AUDIENCE PARTICIPATIONS

The New Car
Baltimore Area Council

Tonight I’m going to read a little story about a couple that go shopping for a new car.  But the story is really rather dull.  I’d like you to help me make the story livelier by joining in when I read certain words.  Whenever I say these key words, please follow these instructions; it’ll help the story a lot!

• If you have blue eyes, whenever you hear the word BLUE pat the top of your head.
• If you have brown eyes, whenever you hear the word BROWN pat the top of your head.
• If you hear the word LEFT and you’re left-handed, clap your hands.
• If you’re right-handed, clap when you hear RIGHT.
• If you’re under 20, stomp your feet when you hear the word NEW.
• If you’re over 20, stomp your feet when you hear the word OLD.
• If you’re a male, stand up when you hear MAN.
• If you’re a female, stand up when you hear WOMAN.

At this point the Narrator should practice with the audience, calling out the cue words having them respond with the appropriate action. The Narrator begins the story slowly and picks up speed Narrator pauses after each key word.

One day a MAN and a WOMAN went looking for a NEW car. Their OLD one, which was a muddy BROWN was not running well. It LEFT much to be desired in the way of speed and safety, and they wanted another one RIGHT away. They wanted a bright BLUE one.

As they walked into the dealership, the WOMAN noticed a BLUE sports car on the showroom floor. “Darling” she said, “Look at that lovely NEW car RIGHT over there. Wouldn’t it be perfect for us?’

“You may be RIGHT. It’s a lot better looking than our OLD BROWN buggy. Unfortunately there’s one problem. I’ve LEFT all my money at home,” said the MAN.

“You LEFT it at home?” asked the WOMAN.

“Yes, it’s RIGHT in the pocket of my NEW BROWN suit.” said the MAN.

“Your NEW BROWN suit? Why I took that suit to the cleaners just this morning and I didn’t notice any money in any of the pockets,” said the WOMAN.

“But I’m certain I LEFT my money in the inside RIGHT pocket of my NEW BROWN suit,” the MAN said as he scratched his head in wonder.

“Now wait a minute. Are you saying I’m not RIGHT? Are you saying I’m lying about this? MAN, oh MAN, oh MAN! You have a lot of nerve!” shrieked the WOMAN.

“Let’s not argue. We’re here to look at cars, and that BLUE one in the corner is a RIGHT nice model. And just think, if we buy the NEW BLUE car, we’ll never have to worry about our OLD BROWN one again!”

After looking at the price of the NEW BLUE-car, and figuring out what they could get as a trade on their OLD BROWN one, the MAN and the WOMAN decide buying a NEW car would be the RIGHT move for them. But before they LEFT the dealer, they started questioning their decision. Would they be better off with their OLD BROWN car if the NEW BLUE one didn’t run RIGHT? Or what about a NEW BROWN one? How long before they thought of the NEW car as and OLD car?  and would they ever feel BLUE about trading in their BROWN auto? BLUE or BROWN, OLD or NEW, what was RIGHT and which car did they want to be LEFT with?

The MAN and the WOMAN were so confused that they decided to sell their car and buy themselves bicycles. And that’s just what they did. And they knew it was RIGHT...LEFT...RIGHT... LEFT (The narrator continues alternating between right and left until the audience realizes they are applauding the end of the story.)

A Very Special Birthday Party
Longhorn Council

Divide audience into four groups to respond with the following:

DEN MOTHER           “Oh Boy”
CUB DEN 1                “On Boy, Oh Boy”
BIRTHDAY CAKE      sing “Happy Birthday to you”
BIRTHDAY PARTY    “Yippee”

This is a story of a DEN MOTHER, CUB DEN 1 and a BIRTHDAY CAKE. One Thursday afternoon, as CUB DEN 1 was meeting at the home of their DEN MOTHER, Mrs. Reid, the boys overheard her on the phone, saying “it will be a very special BIRTHDAY PARTY”, BIRTHDAY PARTY? they said to each other. Whose BIRTHDAY PARTY is ii? Each asked the other...Not mine, said Jimmy. Nor mine, said Johnny. Or mine, said Billy. Maybe, said Mike and Ike, it’s Mrs. Reid’s, our DEN MOTHER!

Yeah, they chorused. I know, said Jimmy. Why don’t we give her a BIRTHDAY PARTY. That’s a neat idea, said Johnny. Let’s have a BIRTHDAY CAKE, said Mike and Ike. Swell, they all said. So each went home and made special plans for the next den meeting and the special BIRTHDAY PARTY for their DEN MOTHER.

Den Meeting day dawned bright and sunny. At 3:30 all five boys arrived at the DEN MOTHER’S house. Mike and Ike brought a BIRTHDAY CAKE. Jimmy brought paper hats.  Johnny brought balloons and Billy brought ice cream for the BIRTHDAY PARTY. As they trooped in the door, they all yelled Surprise... 111 We’re having a BIRTHDAY PARTY. Mrs. Reid, their DEN MOTHER looked shocked. My BIRTHDAY PARTY? Why it’s not my birthday.

But we heard you talking about a special BIRTHDAY PARTY on the phone last week, said Jimmy. Oh, said their DEN MOTHER, and smiled. It’s Cub Scouting’s birthday, she said. Cub Scouting is 65 years old, this month. But I think this is a wonderful idea. We’ll just celebrate a little early.

And so they did. And that is how CUB DEN 1 and their DEN MOTHER had a very special BIRTHDAY PARTY!!