Typically hold the Blue & Gold Dinner in early February. It has been Fri Sat or Sun night. Beware of Super Bowl Sunday.
We have the dinner at Knox Presbyterian Church (next to Trader Joes). Contact Ron Mobley, Facilities Manager (rmobley-at-knoxpres.org). I email him usually around June to get available dates for B&G. For this year 90% of the weekend dates were already filled by the time I reached out to him in June! So you may want to reach out to him in the Spring for the following year dates. Saturday afternoon/evening and then Sunday's are the 1st dates to go, thus the reason why we've had the B&G on Friday evenings the past two years. Definitely let him know you want Lehman Hall for B&G , that's the hall we were supposed to have this year, but then they switched us to the Friendship area last minute. Not much we could do with late notice but Lehman Hall is definitely bigger & better!
Rental Fee: $100
The pack typically buys outgoing scouts a protective cover for their boy scout handbook.
We used rosatti's in 2020:
Have get beef steak sandwiches, baked zitti, pizza, and salad. It has been great and they deliver it.
2 years ago we used Corky's Catering and year before that we used Belagio's Catering in Naperville. Both options were good food, but more $$. I would suggest ordering more pizza - it's always a hit with the kids and tends to run out 1st !!
Every year we tried to change up the entertainment so it wasn't always the same type.
Below is a list of entertainment people we've used in the past with year and rating (+ means do again, - means don't do again):
2020+ Magician: He was fun
2019+ Fossil Guy: kids loved it.
2018+ Mad Science West Suburbs: madscience4kids@gmail.com
2017+ Traveling World Of Reptiles, Dave is the owner dave@travelingworldofreptilescom
2016+ Jason Kollum- juggler, musician, entertainer: jdkollum@yahoo.com
Other Ideas I've looked into the boys might enjoy:
Incredible Bat Show, SHARON PETERSON, incrediblebats@comcast.net, (815) 735-8183
Mazing Adamz Show, amazingtimadamz@gmail.com
Paul Magic Show, paulleemagic@sbcglobal.net
Exoctic Animals, Colin, crosstownexotics@gmail.com
Setup at 5:15pm
Begin at 6:15pm with Opening Ceremony, then dinner
Wisniewski Award & Silver Acorn during dinner
Arrow of Light Ceremony at 6:45pm
Bridging Ceremony at 7:20pm
Entertainment begins at 8:00pm
Ending at 9:00pm and cleanup
[Begin with the flags at the back and a den as color guard.]
[color guard leader at front with micrphone] Will the Audience please rise?
[Wait for people to stand]
[color guard leader] Color Guard, Post the Colors.
[Wait for flags to be placed]
[The Story of the Blue & Gold]
[cubmaster or scout] Today we celebrate at our blue & gold to help build the spirit of pride & loyalty among us. The Bobcat badge is the foundation, or beginning, of all Cub Scout ranks. This foundation builds a common spirit among these young cubs.
[cubmaster or scout] The blue reminds us of the sky above. It stands for truth, reverence, & steadfast loyalty.
[cubmaster or scout] Truth means we must always be honest.
[cubmaster or scout] Reverence means a respect & trust for our fellow scouts.
[cubmaster or scout] Steadfast loyalty means being helpful, kind, and loyal to our pack, our country, & all people on Earth.
[cubmaster or scout] The Gold reminds us of the warm sunlight. It stands for good cheer & happiness. We always feel better when the sun is shining & so will those to whom we help and show kindness.
[cubmaster or scout] As we wear our Cub Scout uniforms, may the meaning of the blue & gold colors make us remember our Cub Scout ideals, the Cub Scout Promise, & the Law of the Pack.
[color guard leader] Scout Salute. Please join us in the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance...
[color guard leader] Two.
[Every one stops saluting]
[color guard leader] Color guard, retreat.
[Color guard returns to the back of the room]
[color guard leader] Color guard, dismissed.
