CoH meals/snacks?

[KenD500]

Currently after the CoH ceremony, we have snacks - fruit, cheese, crackers, etc.  It has been suggested to make this into a supper with each patrol or family bring a dish.  It has also been suggested to keep it at light snacks.  There's pros/cons to both.

 

Does your Troop have food after your CoH?  Light snacks?  Full meals?  Something else?  Who provides the food?

[Stosh]

Depends on what the boys decide and bring. Usually it is nothing, but if they bring something, it's usually cheap cookies and Koolaid.

Edited February 2, 2016 by Stosh

[qwazse]

For our routine CoH's (typically on a meeting night at the meeting location with a total of 1 hour): Cookies and soda pop. Sometimes ice cream.

 

Now, for Eagle CoH's: more heavy-duty snacks to full-blown sit-down meals (usually provided by the boy's family) ... depending on how much folks sync it up with graduation parties.

 

I like the "patrol progressive dinner" idea in general. But, I would rather something like that happen out doors where the boys could show some scouting skills: setting up a cooking fire, a tarp for the eating area, dutch-oven desert.

[blw2]

I'm new to my troop, so I don't know the history of why we do

but what they did for my first meeting after my son and I joined is a potluck

They set up a potluck dinner 30 minutes before the start of the ceremony

It was mostly what I would call heavy horderves

 

My impression, this is one of those adult-run things we do since the adults seemed to be doing most all of it.  It had all the markings of adult anyway....

I'm keeping my mouth shut for now, in the spirit of cooperation, but I'm trying to come up with a way to "hint" that the boys should be deciding if they want it, and heading up the whole thing.

[CalicoPenn]

How many COH's are we talking about?

 

We tried having them quarterly but the Scouts thought it was too much so it was dropped to a "formal" COH two-times per year - one in September and one in May.  We don't wait to award badges until COH's - they are presented to the Scouts at a Troop meeting at the next possible meeting since earning the badge.  COH's are about acknowledging progress, not rewarding it.  The Scouts decide if there will be snacks at COH's and what they'll be but they tend to follow traditions that were set years ago.  Our May COH is held outdoors with a campfire (even if it is in one of those campfire bowls you can buy at Home Depot) and is usually started with a Patrol demonstrating their dutch oven cobbler making skills, with cobbler served at the end.  Our September COH usually has a 10-15 minute power point slide show of summer camp (and other outings) photos.  Quite a ways back, a Patrol in charge of snacks for the September COH had the idea to hand out individual boxes of popcorn and bottles of lemonade just before the slide show for that "at the movies" experience - and that's been a tradition ever since.

 

Every once in a while, one of the Patrols on dutch-oven "duty" (they actually compete to earn the honor) will mix it up with dump cakes instead of cobbler - one Patrol did pineapple-apple upside down cake which was a big hit.

 

Leave it to the Scouts to decide if they want to do it, and then what they want to serve - this is a great opportunity to assign the snack duty to a Patrol if the PLC decides that snacks are the way to go.

[NJCubScouter]

For periodic (i.e. non-Eagle) COH's our troop has snacks and desserts after the ceremony. There are signups for the Scouts before the event to make sure we have the basics covered (i.e. chips, pretzels and drinks) and then a number of the families make some kind of dessert. Some things have become kind of traditional, like Mr. A always makes his rice pudding, Mrs. B bakes cookies, etc. We had a Scout whose parents are from the Middle East and the mother always made baklava, which I had never had before, which was wonderful.

 

For Eagle COH's it is up to the Scout/family. Usually it is actual food. The troop buys a big cake with an Eagle on it, and there is coffee, which we don't usually have at the regular COH's.

 

Added Note: Now that I think about it, for the last couple of regular COH's it has been emphasized to the boys that if their parent is going to make cookies or whatever, they should at least be helping and learning how to do it themselves in the future.

