How many Packs award ranks at BnG?

[msnowman]

When we first joined the Pack (Goodness was it really 5 years ago?) the tradition was the hold rank until bridging over in JUNE of all things. All the hard work that was done in the meantime was only recognized with progress toward rank beads, etc. A boy who earned his Wolf badge early still couldn't have it until June. That was my Scout, earned Bobcat in November and Wolf by February and only was given Bobcat at B&G. When I was asked to be CM during his Bear year the first change I made was when rank was handed it. I am a firm believer in giving it out when it is earned. So for the two Bears we set the goal of B&G. My Scout was still ready by the end of November but asked me if I'd wait so he could get it with his friend. OKay, I had no problem with that since it was his request, not a "Committee choice". B&G that first year saw rank go to the Bears and the Webelos. The Wolves were ready by April and got their badges then.

 

This has been the way things have gone every since, with the exception of AoL. We are small so we like to do things big for them. They like to be the center of attention and to earn ALL of their pins so they set their goal as mid March to finish up and move on to Boy Scouts. This year our Tigers weren't ready til March, but they got their badges when they were earned.

[CubsRgr8]

Our pack follows ranks as earned, which I fully support. Two years ago we separated B&G and crossover. B&G is a big dinner party in February with entertainment and crossover is in March. This allows the W2s to be the primary focus of the pack meeting. May is then an outdoor picnic followed by a campfire and graduation as the boys move up to the next level. Keeps them interested after spring FINALLY arrives and sports rev up.

[Eagle309]

Our pack has always awarded ranks as earned. The boys are always so proud of their accomplishments, it would be wrong not to recognize them ASAP.

Before I was CM, the exception to this was the BnG in which just Webelos II got their AOL and crossed over. This left some boys who had just completed their rank on Jan disappointed that they had to wait an extra month to be recognized. When I took the CM job, I insisted that if time were a factor, we would need to cut something else, if the boys earned their ranks, they would recieve them at the monthly pack meeting with proper ceremony, BnG being no exception. There were no objections and there are now no dissappointed boys either.

[KurtB]

Blue and Gold is a birthday party for the Cub Scout program, complete with cake, clowns, and pony rides (actually no pony rides, but some other form of entertainment is a must).

 

Ranks are awarded as they are earned.

 

We do crossover and AOL ceremonies, at B&G if the cubs are ready. Because this is a "goal" for the scouts and the W2 den - we have very few that are not ready. This past year, we did have one boy that was not able to complete the AOL work by B&G. He elected not to cross over, and to work on the remainder of the AOL requirements. I have not checked with the DL, but the AOL should be awarded at the Pack meeting later this month.

 

Our B&G is atteneded by members of the CO and many of the grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc. of the cubs. Some of those adults that are not directly involved, may not understand the work that is involved with earning rank advancements - the awarding of the parent pins could be used as a gateway to a BRIEF explination of what was learned. May need to look into that further - our Pack does not currently award the parent pins.

 

Kurt

[beasties mom]

Our Pack give the boys their ranks as they earn them. Be it Pack meeting or B&G. All of the leaders have some type of adward for the B&G. In the last 6 years i'm been to the B&G here all boys have earned something.Our AOL is always the main part of our Pack meeting in March.

[Cardinal]

Most of our dens target the B&G to finish their year's rank badge. Bobcat is awarded at the first pack meeting after they start (parents and den leaders prepare the boys).

 

As the den programs are oriented to work with the parents, most of the boys are in step with this. The last two years one of the den leaders has decided to run an integrated program that works on both achievements and electives throughout the year, then awards all at the final meeting.

 

While I remember each cub (and family) being more responsible for his own advancement, I like the program more with the dens focusing on advancement. I think our boys are served better.

 

Also, we don't spend each pack meeting with the same ceremonies for three or four months straight. We try to have family activities at the meetings and also get them over in an hour. Parents have been very receptive to both ideas.

 

 

We have found that having the B&G targeted for advancement works well. It gets the boys going and focused. After Feb they can work on electives, and often by April the den leaders are burned out and the boys are ready for Spring activities (soccer, baseball, etc.) so that scheduling becames very difficult.

 

I do have some problem with the last den that seems to keep their own schedule. It's not that the boys are on their own schedule, but rather the leaders. So no awards were handed out to these boys (and this is a large den) until May 1st.

 

Any idea?

 

 

[CM363]

I think it depends on the size of your pack. I have 130 boys in my pack, we would do nothing but advancement cerimones at every pack meeting if I did immediate recognition on Advancemnts. If you have a smaller pack I think its a great idea to give them that immediate recognition. We have the Den leaders award Belt loop & pins at there den meetings to help with getting that immediate recognigion.

