Sean's Scouting Pages

Ceremony Magic

Ceremony Magic: BSA has a great little book on ceremonies for the den and pack, but I really dislike the rank advancement ceremonies they provide, as well as many of those you find on the web. While a ceremony for rank advancement should be serious and meaningful, I don't agree that it should involve an adult standing at the front of the room talking. Sorry, I don't believe that nine-year-olds find that interesting, let alone the adults. Boys are visual. These ceremonies are visual and they each do something magical, and I believe that they will hold the attention of the kids better than a story about travelling to the top of the mountain. And these all fit into my idea that rank advancement ceremonies should reflect the amount of effort that the boy expends to earn the award. Well, some of these require some work, but they all look like they take effort! When I present this class I actually demonstrate a half-dozen or so of the ceremonies.

Cubmaster Basics

Cubmaster Basics: This is a presentation aimed at the new Cubmaster, or the experienced Cubmaster who needs some fresh ideas. In it, I recommend that you no longer have pack meetings, and instead call them pack performances in order to alter the perceptions of parents, leaders, and boys about what the monthly pack gathering is and should be.

Fun Recognitions

This presentation doesn't have a slideshow that goes with it. It is based extensively on the "show and tell" of fun, unique, and meaningful recognitions. I can tailor the presentation to be aimed at presenting "minor" awards (belt loops, activity patches, etc.) to the boys, or at recognizing adult leaders and parents for their contributions to the unit. For adult recognitions, I go beyond the commonly available "gag" awards like the "Spark Plug Award" (spark plug glued to a wooden plaque).

Creative Campfires

Creative Campfires: A look at the steps that go into planning and presenting an impressive, formal campfire. Adults are more likely to see this sort of campfire, but we should make more of an effort to see to it that the boys get to experience them, too.

Introduction to BALOO Training

Introduction to BALOO Training is a class I was asked to put together for a couple councils soon after BALOO was first introduced. Though it's probably dated now, it includes some good information if your council or district is having difficulty accepting or integrating the training. There is a script that goes with this.

The Care and Feeding of Parents

The Care and Feeding of Parents is a class I was asked to develop and present at an event after one of their presenters had to back out. It was done on slightly short notice, and the class itself was already on the schedule, so I was a little constrained and I don't consider this my best work, but the participants seemed to enjoy it. There is a script that goes with this, as well as a "menu" that I placed outside the room to attract people's attention as they walked by.

The Cubmaster and Pack Organization

The Cubmaster and Pack Organization is something I collaborated with my "training den" at Philmont on in 2002 as part of the New Directions in Training session I attended. As participants, we were expected to produce a training session and present it to the class. I wore a really cool Tarzan costume (I wish I had a picture!) that was borrowed from an instructor in one of the other sessions, which should give some background on the theme of the class. One day I'll have my wife recreate the Tarzan muscle suit!