OPENING CEREMONIES

Wishes

Sam Houston Area Council

Set Up:

Cubmaster (CM), 3 Cub Scouts (Tiger Cubs, Cub Scouts and/or Webelos Scouts),

Display of 4 or more candles; one lit (to allow more Scouts to participate, continue to add wishes and candles);

Be sure the location where you are celebrating this meeting allows the use of lit candles.

Scene:

Scouts enter and light a candle from the one lit candle as each says his wish.

Cubmaster:          With all the festivities of this busy season, our Cubs have designed some wishes they would like to share with you, to help brighten your spirit and light a path to their achievements.

Cub Scout #1:         (lights candle) This wish is for everyone to work hard to follow their dreams.

Cub Scout #2:         (lights candle) This wish is for peace for all the children of the world.

Cub Scout #3:         (lights candle) This wish is for a year where everything goes well for those we hold dear.

Cub Scout #X      (lights candle) This wish is for (Add as many more wishes as you have Cub Scouts in your Den or who wish to participate in the ceremony)

Cubmaster:          As our room is now lit with the spirit of good will and the spirit of Cub Scouting, I invite you to stand and join our Cub Scouts in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Holiday Lights

Capital Area Council

Personnel: 5 Cubs

Props: Log candle holder with 3 candles (12") multipurpose lighter

Cub Scout #1:         The theme for this month is "Holiday Lights”  and we  have been busy getting ready for the Holiday season.  This month there are three major holidays celebrated by a different Religions, Hanukkah, Christmas and Kwanzaa.  And each uses light in a special way.

Cub Scout #2:         Hanukkah is the Jewish Feast of Lights or Feast of Dedication.  The Hebrew word Hanukkah means dedication.  It is a celebration of God's deliverance of the Jews in 165 BC.  The Hanukkah holiday begins on the eve of the 25^th day of the Hebrew month of Kislev, and lasts eight days.  It usually falls in the month of December and is celebrated by lighting of candles in a special Hanukkah menorah.  I light the first candle  for Hanukah.  (Lights the first candle)

Cub Scout #3:         Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.  Advent is the season of preparation for Christmas.  In preparing for Christmas Christians use an Advent wreath with four candles in the wreath and on in the center.  They light one candle in the wreath each week and the center or Christ candle on Christmas for Jesus is the Light of the World.  The word Christmas is taken from old English, Christes maesse or Christ's Mass.  I light the second candle for Christmas.  (lights the second candle.)

Cub Scout #4:         Kwanzaa is an African American holiday based on the traditional African festival of the first harvest crops.  The word Kwanzaa comes from the phrase matunda ya kwanzaa, which means first fruits in Swahili.  The holiday was developed in the United States in 1966 by M. Ron Karenga, a professor of Pan African studies and a black cultural leader.  It begins on December 26^th and lasts for seven days.  Each day of Kwanzaa another candle is lit on the Kinara.  The candles stand for  the seven principles of black culture developed by Karenga.  The principles are: Unity; Self-determination; Collective work and responsibility; Cooperative economics; Purpose; Creativity; and Faith. I light the third candle for Kwanzaa.  (Light the third candle)

Cub Scout #5:         With the spirit of the holiday candles now burning let us now begin our own celebration of our accomplishments this month.

Cubmaster:          All rise for the Pledge of Allegiance.  Perform proper flag protocols.

Tree Opening

Capital Area Council

Use tree decorating as a Gathering Activity

Cubmaster           uses Cub Scout sign to get everyone's attention.

Assistant CM       lights Christmas tree. 

Cubmaster:          “Cub Scouts, isn’t that a beautiful tree?  It’s full of Holiday Lights making it bright and colorful, like the joyous seasons we celebrate this month.  (name seasons celebrated by Pack members - Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, any others??)."

