Baloo's Bugle

February 2009 Cub Scout Roundtable Issue

Volume 15, Issue 7
March 2008 Theme

Theme: "When I Grow Up"
Webelos: Athlete and Engineer
Tiger Cub
Activities

AUDIENCE PARTICIPATIONS & STORIES

Edgar’s Room-Cleaning Project
Sam Houston Area Council

Divide the audience into eight groups. Assign each group their words/sounds for the story. Each time their word is mentioned in the story, the assigned group enthusiastically says the designated sound words. Have a practice session before starting the story.  Review the story after reading it.  See notes at end.

EDGAR:                  “I love projects!”

PROJECT:                    “Good idea!”

GEARS:       Clap hands together twice

BRUSHES:                   Swish, swish

SPRINGS:                         Boing-g-g

HINGE:                      Squeak, squeak

MOTOR:                    Vroom, vroom

POLISH:                    Bubble, bubble

MACHINE:           All sounds together

Note - You may wish to use only four groups and assign two parts to a group.  Balance the number of responses amongst the groups.  CD

Everyone in town knew about EDGAR! EDGAR was the busiest boy in Woodville. He loved PROJECTS. He loved to make things and fix things. Afternoon after afternoon, while the other boys were out playing football or baseball, EDGAR was in his basement working out the details of some new PROJECT. EDGAR did have one important thing in common with the other boys, however. He did not like to clean his room! And so his newest PROJECT was to be a room-cleaning MACHINE.

First of all, EDGAR gathered his PROJECT materials. He needed some GEARS, a few BRUSHES, a MOTOR or two, SPRINGS, HINGES, and some POLISH to make his room shine.

To make his MACHINE, EDGAR arranged some BRUSHES on the ends of long SPRINGS with HINGES. He set up a small MOTOR with an assortment of GEARS. The MOTOR caused the GEARS to move the SPRINGS on the HINGES which could bounce the BRUSHES around the room. The BRUSHES did many tasks in EDGAR’S room.

When attached to large GEARS and SPRINGS, the BRUSHES would push EDGAR’S clothes into baskets and sweep the plans for all his PROJECTS into piles on his desk. The BRUSHES could even spread the POLISH to make his room shine. Of course, without the MOTOR, the MACHINE would not run. EDGAR put his plan into action. The Room-Cleaning MACHINE was almost complete. What a great PROJECT this would be!

When everything was assembled, EDGAR looked at his MACHINE with satisfaction. The MOTOR hummed smoothly, the BRUSHES revolved and the SPRINGS held fast. Only the GEARS were a little noisy and the HINGES squeaked, but these were minor matters. The POLISH- spreader was positioned to do the job. EDGAR was ready to give his PROJECT a try on his messy room.

For a moment, everything ran beautifully and he beamed at his MACHINE. And then, disaster struck! In his excitement, EDGAR had neglected to move a pillow that was left on the floor. The pillowcase became twisted in the revolving BRUSHES. Across the room flew the SPRINGS. The GEARS jammed as they chewed up the pillow, making the MOTOR burn out with a loud splitting sound. As the MACHINE shuddered, pillow feathers flew everywhere. The HINGES stuck open and POLISH was splattered across the floor.

EDGAR’S brain practically rattled. He looked around at the mess and sighed. “Back to the PROJECT board,” he said. This was not one of EDGAR’S most successful PROJECTS, but he knew he would always have time to try more.

Review and Discussion:

  • Which of Cub Scouting’s core values is demonstrated in this story?
  • How does Edgar show resourcefulness?
  • Discuss the importance of having a positive attitude.

What I’m Going to Be
Oregon Trail Council

Separate the audience into five groups. Assign each group a career and its corresponding saying. Have the groups respond when they hear their career mentioned as the story is read.

DOCTOR                                 Open Wide!
PRESIDENT                My fellow Americans
ASTRONAUT        Three, two, one, blast off!
FOOTBALL COACH                    Go team!
MUSICIAN                        A one and a two!

At their den meeting, six Cub Scouts were talking about what they want to be when they grow up. Jason said, “I want to be a DOCTOR.” Andy said, “I want to be an ASTRONAUT.” Ryan said, “I want to be a FOOTBALL COACH.” Devon thought that being a MUSICIAN would be awesome. Michael wanted to grow up to be PRESIDENT.

“Being a DOCTOR would be great,” said Jason. “DOCTORS help people. I like to do that.”

MUSICIANS make music to make people happy and so they can dance,” said Devon. “That’s the best!”

FOOTBALL COACHES get to exercise and win games. That’s the coolest,” said Ryan.

Andy said, “An ASRONAUT can see the whole world from space and all the stars. That’s the best job.”

“When I’m elected PRESIDENT,” said Michael, “The whole world will listen to me and I’ll be in the history books.”

