long reaching branches as we give each other the respect and gratitude we all deserve.

Summer Is Beginning
Utah National Parks Council

• Another summer is starting
  And we'd like to talk to you.
  And tell you what our purpose is,
  And what we hope to do.
• Pack ___ is a group of Cub Scouts
  It helps us grow up strong.
  And teaches us to do what's right
  And fight against what's wrong.
• It shows us how much we can do,
  If we work as a team;
  Then we'll have fun and jobs won't be
  As hard as they first seem.
• We'll go on hikes and field trips,
  To learn of nature's wonders,
  So we'll respect her when we're grown
  And not make any blunders.
• And we'll be shown in many ways
  That each man is our brother;
  And we will see the joy there is
  In helping one another.
• We'll learn to be good citizens
  And, hopefully, we'll see
  That laws are made for all the men
  So each man can be free.

ALL:       To Do all this, the Pack needs
Good leaders and Parents too,
That means we need the help of all
Of you -- and You -- and YOU!!

Our Nation's Flag
Grand Teton Area Council

• Our Nation's Flag shines bold and bright
• Through winter snows or starry nights.
• It stands for truth, it stands for right,
• May we do our best to help the fight.
• Our Nation's Flag means more than stripes
• It shares its strength from death and life.
• May we all learn to honor and respect our Nation's Flag
• And remember those who gave their lives for our freedoms.
• Please join us in the Pledge of Allegiance.