Blue-n-Gold without a theme?

[gcan]

Two of us are not that 'into' doing a theme for the b-n-g. Leader 3 is totally gung-ho about it.

Now, we have 10 boys crossing over into 2 troops, and will hopefully all be getting the AOL. 10 boys x 5 minutes each doesn't give us much extra time for extra stuff, what with dinner and all the other dens moving up too.

 

Would it be totally out of the ordinary to NOT have a theme?

[scottteng]

Why is Blue and gold banquet mixing with the crossover ceremony? Round here the troops cooperate in putting on the ceremony for the crossovers complete with bonfire and "flaming" arrows. All of the cub scouts do their Blue and Gold earlier in the year typically with a theme as it makes decorating and food choices easier. The theme is to make the choices easier not to complicate things. One I remember is Fiesta everyone brought a mexican oriented covered dish and we had a pinata and a clown sombrero's for centerpieces. Council usually makes you hold an FOS presentation as well.

[SctDad]

I would say that when it comes to the Blue and Gold, If all else fails just remember what it is for.

 

To celebrate the Birthday of Cub Scouting. You could always use a birthday party theme.

 

THat is my thought.

[shortridge]

Sounds like your core issue here is going to be time management, whether or not you have a theme. The theme is almost incidental. By your estimate, the crossover will take almost an hour, meaning the bulk of the pack will be largely bored for that time. That's a really long time for a Wolf to sit still and quiet.

 

But it shouldn't take five minutes to cross each Webelos over. Combine it with the AOL presentations, cut out any self-serving stupid speeches by the CM or SMs, make sure the Scouts and leaders of the incoming troops are well-organized (practiced at quickly swapping out the eps, switching the neckerchief, etc.), and you shouldn't have any problem - or a huge timesink. Get some random Cubs and run through it once or twice beforehand as a rehearsal to get an accurate idea of time.

 

If you want each boy to receive more recognition about his Scouting career - "He joined in XXX, earned his Wolf badge XXX, earned X arrow points, went to summer camp X times, etc" - then publish brief bios and photos in a special edition of the pack newsletter, distributed at the B&G with multiple copies at each table.

[jmwalston]

The packs I work with have an AoL ceremony, but the crossover ceremony is done on a camp-out with the Boy Scouts after the BnG.

[ScoutNut]

I'm not sure why you think that a theme for the evening would add time?

 

If you decorate the tables and the meeting place, why is it harder to do it in a theme than just to put any old stuff together.

 

How does it add significant time to a presentation to use a theme for the ceremony instead of simply a baggie and a handshake?

 

By it's very description, Blue & Gold already has a theme. It is the recognition of birthdays. Of BSA in general (2/8), Cub Scouting in particular (2/10), and also those of Robert Baden-Powell and his wife Olave (2/22).

 

So use a birthday theme if you can't think of anything else. All preparation should be done before the actual meeting. Hit your local $1 Store and get birthday decorations. Wrap up awards as birthday presents. Sing Happy Birthday to BSA.

 

If you are taking an hour to present 10 boys with their AOL and cross them to a Troop you are taking WAY to long. With a fancy OA Indian Ceremony, it took us less than 20 min to present, and cross over, 12 Webelos.

[gcan]

ok, so you all think that it won't take too long to do the crossing over? I've only ever seen it once (last year), and the troop was new so maybe the boys just didn't have that much experience? It could be a disaster if we designate an hour and it only takes 20 mintues!

 

I do like the idea of wrapping up awards as presents. And I REALLY like the idea or putting Bios in the 'program'- how much cooler can THAT get for an 11 year old, lol?

 

 

[shortridge]

The only reasons it would take that much time are if (a) the MC or coordinator was totally unprepared or (b) the MC or coordinator or CM or SMs prattled on unecessarily. The most poorly-done ceremonies I've seen were a result of the latter. Gag and handcuff the adults who love the sound of their own voices, enjoy cracking jokes and retell inside-baseball stories.

 

Think about it from this point of view. What are the crucial elements to a crossover/AOL ceremony? You need to summon the boys and parents on to the stage, line them up in the right order, have a moment of serious reflection (a speaker, a reading, etc.) about what the award means and their accomplishments, perhaps a small, short ritual - candle-lighting or somesuch, read their names so each gets a moment in the sun... and then the Scouts walk over a bridge or across the stage, get their new epaulets and neckerchiefs (if applicable), get a handshake from their new fellow Scouts and SM, and it's over.

 

Five minutes per kid is a LONG time. Do this test: Set a kitchen timer or stopwatch for five minutes. Put it out of sight where you can't see it. Now sit still, not fidgeting, staring ahead of you, until the timer goes off.

 

Bottom line: Make the ceremony meaningful but simple, rehearse it, be willing to cut back on things that don't work or drag on, and it'll be fine.

 

If the troop has special traditions or ceremonies that it wants to use, that's OK. But if they're dragging down the overall schedule, suggest to the SM or SPL that they do them on their own time.