All the boys looked at James, who hadn’t said a word. “What do you want to be, James?” they asked.

“Well,” said James, “all those jobs sound great. DOCTORS are always needed. Being an ASTRONAUT is exciting. FOOTBALL COACH is a neat job. MUSICIANS get to entertain onstage, and the PRESIDENT is important to everybody. I’m going to learn more about all the jobs there are, so I can pick the job I’m good at and help other people.”

The other Cub Scouts thought for a minute. Then the future ASTRONAUT, DOCTOR, FOOTBALL COACH, MUSICIAN, and PRESIDENT nodded in agreement. “Wow,” they said. “That’s a job we can do right now. We can find out about lots of jobs and pick the right one for ourselves!”

The Cub Knot Story
Northwest Suburban Council

Separate the audience into four groups. Assign each group a word and its corresponding saying. Have the groups respond when they hear their word mentioned as the story is read.  Practice as you make assignments.

Rope                                  I'm fit to be tied
Knot    Cross arms in front and say What Knot
Cub Scout                      Where's the cookies
Den Meeting                         Paint; cut; glue

For those of you who can’t imagine that a ROPE can come alive, this story may be hard to believe. Once there was a four-foot piece of ROPE who wanted to become a CUB SCOUT. The ROPE knew that in DEN MEETINGs, CUB SCOUTs learned to tie KNOTS in ROPES. And he had always wanted to learn how to tie himself into a KNOT.

So the ROPE checked with a CUB SCOUT he knew to find out when the next DEN MEETING was to be held.  He put on his best tie; hitched up his pants and headed for the meeting. The ROPE could tell that he was at the right house, because several CUB SCOUTs were arriving to begin the DEN MEETING. The ROPE walked right in and said to the leader, "I want to be a CUB SCOUT and attend your DEN MEETINGs."  But the den leader said, "I can KNOT let a ROPE be a CUB SCOUT!"

Well, the ROPE was really upset. He ran out of the DEN MEETING, KNOT knowing what to do next. He ran out into the gravel road and was run over by a bread truck. The ROPE was tumbled, rolled, crunched and, in general, pretty messed up. His ends were all unraveled and he had been twisted into a quadruple half hitch KNOT! The ROPE couldn't even remember who he was. But somehow, he remembered he wanted to be a CUB SCOUT and that a DEN MEETING was going on that he should be attending. He stumbled to the front door and knocked. The CUB SCOUT den leader halted the DEN MEETING to answer the door. When the den leader opened the door, there was the unraveled half hitched ROPE. "I want to be a CUB SCOUT,” said the ROPE.

The den leader looked at him and said, "Aren't you the ROPE that was here a few minutes ago. The ROPE looked right at the den leader and shouted, "I'm a frayed KNOT!"


Flood
Mt. Diablo Silverado Council

Separate the audience into five groups. Assign each group a word and its corresponding saying. Have the groups respond when they hear their word mentioned as the story is read.  Practice as you make assignments.

Mr. & Mrs. Homeowner:      Honey, I'm home
Plumber:                     Get a mop, get a mop
Tools:                             Clank, clank, bang
Electrician:                   Bzzzt! How shocking
TV set:                           We'll be right back

One day, MR. & MRS. HOMEOWNER came home from work to find their kitchen flooded with water. "Whatever shall we do?" asked MRS. HOMEOWNER. "We'll call a PLUMBER!" said MR. HOMEOWNER. "He'll know what to do."

Quick as a wink, the PLUMBER arrived with his bag of TOOLS. "Don't worry," said the PLUMBER, "this looks like a simple leak. I'll just get my TOOLS and have it fixed in a jiffy."  Then he crawled under the sink and began banging on the pipes. MR. & MRS. HOMEOWNER covered their ears and left the room. But suddenly, all the lights in the house flickered - and then went out! "Oh no!" cried MR. & MRS. HOMEOWNER. "Now we'll have to call the ELECTRICIAN!"

Soon the ELECTRICIAN arrived with his bag of TOOLS and began to check the wiring.  "Here's the problem," he said, as he stuffed his TOOLS back into their case. "There's something wrong with your TV SET." "The TV SET?!!?" said MR. HOMEOWNER. "How much will it cost to fix?" "Oh, about a thousand dollars," said the ELECTRICIAN, smiling broadly at the thought of all that money.

"A thousand dollars just to fix a TV SET? said MRS. HOMEOWNER. "We can't afford to pay that much? MR. HOMEOWNER thought about missing his favorite TV shows, then shook his head and slowly took out his checkbook.

Just then the PLUMBER came into the room and handed his bill to MRS. HOMEOWNER.  "Wait a minute dear," she said. "You might miss your favorite shows but I have to wash my hair tonight! You know we only have enough money to pay one of these bills, and you know what they say - TV or not TV, water's the question!