AUDIENCE PARTICIPATIONS
and STORIES

How The Sun, Moon And Stars Got Into The Sky
Grand Canyon Council
San Gabriel Valley, Long Beach & Verdugo Hills Councils

Divide audience into four sections. Assign each a word and a response.  Tell them that when they hear their word in the story they are to give the response.

CHIEF:                          Stand with arms folded across chest and say "Ugh! Ugh!"

SUN:                                        Cover eyes with hands

MOON:                      Frame face with hands and smile

STARS:                                                Blink rapidly

Long, long ago the Indians has no fire and no light.  They suffered much during the cold of winter and they had to eat their food uncooked.  They also had to live in darkness because there was no light.

There was no SUN, no MOON, and no STARS in the sky.  The great CHIEF kept them locked in a box.  He took great pride in the fact that he alone had light.  This great CHIEF has a beautiful daughter of whom he was also proud.  She was much beloved by all the Indians in the tribe.

In those days, the raven had the power of magic.  He was a great friend of the Indians and the Indian CHIEF.  He wondered how he might make life more comfortable for them.

One day he saw the daughter of the CHIEF come down to the brook for a drink.  He had an idea.  He would put a magic spell on her.  In time a son was born to the daughter of the CHIEF.  The old CHIEF was delighted as the boy grew.  His grandfather, the CHIEF became devoted to him.  Anything that he wanted he could have.

One day he asked the CHIEF for the box containing the STARS.  Reluctantly the old CHIEF gave it to him.  The child played for a while by rolling the box around.  Then he released the STARS and flung them into the sky.  The Indians were delighted.  This was some light though not quite enough. 

After a few days, the child asked for the box containing the MOON.  Again the CHIEF hesitated, but finally, the boy got what he had asked for.  Again, after playing a while with the toy, the boy released the MOON and flung it into the sky.  The tribe was overjoyed.  But still there was not enough light and the MOON disappeared for long periods.

Finally, the boy asked for the box with the SUN.  "No," said the old CHIEF, "I cannot give you that."  But the boy wept and pleaded.  The old CHIEF could not stand the tears, so he gave him the box.  As soon as he had a chance, the child released the SUN and cast it up in the sky.

The joy of the Indians knew no bounds.  Here was light enough and heat as well.  They ordered a feast of the SUN and all of the Indians celebrated it with great jubilation.  And the old CHIEF was happy.  He had not known that the SUN and the MOON and the STARS could mean so much for the happiness of his people.  And for the first time, he too, enjoyed himself.

The Fire of the DRAGON:
Sam Houston Area Council

Divide the group into six smaller groups and assign each group one of the words listed below.  Practice the parts as you assign them.

Read the story.  After each of the words is read pause for the group to make the appropriate response.

ORION                             "Char-r-r-ge"

LITTLE DIPPER              “drip - drip"

PEGASUS                          "Nei-i-i-gh"

DRAGON                "Fire & Brimstone"

BIG DIPPER              "DRIP! – DRIP!"

MILKY WAY                        “Moooo”

On a clear night in the winter months, you can look up in the sky and see something happening, if you use your imagination.  We are going to do just that tonight.  Pay attention now, so you won't miss any of the story.

Once upon a time, on a very dark night, a great hunter named ORION ___ started out to hunt a DRAGON ___.  Now everyone knows that a DRAGON ___ can set almost anything on fire and ORION ___ knew this, so he took along with him the BIG DIPPER ___ and the LITTLE DIPPER ___ and the MILKY WAY ___.

As he mounted his horse, PEGASUS ___, he spilled the MILKY WAY ___ and had to dismount and refill the BIG DIPPER ___ and the LITTLE DIPPER ___.  Once again he mounted PEGASUS ___ and away they flew, because PEGASUS ___ had wings and could fly through the sky.  "Now to find the DRAGON ___," thought ORION ___.  "He must be around here somewhere," and just then he saw him.  He was really hard to miss as the DRAGON ___ was up to his old trick of breathing fire just to scare people.

