OPENING CEREMONIES

When planning your Pack Meeting, think about trying one of these ideas.  Be sure to give your dens enough time to prepare the props.  They can easily be worked into your opening ceremony.  Alice

Pack Meeting Ideas

Alice, Golden Empire Council

«  Sort your “Library” of favorite books. 
In the den, you could share the stories over the month.  For the Pack Meeting, everyone could march around carrying their favorite book – make your lines like a snake, so everyone can get a look at everyone else’s favorites. On signal, have each “book” go to the correct section of an enlarged list of the Dewey Decimal system you have previously put on the walls around the room.  (See a list of the ten major Dewey sections in Baloo)

«  Have a Parade of Books:
You could also have each family assigned to choose their favorite book or books and come prepared to dress up like the character(s) from the book.

«  Be a Book:
Each boy or family chooses a book.  Make sandwich boards to wear, showing the cover of a favorite book. Then have a parade of books to start your pack meeting – Favorites can then be hung on the wall to provide decoration.

Reading Opening

Sam Houston Area Council

Cubmaster (CM) and 7 Cub Scouts.  The Cub Scouts have cards/paper with the letters R, E, A, D, I, N, G on one side and their parts (what each letter stands for) on the back in LARGE print.  As this is a poem, it might be good to have the boys practice to get the meter right.

CM:            This month we’ve had “Adventures in Books” as our theme. We have some Cub Scouts to tell us about reading tonight:

Cub #1:        R’s for Remember the stories we’d tell

Cub #2:        E is for Endings that we all know so well.

Cub #3:        A is for Adventures we have in our mind.

Cub #4:        D is for D.E.A.R. time that we can’t seem to find.

Cub #5:        I is for Imagination of the way places look.

Cub #6:        N is for the Number that’s found on the book

Cub #7:        G is for Going for that’s what I’ll be... as we’re all heading to the library!

Cub #8:        Please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance.

The Meaning of the Pledge of Allegiance Opening

Great Salt Lake Council

When you pledge allegiance to your flag, you promise loyalty and devotion to your nation. Each word has a deep meaning:

Cub #1:        I pledge allegiance: I promise to be true

Cub #2:        to the flag: to the sign of our country

Cub #3:        of the United States of America: a country made up of 50 states, each with certain rights of it’s own

Cub #4:        and to the Republic: a country where the people elect others to make laws for them

Cub #5:        for which it stands: the flag means the country

Cub #6:        one Nation under God: a single country whose people believe in a Supreme Being

Cub #7:        indivisible: the country cannot be split into parts

Cub #8:        with liberty and justice: with freedom and fairness

Cub #9:        for all: For each person in the country – you and me.

Cub #10:     Please rise and join me in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Books Opening Ceremony

Capital Area Council

Cubmaster is dressed as a character from a book, i.e., Ichabod Crane, Albus Dumbledore, etc.

CM:    Tonight we celebrate books.  There are millions of books in the world, available to us in many forms.  Books haven’t always been as easy to get as they are now.  It is thanks to people like Johann Gutenberg, who invented the printing press, that we can now read so many books on so many different topics.  And it’s thanks to teachers that we know how to read.  In our own country, the freedom to print and publish books and newspapers is protected in our Constitution and Bill of Rights.  There are still places in the world today where that freedom is severely limited.  So let’s all stand tonight and salute this great country, where we have the freedom to read and assemble, and even act like characters from a book, by saying the Pledge of Allegiance to our Flag.

Knights of the Royal Pack Opening Ceremony

Capital Area Council

This might be a great opening of your pack decided to emphasize books about Knights.

If you emphasized another genre, find a theme for that genre and use those ceremonies.

Characters:

Merlin                                                  Sir Tiger

Sir Wolf                                               Sir Bear

Sir Webelos                                              Page

Ceremony

Page:     Enters and blows a flourish (can use a toy horn with a recorded bugle flourish). 

Page       Reads the following proclamation from a scroll:
“Hear ye!  Hear ye! 
Lords and ladies of Royal Pack __,
by royal decree of his majesty Cubmaster ______,
we declare that this Royal Pack Meeting begins!

Page       Blows another flourish. 

The knights enter, youngest to oldest, in costumes that depict their scouting rank.  They carry shields as they enter. 
They peel off to each side of a table. 
When they are in place, Merlin enters.

Merlin   Enters throwing stage glitter into the audience.  He continues to do this until he reaches the table. 

On the table is a shallow dish with a bowl in the center.
 The bowl contains the American flag.
 The shallow dish contains dry ice.
 As he sprinkles water over the ice, he chants the following:

“Many times the sun in the sky has set
Since last these brave knights have met.

For God and country, family and friend,
they give their all.

For the Law of the Pack, they answer the call.

Before this festive gathering begins this night,
Let us pledge our honor to our banner so bright.”

At the end of this, play some music from "The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (Walt Disney's Fantasia)."

Merlin throws water on the dry ice and pulls the flag out with a flourish.

Merlin   Leads the Cubs and parents and others in the Pledge of Allegiance. 

Note:      The knights can be all the Scouts in all the dens or one representative from each den for the whole rank (one Tiger, one Wolf, etc.).

Storybook and Historical Characters

Southern NJ Council

Personnel: Eight boys dressed in costume sitting around the campfire. Each should have his name on a sign hanging around his neck.

Casey Jones:    (Stands up looking at his pocket watch) We need to decide what our American flag will look like.

Uncle Remos:  (Stands) I represent New York and I think the flag needs to have people on it. (Shows the New York flag)

Yankee Doodle: (Stands) I'm from Pennsylvania and I want a dandy horse on it.

Black Beard:   (Stands) Well I represent New Hampshire. Those ideas are silly; I think it needs boats on it. (Shows the New Hampshire flag)

Sitting Bull:     (Stands up, arms folded) I here for Massachusetts. We want Indian. (Show Massachusetts Flag)

Jim Bridger:   (Stands) I'm here to represent Utah.

All Others:       (Look at him and say) Where is Utah?

Jim Bridger:    Over yonder. (Waves arm to the side) Anyway, I think we should have an elk on the flag

Uncle Sam:       (Stands) I've been listening to all of you and your ideas are great, but I think we need something special for our American flag. I have an idea. Use these flags for your owns states, and we'll have the Stars and Stripes for our flag of freedom. The stars represent each and every state and the stripes will represent the original thirteen colonies. Now will everyone please rise?

Play "Stars and Stripes Forever"
 as color guard presents the flag

ALL                   Please join us in the Pledge of Allegiance to our nation's flag.