BALOO'S THOUGHTS

It's party time. Yes, time to celebrate not only Scouting's birthday, but also a time to celebrate being Scouts with your Blue and Gold Banquet. The theme I am covering for this is Baloo and Gold. Hopefully, the ideas you get from Baloo's Bugle will help you plan your banquet so it will leave a lasting memory for your Cubs and their families.

A Blue and Gold planning guide can be found in the "Cub Scout Leader Handbook", pages 7-21and 7-22.

Know some tips for planning your banquet.

I imagine when Baloo isn't here in our den inspiring me to work on each Bugle, he is back in his home the jungle guiding and helping Mowgli. So my inspiration for this banquet is Baloo and his home in the jungle.

There is nothing like planning a special feel for your Blue and Gold. Make invitations to build excitement for the banquet and the theme. Use ideas from your Cubs on creating and making these invitations. Ask guests to bring their favorite stuffed animal for your jungle theme.

Make safari hats to wear. Use a large (8 oz. Container) make a cardboard brim to fit and spray with army green or brown paint.) Go to a fabric or camping or Army surplus store and buy mosquito netting and camouflage fabric. Drape these on the walls and ceiling and attach large leaves-large tropical-type leaves. See if you can borrow lots of artificial big plants to give a jungle feeling. During a den meeting the Cubs can work on making some trees from newspaper. Get two double page newspaper sheets together overlapping around 5 inches. Roll into a tube starting at the narrow end. Flatten half the tube and tear half way down. Flatten the torn strips and tear again half way down. Press down toward the center and find the opening. Put two fingers inside and pull out the strips to make your tree. Spray paint it. Place a tent in the room. Add a few bananas and coconuts around the room. Have the Cubs make butterfly nets. Don't forget sound: jungle music, Tarzan call etc.