"Whoa, PEGASUS ___," said ORION ___.  "We must sneak up on him or he'll burn us up before we can put out his fire." PEGASUS ___ stopped and ORION ___ got off and took with him the BIG DIPPER ___ and the LITTLE DIPPER ___- Very carefully, ORION ___ made his way toward the DRAGON ___, then just as he was about to pour the MILKY WAY ___ from the BIG DIPPER __ and the LITTLE DIPPER ___ on him, the DRAGON ___ turned and saw him and started spouting dreadful fire at him

When PEGASUS ___ saw what was happening, he flew over the DRAGON ___, beating his wings.  At the same time, ORION ___ threw the MILKY WAY ___ from the BIG DIPPER ___ and the LITTLE DIPPER ___ on him and put out his fire.  The DRAGON ___, with his fire out, turned and fled into the darkness and to this day he will only appear in the daylight.  Today he is known to us as the sun.

WAY OUT THERE:
Sam Houston Area Council

Divide the group in half.  Assign each half one of the words listed below.  Practice the parts as you assign them.

Read the story.  After each of the words is read pause for the group to make the appropriate response.

SPACE:                                     “Way out there”
          (Point ahead moving finger from left to right)

ASTRONAUT/S:                “Onward and upward”
                     (Stand up and thrust arm toward sky)

In the whole universe there's an enormous place, Which we all refer to as merely SPACE __.  ASTRONAUTS __ spend many hours untold.  Searching that SPACE __ where mysteries unfold.  They bring back dust and rocks galore.   Each ASTRONAUT __ striving to always learn more.  The circle around for days in SPACE __.   Keeping up such a strenuous place.

Our country explored SPACE __ and then very soon, Our ASTRONAUTS __ landed upon the moon. Oh what a thrill as we witnessed the sight.   ASTRONAUTS __ raised our flag on that first moon flight. Right out there through outer SPACE __.

Upon the moon stands our flag in place. Just where the ASTRONAUTS __ left it that day.   As a part in history they did play. One fact discovered which story writers won't please.  Was that the moon is not really made of green Cheese. So way out in SPACE __ when you see the Man-in-the-moon.  Remember the ASTRONAUTS __ proved we can't eat him at noon. But all of this is old today,  ASTRONAUTS __ often go in SPACE __ and say,  Travel in SPACE __, here and there, Is easily done without a care.

Service to Country
San Gabriel Valley, Long Beach & Verdugo Hills Councils

Divide audience into six sections. Assign each a word and a response.  Tell them that when they hear their word in the story they are to give the response.

ARMY –                                         Be all you can be!
AIR FORCE –                             No one comes close!
NAVY –                                                       Can do!
MARINES –                                            Semper Fi!
COAST GUARD –                               Always ready!
CUB SCOUTS (All) –                            Do your best!

In the United States of America, we have several different branches of the military, all prepared to defend our freedom.  There is the ARMY, the NAVY, the AIR FORCE, the MARINES, and the COAST GUARD.

All these different groups have mottos and slogans, just like the CUB SCOUTS.  Part of the CUB SCOUT Promise includes duty to God and country, and certainly, all the men and women who serve in the ARMY, the NAVY, the AIR FORCE, the MARINES, and the COAST GUARD demonstrate their duty to country in a big way.

As CUB SCOUTS, we take pride in being good citizens, in honoring our flag, and in helping others.  One day, some of you may choose to join the ARMY, the NAVY, the AIR FORCE, the MARINES, or the COAST GUARD.  But, for now, we give thanks and appreciation for those who help protect and defend our county, while we learn to be the best we can be as CUB SCOUTS.

The Boys
Grand Canyon Council

The old people tell us that when the world was new, there were seven boys were used to spend all their time down by the townhouse playing the gatayA > >'sta  game.(This is as close to the letters in the PowWow CD as I can get.  Sorry.  CD).  This game is now called Chunkey, and is played by rolling a stone wheel along the ground and sliding a curved stick after it to strike it.  Their mothers scolded them, but it didn’t do any good.  One day the mothers collected some of the stones used for the game and boiled them in the pot with the corn for dinner. When the boys came home their mothers dipped out the stones and said,  "Since you like that game better than working, take the stones now for your dinner.