[Color guard sits down including leader]
[ In preparation for this ceremony, have an arrow of light candelabra or 7 candle sticks ready with an extra used to light the others. If the bridging ceremony is going to be used, have the bridge setup with the cub scout kerchiefs laying on the rail facing the audience as shown in the picture. The webelos will be to the left of the bridge while the receiving troops will be on the right.]
Tonight we have the honor of presenting the Arrow of Light Awards to our second-year Webelos Scouts. But before we present the awards I want to tell you a story.
A long time ago there was a Native American village. Behind the village was a high mountain towering up out of the desert. It was considered a great challenge to climb this mountain, so all of the young boys and girls of the village were eager to show they could climb it.
One day the village Chief said the kids, “You may all go today and try to climb the mountain. Start right after breakfast, and each go as far as you can. Then when you are tired, come back; but each one of you bring me a twig from the place where you turned back.”
Away they all went, full of hope, each feeling that they surely could reach the top. Soon, the first child came slowly back, puffing and sweating. They stood before the chief, and in their hand was a piece of cactus. The chief smiled and said, “Little one, you have only begun. You did not reach the mountain, you did not even cross the desert before it.” We can think of this child as being like a new Cub Scout; just starting the journey by earning his Bobcat badge.
An hour later, the second child returned. They carried a twig of sagebrush. “Well,” said the chief, “you made progress by reaching the foot of the mountain, but you did not start the climb.” This is like the Cub Scout who has earned his Tiger badge; having progressed on the journey, but needing to begin the climb.
After another hour, the third child came back holding out a cottonwood branch. “Good” said the chief, you traveled as far as the springs.” This may remind us of the Cub Scout who has reached the first level of the climb and received the Wolf badge.
The fourth child returned with some cedar branches. The chief smiled when he saw it, and spoke, “Well done, you went halfway up.” This is like the Cub Scout who has progressed halfway up the advancement trail and earned his Bear badge.
Later in the afternoon, the next child returned carrying a branch of pine. To him the chief said, “Good, you went to the third level of the climb. Keep on trying. Next year you will undoubtedly reach the top.” This is like the Cub Scout who has earned his Webelos badge and is in sight of the top.
The sun was low in the sky when the last child returned. This child stood tall with noble character. They approached the chief and held up their hand. It was empty. But they were smiling and happy as they spoke. “Oh Great Chief, there were no trees where I went. I saw no twigs, no living thing upon the peak. But - I saw other mountain peaks to climb, and beyond them, the shining sea.”
Now the old chief’s face glowed as he responded, “I knew it! I knew it when I looked upon your face. You have reached the top. It is written in your eyes and rings in your voice. My child, you need no twigs for tokens, for you have seen the glory of the mountain.”
This is like our Cub Scouts who have reached the top – the Arrow of Light Award. But, beyond the top are the peaks of the Scouts and other life achievements that you must climb to reach the shining sea of adulthood, and become an adult.
[ if webelos+parents not already on stage] Will the following Scouts and their parents please come forward?
We present our Webelos Arrow of Light scouts:
[scouts names]
Tonight we are assembled to honor these Webelos Cub Scouts. They have brought honor to our pack as they have climbed the Cub Scouting trail together. With the help of their parents, they are well on their way to becoming fine young men.
As you can see on the candle holder, the Arrow of Light symbol is made up of an arrow which points the way to a good life and a rising sun which symbolizes the constant new challenges provided by Scouting and by life itself. The seven candles in the emblem represent the seven rays in the Arrow of Light symbol you see before you and each stands for a virtue of life.
[DIM ROOM LIGHTS IF POSSIBLE]
As the boys light the candles, you will hear how they stand for the seven great virtues of life.
[Den Leader] will you please step forward?
[The leader holds the candle that the other boys will use to light the candles]
[Scout Name], will you light the first candle? This is the candle of Wisdom. Having wisdom doesn’t mean that a person is smarter than others. It means that he uses what he knows to live a better life.
[Scout Name], will you light the second candle? This is the candle of Courage. Courage does not mean you have no fear of danger. It means that you can face danger despite your fears.