Assistant CM:      "And we all had a part in making it so beautiful.  When all Cub Scouts work together and do their best, the result is always something fine like this tree.  Let’s remember that as we repeat the Cub Scout promise.” (lead promise)

Cubmaster           "Now let us take the Pledge of Allegiance"

Candle Opening or Closing

Capital Area Council

Set Up: Dim or turn off room lights except for an electric candle or flashlight.  The paragraph is read by the Cubmaster or other adult.

This is the season of lights and stars, when days are short and nights are long with beautiful stars.  Lord Baden Powell, the founder of Scouting, once said this to his scouts:  “I often think when the sun goes down, the world is hidden by a big blanket from the light of heaven. But the stars are little holds pierced in that blanket by those who have done good deeds in this world. The stars are not all the same size, some a big, some are little. So some men have done great deeds, and some men have done small deeds, but they have all made their hole in the blanket by doing good before they went to heaven.”

Let's remember when we look at the starry sky to make our own hole in the blanket, by doing good deeds and helping other people.

December Opening

Capital Area Council

Baltimore Area Council

Personnel: 5 Cub Scouts and Cubmaster

Equipment:

«  5 Index cards with script written on each in LARGE print,

«  US Flag and Pack Flag.  Flags are already in the front and each Cub Scout enters from the side one at a time and reads his script.

Cub Scout #1:         December is a fun time of the year. It is a time for giving and sharing.

Cub Scout #2:         As we gather for the last Pack meeting for 2008, let us remember the good times.

Cub Scout #3:         Let us end this year with new determination to keep the Cub Scout Spirit going.

Cub Scout #4:         As we begin our program tonight, let us keep in mind the true Holiday Spirit.

Cub Scout #5:         Remember, to give of yourself is more important than any gift you can buy.

Cubmaster:          Please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance.
Perform proper flag protocols

OPENING CEREMONY: SPIRIT OF THE HOLIDAYS

Baltimore Area Council

READER: This is a special time of year for people all around the world. It is a time of Joy and Light, of Hope and Peace, and of the comforts of Home, Family, and Tradition. It is a time of Spirit in all things, and although there are many different types of Spirit and Spirits among us, tonight we are going to be visited by four of them.

SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS: "I am the Spirit of Christmas" (Lights Advent candles, using appropriate prayer(s) and a brief statement as to what the candles and the holiday represent.)

SPIRIT OF HANUKKAH: "I am the Spirit of Hanukkah" (Lights the Hanukkah candles using the appropriate prayer(s) and a brief statement as to what the candles and the holiday represent.)

SPIRIT OF KWANZAA: "I am the Spirit of Kwanzaa" (Lights the Kwanzaa candles and gives a brief statement as to what the candles and the holiday represent.)

SPIRIT OF SCOUTING: "I am the Spirit of Scouting, and here I light the twelve candles which the twelve points of the Scout Law, and three candles which represent the three points of the Scout Oath. I will also light one additional candle of the purest white, which represents not only the Spirit of Scouting, but also all the other Spirits of Goodness which exist throughout this old world of ours no matter what they may be called. Now, I call upon my Fellow Spirits, and all of you here in this room, to join with me in reciting the Cub Scout Promise.

ALL: (Cub Scout Promise)

READER: Thank you all. Please be seated.

ALL SPIRITS: "Happy Holidays!"

Christmas Flag

Baltimore Area Council

Be sure of your audience before using this one.  CD

Personnel     6 Cub Scouts

Equipment   taped music, American Flag

Setting           play "Joy to the World" softly in the background as Cub Scouts recite lines.

Cub # 1:       I pledge Allegiance, at this joyous time of year.

Cub # 2:       To the flag, a symbol of unity as Christ is a symbol of peace.

Cub # 3:       Of the United States of America, a land chosen above all others.

Cub # 4:       And to the republic, to the people who care and share for which it stands.

Cub # 5:       One nation under God, who shared His Son with us.

Cub # 6:       Indivisible, a nation united through love with liberty and justice for all.

Cub # 7:       Please stand and repeat the Pledge of Allegiance.