The boys were very angry and went down to the townhouse, saying,  "Since our mothers treat us this way, let’s go where we will never trouble them any more."  They began a dance  -- some say it was the Feather dance - and went round and round the townhouse, praying to the spirits to help them.  At last their mothers were afraid something was wrong and went out to look for them.

They saw the boys still dancing around the townhouse, and as they watched they noticed that their feet were off the ground, and that with every round they rose higher and higher in the air.

They ran to get their children, but it was too late, for they were already above the roof of the townhouse - all but one, whose mother managed to pull him down with a gatayA > >'sta pole, but he struck the ground with such force that he sank into it and the earth closed over him.

The other six circled higher and higher until they went up to the sky, where we see them now as the Pleiades, which the Cherokee call Ani’tsuts A (The Boys).

The people grieved long after the boys were gone, but the mother whose boy had gone into the ground came every morning and every evening to cry over the spot until the earth was damp with her tears.  At last a little green shoot sprouted up and grew day by day until it became the tall tree that we call now the pine, and the pine is of the same nature as the stars and holds in itself the same bright light. 

From Blue Panther, Keeper of Stories, submitted by Brother to Horse: 

The Pleiades is also known as the Seven Sisters and is the most famous open star cluster in the sky. It forms the bull's shoulder in the constellation, Taurus.  You will find it NW of Orion.  Another Native American tale, talks about seven youngsters who, on a walk through the sky, lost their way and never made it home. They remained in the sky, staying close together.  The seventh sister is hard to see because she really wants to go back to Earth, and her tears dim her luster.  It is best seen with binoculars.

NOTE:

There was no radio or television years and years ago.  People entertained each other and passed down history by telling stories to their children and their children's children.  It seemed that everything was explained with a story.

The Good Turn
(A one-man narrative about the birth of the BSA.)
San Gabriel Valley, Long Beach & Verdugo Hills Councils

Set Up: Dress as an early scout, i.e. campaign hat, knee high socks, shorts, walking staff, etc.)

Most of you don't know me, but you've all heard stories about me.  Tonight I want to talk to you about a chance meeting that took place about 90 years ago.  The place was London, England.  The year was 1909.  It was a typical day in London.  The fog lay dense in the streets, as thick as pea soup.  I was just a young lad at the time, having just celebrated my 13th birthday.

I was on my way to a Scout meeting when I happened upon a young American man who appeared lost.  I approached the man and asked if I could be of some assistance since the streets of London can be quite confusing in the fog.  "You certainly can", the man said, "for I am looking for the shipping offices of Kratchet and Crane in the center of the city."    I told the man that I would gladly take him to his destination.

On the way to the shipping offices, the man introduced himself as William D. Boyce, an entrepreneur of sorts, looking for new opportunities in England.  After we arrived at his destination, Mr. Boyce reached into his pocket and offered me tuppence for my assistance.  (Reach into pocket and pull out several coins)

"No thank you, sir!" I replied.  "For you see, I am a Scout and will not take anything for helping."

"A Scout? And what might that be?" asked Mr. Boyce.

I explained to him about Scouting and the movement started by Lord Robert Baden-Powell. Mr. Boyce grew excited as I told him what it meant to "do my duty"  and asked me to wait for him to finish his business.

After he had finished, I escorted Mr. Boyce to meet with Lord Baden Powell.  As he learned more about the Scouting program, Mr. Boyce decided to take Scouting with him back to the colonies.

Little did I realize what one, small good turn would do to the face of history.  That one good turn started the largest youth organization in the world today.

I understand that because of that chance meeting, millions of American boys had the opportunity to become Scouts.  Years later, Mr. Boyce and the Boy Scouts of America tried to locate me to thank me.  I didn't want to be recognized, since I hadn't done anything that any one of my fellow Scouts would have done.

Unable to locate me, the B.S.A. dedicated a statue of the American Buffalo in my honour in Gilwell Park, England, the birthplace of Scouting.  But, the statue shouldn't be for me, but for all the Scouts who strive to "do a good turn daily."

Good night and God bless!