[Scout Name], will you light the third candle? This is the candle of Self-Control. Self-control isn’t limited to the control of your temper, but control of yourself in all things: eating, playing, working, and talking.
[Scout Name], will you light the fourth candle? This is the candle of Justice. Justice means being fair with all others, those that we work and play with, regardless of who they are.
[Scout Name], will you light the fifth candle? This is the candle of Faith. Faith can be a belief in God and things we cannot see but that we feel are true. It helps us persevere even when our task seems impossible.
[Scout Name], will you light the sixth candle? This is the candle of Hope. Hope helps you look forward to good things you believe will happen. You hope for better things tomorrow, but at the same time you work hard today to make them happen. A person without hope is of little good to their self or his community.
[Scout Name or Scout Leader A], place [or light] the last candle, please. This is the candle of Love. There are many kinds of love. Love of family, love of home, love of your friends, love of your fellow person, love of God, and love of country. These are all important for you to have a full life.
[TURN LIGHTS BACK ON IN THE ROOM]
You will find that if you live by the seven great virtues, you will become a successful adult.
We will now award the Arrow of Light badges. This is the only badge that can be worn on a Scout Uniform. It is a link between Cub Scouts and Scouts. While it represents the end of your Cub Scout years, it is the beginning of a new and exciting part of your life. We will give your parent the badge. They will present it to you. Never forget that the success you have achieved and will achieve is due to the support, love, and devotion of your parents.
[pause – wait for passing out of badges]
Your parent will now present you with the Arrow of Light plaque. This will help you to remember your time in Cub Scouts and to remind you of the virtues of a successful life.
[pause – wait for passing out of plaques]
Now that you have completed Cub Scouts, you are at the base of another great mountain, and you see before you just the beginning of the path of your life. While some of you will now cross the bridge into Scouting, some of you will choose other paths. Whatever path you choose, we wish you well on your journey.
Congratulations to all of you on completing the Cub Scout program!
[A round of applause]
[[Have the Webelos stand on stage left and the receiving troops on stage right]
[Cubmaster] We have Cub Scouts who will embark on a new adventure in scouting. Will those Cub Scouts of Pack 87 who have decided to continue their journey in Scouting please step forward on the stage-left side of the bridge with their parents?
[Cubmaster] [to Parents] During the years you and your scouts have been in Cub Scouting, we have had many opportunities to work together along your trail. Your scouts have reached the age to enter Scouting, and have earned their Arrow of Light. As a symbol of their growth and entrance into Scouts, I will ask you to lead them before me across the bridge when I obtain permission to enter their council.
[Cubmaster] Hello, Scouts of Troops [TROOP NUMBERS]! Please introduce yourselves to our Pack!
[Troop Scoutmasters] Hello Cub Scouts of Pack 87! What do you desire?
[Cubmaster] I have Cub Scouts who have prepared themselves for entrance into Troops [TROOP NUMBERS] – all of whom wear Cub Scouting's highest award, the Arrow of Light.
[Line Cub Scouts up by the bridge, parents behind them.]
[Cubmaster] Will the Scoutmasters from Troop(s) [TROOP NUMBERS] cross the bridge?
[Scoutmasters are introduced to the boys – remind the boys to perform the boy scout shake – left hand]
[Cubmaster] It has been a great pleasure to be in Cub Scouts with you! Momentarily you will no longer be Webelos Scouts. I hope and pray that the desire, interest, and free spirit you have shown in scouting carries over to your families, church, school, friends and everything you do.
The trail to Eagle lies ahead of you. It takes a strong desire, a willingness to sacrifice and a lot of guts sprinkled with a lot of love, to make it. Keep the fire going within you and from this base camp may your travels be onward and upward!
Will the scouts remove their Webelos neckerchiefs and hand them to their parents? Your new Scoutmaster will lead you across the bridge and present you with your Boy Scout one.
Scoutmasters you may lead your new scouts across the bridge. (Scouts and families follow)
[Troop scoutmaster presents Neckerchief, etc.]
[Cubmaster calls for round of applause]