Mark sent in this question about Blue and Gold banquet awards:
I wanted to get an idea of how other Cub Scout packs handle Blue & Gold/AOL/Crossover events. Traditionally, our pack has held this entire event on one night with a dinner, cake decorating, and mainly used it to recognize our Webelos 2’s who are moving on to Scouts BSA Troops. I have had some parents complain recently that because their…(Tiger, Wolf, Bear, Webelos 1)…fill in the blank..won’t be honored that night then there is no reason for them to attend. I wanted to know if other packs honor the younger scouts in some way during the Blue & Gold ceremony and, if so, what kind of awards are they passing out? We have also explored the idea of giving awards to all scouts as we typically do at pack meetings, but I feel that some of our leaders are purposely holding back their awards to be presented on the “big stage” during B&G. Hope that makes sense. I welcome all suggestions or ideas. Thank you!
Blue and Gold Banquet Awards for Younger Scouts
For our younger Cub Scouts, they are called up by dens and are awarded any recent recognitions they have earned. Many have earned their rank badges by this point. Religious emblems which have usually just been completed in time for Scout Sunday are recognized.
Arrow of Light and Crossover
The Arrow of Light ceremony usually follows. This is led by the Webelos den leader and the Cubmaster and varies from year to year depending on what they decide to do. Some of the ceremonies get the younger Cub Scouts involved, which is always a bonus. They show for a sort of “path” indicating how far the Webelos have come.
Then our troop handles the crossover part. Normally the Senior Patrol Leader says a few words, and then the Webelos cross from one side of the stage to the other. When they get to the far side, Scouts from the troop welcome them, put their neckerchiefs and shoulder loops on them, and give them a handbook. It is not lengthy, but it is youth-led.
Entertainment
Following the presentations, we usually have some sort of entertainment. This is usually something like a magician, juggler, somebody bringing some animals in, etc. There are many low-cost options. Once we had the circus club from a local high school come in for a donation. They put on a great program which all of the Cub Scouts enjoyed.
Readers, what do your packs do for Blue and Gold banquet awards? Add you ideas to the comments below.
Related Resources for Blue and Gold Banquet Awards
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