[GopherJudy]

Our pack hands out rank advancements at the B&G because by the middle of February that's when the boys have finished all of their requirements since starting around the middle of September. The only exception is the Bobcat which is awarded at the 1st pack night after it's earned. After the ranks & belt loops & beads, etc. are awarded we usually have our meal. We have it at Sports Plus & they have great banquet rooms! After the meal is the AOL ceremony for the Webelos II's, then we have dessert & then the bridging of the Webelos II's to Boy Scouts. The Webelos II's also receive a gift from the pack, a portable hiking stool for each of the boys & they each receive an AOL Plaque that the CM makes. When the B&G dinner ends the boys are given wristbands for the rides & tokens for the games & they can play til they have to go home! This is paid for by the pack & all of the scouts' dinners are paid for by the pack. The CM makes program booklets, list what's taking place, the boys of each den & their DL's are listed, each den on a separate page & there are congratulatory ads in the book as well!

 

At our monthly pack nights, awards are given out, such as bead, belt loops, pins, Webelos Activity Badges, patches, etc. About the 3rd week in June is when we have Graduation Pack Night & the boys receive what else they've earned & then we have a little ceremony where the boys move up. The Tigers will be called up & their DL will remove their neckerchief & slide & the parents will be handed the Wolf neckerchief & slide & when all the parents have them, they put the new neckerchief on their sons! The same thing for Wolves & Bears. The Webelos I's graduating to WEbelos II's will receive a gift, last year the boys received a mess kit, the year before they received canteens. This is all paid for by the pack. After the all of the boys receive their awards we have a picnic outside, weather permitting or we have several 6 foot heroes & other food for everyone to eat! I think for our pack it works very well like this.

 

Judy

[Scoutndad]

Egads....somebody got a hold of our BnG program and started doing every little award, beltloop, pin, appreciation and advancement they could think of...we normally reserve the BnG as a big recognition of our Webelos II guys but Friday evening went for over 3 1/2 hours - can't go that long with siblings. I am definitely going to suggest a February BnG in '06. I think there is a time and place and finiding the balance will be a primary goal for our Pack.

 

But on the plus side, we had 3 Eagle Scouts and one "almost" Eagle Scout, take care of our Webelos II crossover ceremony and it was fantastic. My Webelos I (now Webelos II) guys are more excited than ever to go on to Boy Scouts (not to mention, getting their AOL).

 

[KurtB]

B&G is the birthday party for Cub Scouting. Why does anybody not do their B&G in February? That is sort of like celebrating my November birthday in June...

 

 

[FScouter]

Maybe the objective is to kill three Cub events at once by combining Blue & Gold, Arrow of Light, and bridging into one long evening.

[Scoutndad]

What was the origin or the original intention of BnG?

[mschwartz]

I've always been told that B&G was the celebration of the birthday of Cub Scouting, and it should be held in February. So that's what we do - cake and all!

 

We just had our May Pack meeting this past Monday. Maybe a half hour awarding rank badges and other awards to Tigers through Webelos I, then we had a great AoL ceremony with the 12 Webelos II (lighting candles and reciting the seven "rays"), then we had a crossover ceremony - each boy and his parents come forward, the boy gives his mom a rose, the parents take off the Webelos neckerchief and slide, then the boy walks up the stairs and across the stage to a group of Boy Scouts from our local troop (this year we had five Scouts and four adult Scouters from the troop). One of the Boy Scouts puts the Boy Scout neckerchief and slide on the Webelos II, everyone applauds, he goes down the stairs at the other side of the stage, and we go on to the next boy.

 

The parents think it's great to make a real ceremony out of it, the rest of the scouts are very impressed as it shows what they have to look forward to, and then we all have more cake. It was great.

 

Oh, we also get a proclamation from the town and citations for each boy from the state representative and senator (who frequently show up for the ceremony to present them in person). All in all, a good show.

[Scoutndad]

What a great idea with the state rep and senator...I will need to keep that in mind for my Webelos crossover and AOL recipients next year...

Thanks

Brian

[Trevorum]

Cub rank advancement is supposed to be based on the school year, with DLs structuring the activities so that all cubs in the den earn their rank at about the same time.

 

Way back when, the Blue and Gold was just a birthday party. Rank advancement for Wolf, Bear, and Lion was larged timed by the DLs to coincide with the B&G and the rest of the year was spent on earning Arrow points. The 10 year old Lions earned their Webelos badge at the end of the school year and then joined a troop. After the Lion rank was dropped, Webelos IIs continued to earned their AoL and cross-over at the end of the school year. But it turned out that all those new Boy Scouts weren't really ready for an entire week of summer camp with their new troop, so the cross-overs were pushed back a couple of months and became mixed up with the B&G. This gave the new Boy Scouts a couple of months of shake-down with their troop, but the B&G was pretty busy. So some packs began separating Cub rank advancement from the B&G by adopting the troop model of advancement in which ranks are awarded immediately and recognized later.

 

As as been pointed out, either model can work well, depending on the size of the pack. However, if DLs do not structure den advancement activities so that all cubs progress together, then no cub should be made to wait for his badge until all are finished.