How to incorporate the cheers/applauses?

[Shutterbug]

This may be a silly question, but I cannot for the life of me figure out how to incorporate the cheers/applauses into a den/pack meeting. These fun little devices are all over the Leader How-To Guide, meeting plans, and Internet resources, but I haven't found a good explanation for how to work this into a meeting. I've seen them used at District Roundtables, but it seems very awkward and the roundtable leaders tend to gloss over them---they do one just once during a meeting and move on quickly. I love the Cheer detergent box they use---everyone screams when it's opened---but the cheers themselves are super lame and awkward. It's more fun to pull them out of the box. Is that the thing? Our pack doesn't use cheers currently, but I was just elected to be the new Cubmaster and I'd love to incorporate them because it seems like a fun part of the scouting program.

[AKdenldr]

We started the cheer box with our pack after we had been around a while and it is the sort of thing that tends to catch fire once the cubs know how it works. And yes, pulling one out of the box and doing it is a thing. As Cubmaster you could really salt the box with the best ones, the ones the boys know, or the ones that fit what is going on. Go ahead and be a Ham, or have an assistant do the cheers while you are being MC. "I think it might be time for a cheer".....

[Shutterbug]

So do you just sprinkle them throughout the meeting, pulling a new one out each time? Or do you pull one at the beginning and teach it, then use it for the rest of the night when the kids should cheer for something? I think our roundtable commissioners do it after the leader recognition awards (so, in a pack meeting, it would correlate to the recognition section of the meeting). But that's the only time they pull one.

[daveywow]

So do you just sprinkle them throughout the meeting, pulling a new one out each time? Or do you pull one at the beginning and teach it, then use it for the rest of the night when the kids should cheer for something? I think our roundtable commissioners do it after the leader recognition awards (so, in a pack meeting, it would correlate to the recognition section of the meeting). But that's the only time they pull one.

I sprinkle them through the meeting. We use them to welcome visitors, to congratulate the dens after presentations, thank parents for coming, whatever. The boys need to make noise and move around. This gives them several opportunities to do so without disrupting the meeting. We don't need them as much when there are activities going on.

 

When I first started doing them, the boys kind of looked at me funny, but now they've bought in and expect it.

[Fehler]

I use the Den Cheer as the closing ceremony for our Den Meetings. Our Pack Meetings start with a flag ceremony, promise, and law, and then goes to the "Den Role Call" where the Cubmaster asks if a certain den is here, and they respond with their cheer. And right before the closing flags, we do our "Pack Cheer" (which was Cubmaster shouting "Who's great?", and the boys screaming "Pack 38!", repeated 3 times getting louder.) Not much call for cheers/applause during the meetings themselves, unless we have a speaker/presentation, or when a Den does a skit.

[dedkad]

I use the Den Cheer as the closing ceremony for our Den Meetings. Our Pack Meetings start with a flag ceremony, promise, and law, and then goes to the "Den Role Call" where the Cubmaster asks if a certain den is here, and they respond with their cheer. And right before the closing flags, we do our "Pack Cheer" (which was Cubmaster shouting "Who's great?", and the boys screaming "Pack 38!", repeated 3 times getting louder.) Not much call for cheers/applause during the meetings themselves, unless we have a speaker/presentation, or when a Den does a skit.

This sounds fun. We tried den cheers this year for the first time. The boys did it at the first pack meeting, but didn't seem to be too thrilled to do it after that. I like your idea of doing the role call. That encourages them to want to speak up and yell.

[SSScout]

KiSMiF... You do the cheer to show appreciation or honor (applause), or to please someone (just because I said to), or just to have fun or to compete . "Let's give'm a BIG HAND (hold your open hand over your head), Let's give'm a round of applause (clap in a circle) . DIvide the crowd into three sections (make chopping noises): Assign each section one word: "DO" "YOUR" "BEST".... Conduct the band by pointing at them: DO-YOUR-BEST, BEST-BEST-DO-YOUR, etc. "Let'em hear ya in the County Seat!!" . Rocket Cheer (sssssss- BOOM!!!)

 

If YOU enjoy it, THEY will enjoy it. But you have to enjoy it!