Cub Scout Graduation Ideas
Cub scouts follow an advancement trail through several stages --- bobcat, tiger, wolf, bear, and webelos --- before becoming boy scouts. As they progress through each stage, their pack usually hosts a ceremony to recognize their graduation to the next stage. Some ceremonies follow traditional scripts, but packs may come up with their own graduation ideas.
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Bridging Ceremony
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One of the tried-and-true graduation formats is the bridging ceremony. As the pack leader calls each scout's name, the scout walks across a small wooden bridge to symbolize he is crossing over to a new challenge. This ceremony usually starts with the youngest cub scouts and progresses through each stage until the last ones crossing the bridge are the webelos, who will now become full-fledged boy scouts.
Campfire Ceremony
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Scouts and camping naturally go together, and a camping trip is often the highlight of a pack's year together. A pack may choose to reenact a camping trip at a graduation ceremony outside with a campfire, or, for inside ceremonies, create a fake fire with a lantern. Adults and older scouts sit around the circle inviting each new graduating scout to join them at the next stage of the advancement trail.
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Individual Recognition
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Each scout has worked hard to earn his achievements and the graduation ceremony is the appropriate venue to recognize his efforts in front of other scouts, friends and family members. The pack leader could display one poster board for each scout, with photos or drawings of his activities throughout the past year. Leaders can make this part of an achievement for the scouts to earn, such as creating a den scrapbook.
Scout Mentors
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If each scout in the pack is fortunate enough to have an older scout mentor among his friends or family, that person could attend the ceremony and talk briefly about what scouting meant to him as a boy and what his young mentee should expect to get out of it. A father, older brother or family friend could speak about how scouting has helped him in his life or career and maybe mention his favorite scout activity or most challenging achievement.
Skit Improvisations
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Scout meetings often involve skits, which run from symbolic and meaningful to just plain silly. Pack leaders can help each group write a short skit about the theme of transition. They could be wandering in the woods and stumble upon a group of older scouts and decide to join them, or they could pretend to be tigers who morph into wolves or wolves into bears. These skits will make the graduation ceremony more interesting for parents and other attendees.
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References
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