staging troop ceremonies
Ceremonies are an important part of every troop meeting. Many occasions call for ceremonies -- Scout inductions, new leader inductions, birthdays, thank-yous, charter presentations, advancement, etc. Leaders should feel free to improvise and develop their own ceremonies.
Here is a brief list of things to remember when developing ceremonies:
- Plan and practice.
- An otherwise excellent ceremony can lose its entire meaning if you have to fumble through it or attempt to read every word in a darkened room. Practice in advance, and be prepared.
- Use the monthly theme.
- Theme-related ceremonies help the continuity of unit meetings and ensure variety every month. Ceremonies repeated over and over can become dull, no matter how impressive they were the first time.
- Use props.
- The effective use of simple props can enhance any ceremony adn make it more meaningful to participants.
- Create atmosphere.
- Set the appropriate mood. Candlelight, campfires, Scout emblems, costumes, recordings -- all can make a simple ceremony more meaningful.
- Reflect Scouting ideals.
- Ceremonies, as a rule, should be dignified; however, some themes lend themselves to outright fun. In all cases, the ceremony should directly or sumbolically reflect the ideals of Scouting.
- Remember, "KISMIF."
- Keep it simple, make it fun--but not too simple. A handshake and congratulations mean a lot to an adult, but it is not long remembered by a boy.
- Draw on resources.
- The best resource is adult leadership. Ask an adult who was a Cub Scout or Boy Scout what ceremonies he remembers after all these years. You may be surprised to find he will mention one that has affected his life. Get ideas from leaders, parents, and the boys, as well as from Scouting literature.
Openings. The opening ceremony gets your meeting off on the right foot. Use the U.S. flag. It sometimes seems like the BSA is the only link boys have with patriotism and citizenship. Flag ceremonies provide an important reminder of our heritage and our future.
Closings. The last part of a meeting is often the longest remembered. A good way to leave the audience with a good spirit is to precede the closing ceremony wiht a Scoutmaster's Minute, a few good words of inspiration.
Advancement. Advancement is growth in a positive direction. Advancement ceremonies are important to boys. Good ceremonies create incentives to progress. Always "present" or "award" a boy his badge, rather than just "hand" it to him.