Ceremonies - Bear

Just The Right Mix For A Bear

This ceremony was written specifically to furnish appropriate recognition for those Cub Scouts who achieve the rank of Bear. It may however, be adapted to honor the attainment of any single rank or all ranks on a progressive basis.

EQUIPMENT: Two pots (1 large and 1 small, with smaller pot placed inside larger one); dry ice, placed inside large pot around the outside of the small pot; Awards, to be placed in the inner pot; Containers, soup cans or cups or jars painted blue with advancement rank emblems attached (one for each container - Bobcat, Wolf and Bear plus parents); advancement standards or board with emblems (one emblem for each Cub indicating his rank); ceremonial candle board, one candle per advancement rank; Bear poster-card with holder.

PERSONNEL: Cubmaster, Committee Chairman, Cub Scouts receiving awards and their parents.

STAGING: Mixing pot and containers (half filled with water) on table or stand off to one side, but up front, from where all can see and where Cubmaster will conduct ceremony. Awards are in the inner pot. Ceremonial candle-board in center, with Bear poster and holder next to it at one end.

Advancement standards or board with emblems off to the other side opposite the mixing pot set-up.

CHAIRMAN: (Set up Bear poster-card) Cub Scouts and parents, tonight we wish to honor those Cub Scouting families who are advancing in rank to the Bear Badge. (Light Bear candle on candle board).

CUBMASTER: The Bear program is designed for Cub Scouts who reach third grade and is an important stepping stone on the upward trail of Scouting. Those who achieve the rank of Bear are now more than half way on the trail to Cub Scouting's highest award, the Arrow of Light.

Just as this pot represents the Cub Scouting program, so do these containers represent the stepping stones within the Cub Scout program. It takes the right ingredients to become a Bear. First is the Bobcat (pour Bobcat container into pot on the dry ice) which starts each Cub along the Scouting trail.

Next comes the Wolf (pour Wolf container into pot) which begins to stir the minds of our young Cubs to notice and discover the world around them. When a Cub reaches third grade, he enters the Bear program (pour in Bear container), which is progressively more challenging and further stirs the minds of our Cubs, just as the mix in this pot becomes more active the further along the trail we go.

However, one active ingredient we haven't added, but is crucial to a Cub advancing to any of these stepping stones is that of the role of the parents (hold up 'parents' container and pour into pot).

Our mix is now complete and we are ready to award the rank of Bear to those Cub Scouts who have achieved this important milestone. (Pull badges out of inner pot and hand to the Committee Chairman.)