Elements
of a Successful
Blue & Gold
Banquet for Pack 697
Blue
& Gold is the traditional ceremony and dinner for scouts and their families
to celebrate the birth of Cub Scouting in February. Cub Scouting celebrated its 75th Anniversary in 2005. It is also a time to honor the graduating
Webelos-II scouts and acknowledge the accomplishments of their entire Cub
Scouting career.
While
there are many ways to present the Blue & Gold banquet and related
ceremonies, Pack 697 generally includes these events in approximately this
order:
Awards:
There may be other significant awards or
achievements earned by the scouts, leaders, and/or parents/volunteers that are
acknowledged during the Blue & Gold:
Arrow of Light ceremony: The Webelos-II scouts have earned all the
requirements toward their Arrow of Light badge and will receive it during the
Blue & Gold. A special ceremony to
highlight the significance of earning the highest award in Cub Scouting is
planned for this event. Generally, the
ceremony includes a segment where the parents pin on the Arrow of Light badge
to the boys’ shirt and the parents present their son’s with the Arrow of Light
plaque they made for their scout as a keepsake that displays the achievements
earned during his entire Cub Scouting career.
Many ceremony variations and examples are available on the Internet.
Fellers’ Cake Bake and Auction: This is a traditional Cub Scout activity for
the scout and his father or adult partner to bake a cake together. The cakes are decorated in Cub Scout themes
such as camping, Pinewood Derby, the Blue & Gold theme, or just about
anything. Cakes should only be
decorated with ‘edible’ items (no toys) and even includes vegetables like using
broccoli for trees. Cakes are brought
to the Blue & Gold to be auctioned as a fundraiser to help the Pack
continue to offer fun activities for the scouts and their families. The Cub Master interviews each scout about
his cake. All scouts entering a cake
receive a trophy and a certificate with best of some category as identified by
the Boy Scouts in attendance. Usually
the scout’s own families purchase the cake.
Receipts are issued as this is a tax-deductible fundraiser.
Bridging to Boy Scouts: The final ceremony of the Blue & Gold is
the graduation of the Webelos-II scouts to their chosen Boy Scout Troop. Often candles are included as a ceremonial
‘lighting-the-way’ symbolism. Many
ceremony examples are available on the Internet. Generally, the parents of each scout are asked to come on stage
with their son to remove the neckerchief and blue shoulder loops to signify he
is ready to bridge (graduate) to Boy Scouts.
The scout then steps onto the Pack’s ‘bridge’ and salutes while a
summary of his earnings during his entire Cub Scout career are listed. The Troop he has chosen to bridge to receive
him on the other side and puts on their Troop’s neckerchief*, red shoulders
loops, and give him the Boy Scout book*.
*Parents of the Webelos-II den are responsible to purchase these items
in advance for this part of the ceremony.
Baskets fundraiser:
Each den solicits local businesses to donate items for a themed basket
of fun things to be raffled during the Blue & Gold. Tickets are sold for $0.50 each, or
12 tickets for $5, or 25 tickets for $10.
All proceeds go to the Pack as a fundraiser to help the Pack continue to
offer fun activities for the scouts and their families. Suggestion - Consider drawing the
tickets during the dinner and winners must be present to claim their basket as
an incentive to encourage the Pack families to stay for the entire event.
Dinner:
Traditionally, the Blue & Gold banquet is a potluck dinner for
scouts and their families to celebrate the birth of Cub Scouting, and
fellowship between the graduating scouts, their families, and the Pack. Pack 697 has often opted to cater this
event. Suggestions - Consider
the budget and cost per plate when deciding on the appropriate menu. Dinner at the end of the event gives time
for the caterer to prepare the food during the ceremonies and gives scouts and
families a time to relax and enjoy each other’s company after the event. Sometimes if dinner is scheduled for the
opening activity, it becomes too rushed to try to set up all the staging and
eat dinner too.
Tips & Suggestions:
This is a suggested order of events. Parents planning this event may choose to organize the schedule in any order and select ceremonies that best showcase the scouts’ accomplishments and bridging. Keep in mind it will take approximately 1½ hours to set up, 2-2½ hours for ceremonies and activities, and 1½ hours for dinner and clean up. Note: Often the February Pack meeting is skipped in favor of the Blue & Gold, so the other awards earned by the Webelos-II scouts during February are not acknowledged.
Preparation:
· Begin preparation for your Blue & Gold during the summer. If you are the Den Leader for the graduating Webelos-II scouts, when the regular den meetings start again in September it is difficult to juggle Blue & Gold preparations with den meetings, visiting Troops, participating in Pack activities, and other personal obligations.
· Enlist parents in your den to assist with some aspect of the Blue & Gold preparations or arrangements, or lead some of the den meetings for you.
· Inform the other Den Leaders of their responsibilities early – by October so they can plan their den meetings accordingly. Give regular reminders and updates to the Den Leaders and Committee members. Communication is the key.
Timing:
· Typically, Blue & Gold is scheduled for the last Saturday in February in place of the February Pack meeting.
·
February is a short month with many
‘holidays’ and other activities:
o Promotion of Blue & Gold to the Pack must start by January; promotion to the Den Leaders/Committee Members by October.
o Collect all dinner fees by mid-February (no ticket sales at the door for an accurate headcount in advance).
o Den Leaders should coordinate their den activities for February in preparation for Blue & Gold such as table decorations or other displays.
Revised: 3/24/05