Blue and Gold Ceremonies are a yearly Cub Scout event and, historically speaking, they stink. Don't get me wrong, it is GREAT to acknowledge these boys and their accomplishments throughout the year, BUT the format has always been really lame and most people (even the BOYS) are bored and feel like they've wasted 2.5 hours of their time. 40% of the time is taken by adults speaking, 50% of the time is spent getting food from the banquet line that nobody enjoys, and 10% of the time is spent watching boys get awards. Boo. So Josh and I had been discussing this somewhat lacking format and he decided to propose that the pack change it up this year and they did!
They treated it more like a banquet; assigning a theme (Under the Sea), setting a cohesive menu and assigning each of the boys a dish to bring (seafood and sides), and requesting that each of the boys participate in a skit to be performed during the night. They changed awards formatting, too, each boy decorated a picture and their awards were attached to that and given out to each den at one time. The leader would list a couple of impressive accomplishments, but did not spent an hour listing each little belt loop or patch they earned. Instead of doing the meal buffet-style, each boy served his table of guests. All in all, it was a HUGE improvement!! If your pack is finding Blue and Gold to be somewhat lackluster, I really recommend revamping it. I think both the guests and the boys enjoyed it a lot more this year!
My boys worked SO hard on the table decorations and we DEFINITELY had the best looking table there! They were both so secretive about their prep work and wouldn't tell us what they were doing since KayTar and I would be guests. The skits were cute, but we were in a gym and those guys do not know how to project (unless they are supposed to be being quiet, then they know how to get loud! LOL!) so we didn't always hear the dialogue. People still politely laughed and applauded, though, and KayTar would turn around and look at me and say, "Why are they laughing? I do NOT know why that is funny!!" Always honest, that one. Nathan had an idea for a Spongebob cake for the cake auction which they decided to execute as a inside out Boston Cream Pie; yellow cake, chocolate icing, pudding as the outer coat. Other ingredients: black licorice, marshmallow fluff, Nilla Wafers, M&Ms, Nutty Bars, Oreos, and Twizzlers Pull-N-Peel. It came out pretty well, I think! :)
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| BubTar's Spongebob cake |
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| Our table's centerpiece |
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| Paper towel roll sea creature |
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| Inside the fish tank |
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| Refueling the submarine |
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| BubTar's treasure chest |
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| BubTar and his Aunt A watching the submarine. |
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| More submarine watching |
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| Treasure box and toilet paper roll sea creatures |
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| She picked this shirt because of Cinderella's gold hair and blue dress. |
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| Mmm, cake! |
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| You guessed it...submarine watching! That Dollar Store sub was well worth it! |
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| My silly dad. |
3 comments:
You rock for encouraging the change-up with the ceremony! I love the under-the-sea theme and the abbreviated speeches - I'm sure many parents were thankful for the changes.
We're thinking about cub scouts next year - Matt will be in first grade so he's eligible for next year!
Josh gets dad of the year for this one! What great ideas to make it better for everyone. Your boys did an awesome job!
Sounds like everyone had a good time! The Spongebob Cake and under the sea theme were great!
As always, LOVE your pics!
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