Edited February 2, 2016 by NJCubScouter

[NJCubScouter]

We tried having them quarterly but the Scouts thought it was too much so it was dropped to a "formal" COH two-times per year - one in September and one in May.  We don't wait to award badges until COH's - they are presented to the Scouts at a Troop meeting at the next possible meeting since earning the badge.

We do the same thing, one COH in the spring and one in the fall, with rank badges (but not MB's) handed out as soon as they are earned. The fall COH is mainly for advancements and MB's earned at summer camp, and is usually in late September or early October to allow for BOR's. I personally would like to see three a year, so we are closer to what the BSA recommends, but I run into "We've always done it this way."

[Eagledad]

We do different ideas at different times. The scouts try to make it interesting. Sometimes we try a family night kind of flavor. One night they did bingo and had a great time. Yes, a bit of a long night, but the scouts wanted to try it. Different can be good, give it try and see how it turns out. 

 

Barry

Edited February 2, 2016 by Eagledad

[eagle90]

At regular COH's we have cookies, cupcakes, sheet cakes, veggies and dips, crackers, soda and coffee.   At Eagle COH's the troop supplies a decorated cake and punch and the families supply anything else.  We have had full meals to cookies.

 

Dale

[scoutldr]

Toward the end of my unit scouting career, we would have potlucks with our COH (usually quarterly). The parents seemed to enjoy socializing. There was not a whole lot of planning involved...hence the term "potluck". We usually had a good selection...sometimes KFC, Pizza Hut and sides. Make sure you assign a patrol for cleanup.

[Krampus]

Up to the Scouts coordinating it. Have had cakes, desserts, snacks, etc. Grab and dash fare.

[SSScout]

Usual thing with home Troop is cookies and punch/soda.   Scouts plan and see to it, so it is the easy way out.  Communication Merit Badge and all that.  

I have suggested that some of the Cooking MB candidates get together and organize a cook out . CO has a big enough parking lot, it could be done.  

Depends on the grandeur desired of the CoH , I guess.

[fred johnson]

Pot luck full meal before awards.  Our troop COHs are always a calendar highlight.  Celebrating achievements.  Listening and laughing as the scouts tell stories.  ... who left who's tent unzipped in a down pour; who forgot to buy food for Sunday breakfast, etc.  

 

Oct/Nov COH - Pot luck full meal

Feb COH - Pot luck full meal

May COH - Pot luck full meal ... twist ... Troop buys the meat.  Usually grilling burgers and hot dogs.  Sometimes slopulled pork and other.

Aug COH - Everyone brings their own food.

 

Eagle COH - Fully up to the family ... BUT ... we don't have many anymore.  Most Eagle ranks are now awarded at the end of a normal COH.  We like it this way as all the troop is there.  I've seen too many Eagle COH's where there are three or four scouts from the troop there and that's it.  

 

If Eagle is presented at normal COH, the Eagle family kicks in extra food to cover the extra guests at the COH.  Longer COH, but scouts are happy because the food is better.

 

The nice thing is the meals are always dynamic.  Sometimes you get lots of noodles.  Sometimes lots of salad.  Sometimes lean.  Sometimes way too much.  It really depends on the PLC planning, the scouts and how they coordinate with their family.  ... 

 

There is something about sharing a meal that brings people together.

Edited February 3, 2016 by fred johnson

[Mom2a]

Quarterly CoH the scouts bring snacks ....chips, lots of cookies, soda, (cheese and crackers and veggie trays occasionally). Eagle CoH is a separate event. Food provided by the family of the Eagle. I have been to one with heavy snacks and cake, a couple full blown wedding reception type meals and one where the parents provided the main course and had friends bring specific side dishes.

[RememberSchiff]

We are re-evaluating. We have found a COH without food works as well maybe better. Less school night stress, just show up for ceremony with no mess to clean up. Maybe this year, two of our COH's will have pot-luck and two no food. 

 

YMMV

Edited February 5, 2016 by RememberSchiff