Present the Colors
The December Pack Meeting is insane. December is when we have a family pizza party at the school cafeteria and they award prizes for popcorn sales. Our Pack sold $17,000 in popcorn. (!!!!) The boys got little prizes depending on how much popcorn they sold - tents, compasses, lanterns, pocket knives and even archery sets. I saw two of those go out as prizes.
And on top of all that craziness we also had the annual gift of a BLOCK! OF! WOOD! The boys started chanting as soon as they see the bag come out with the piles of blocks of wood. The Pinewood Derby is in three weeks. The boys were literally pounding the table with their fists chanting, "BLOCK OF WOOD!" The den leaders laughed and passed them out.
The Pack Leader held up two fingers in the Boy Scout salute and the boys fell silent.
"Den 2 will you retire the colors?" the Pack Leader asked.
Frank's Den circled the flags at the front of the room, and with their Den Leader's help they got the flags out of their bases. Frank, wearing a freshly pressed blue shirt carried the American flag. The kid, who was moments ago pounding the table, was solemn as he walked through the room with his den around him. The other boys stood quietly with their fingers up in a Boy Scout salute as the flag passed by. The room was so quiet that as the boys passed I could hear the gentle jangle of their achievement beads hanging off their wolf badges.
After they put the flags away there was an eruption of noise as the boys got ready for the final activity of the night - throwing plates of whipped cream at the den leaders. It was a reward for their popcorn sale efforts. Frank had one pie dough dollar and he waited in line (although he jumped up and down while yelling - he did stay in place in line) to chuck it at poor Dan standing in front of a tarp in a rain jacket.
What the Boy Scouts do well is let the boys be boys. There are rules that cannot be broken and the boys seem to know what those are. The Boy Scout salute is the best magic I have ever seen. It works because the leaders have authority. There are no threats or discipline. The boys are allowed to be crazy and rowdy within limits. They are given responsibility (the color guard) and rewards and good times. It is a good model for parenting, I think.
And on top of all that craziness we also had the annual gift of a BLOCK! OF! WOOD! The boys started chanting as soon as they see the bag come out with the piles of blocks of wood. The Pinewood Derby is in three weeks. The boys were literally pounding the table with their fists chanting, "BLOCK OF WOOD!" The den leaders laughed and passed them out.
The Pack Leader held up two fingers in the Boy Scout salute and the boys fell silent.
"Den 2 will you retire the colors?" the Pack Leader asked.
Frank's Den circled the flags at the front of the room, and with their Den Leader's help they got the flags out of their bases. Frank, wearing a freshly pressed blue shirt carried the American flag. The kid, who was moments ago pounding the table, was solemn as he walked through the room with his den around him. The other boys stood quietly with their fingers up in a Boy Scout salute as the flag passed by. The room was so quiet that as the boys passed I could hear the gentle jangle of their achievement beads hanging off their wolf badges.
After they put the flags away there was an eruption of noise as the boys got ready for the final activity of the night - throwing plates of whipped cream at the den leaders. It was a reward for their popcorn sale efforts. Frank had one pie dough dollar and he waited in line (although he jumped up and down while yelling - he did stay in place in line) to chuck it at poor Dan standing in front of a tarp in a rain jacket.
What the Boy Scouts do well is let the boys be boys. There are rules that cannot be broken and the boys seem to know what those are. The Boy Scout salute is the best magic I have ever seen. It works because the leaders have authority. There are no threats or discipline. The boys are allowed to be crazy and rowdy within limits. They are given responsibility (the color guard) and rewards and good times. It is a good model for parenting, I think.
posted by Lea at 6:15 AM
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