Presentation A – “The Activity Badge Game” (For use with Cub Scouts & Parents)
Presentation A – “The Activity Badge Game”
(For use with: Cub Scouts & Parents)
For this presentation you will need three clipboards, paper, pens and/or markers as well as a timer.
The Unit Friends of Scouting Coordinator, or another adult leader in the unit, should make a brief introduction and then turn the podium or microphone over to the presenter.
Good Morning/Afternoon/Evening, My name is _____________. I am a volunteer with the local Boy Scout program, just like the leaders are here in your Pack/Troop/Crew. I am here this evening to talk briefly to the parents here about Friends of Scouting, your opportunity to invest in the future of scouting in our community.
Now before we get started I am going to need some help from the leaders and parents here, what I am going to need is three teams. (Select teams – quickly!) I am going to ask a question and you will be given a set amount of time to list as many answers to that question as possible, each correct answer will equal one point, the team with the most points will win the round. The team with the most winning rounds will be the champions.
Question #1: Badges and Recognition pins have been part of the Scouting program from its earliest days. In Webelos Scouts can earn activity badges (pins) – name as many of those badges as possible.
Question #2: In Boy Scouts, Scouts can earn merit badges – name as many of those as possible.
Question #3: List as many outings as you can remember where your Scout earned some kind of badge or recognition.
(After each question, ask them to read their lists, Add up points each round has a winner, After three rounds clap for the winning team and then ask them to sit.)
You listed activity badges and merit badges such as: ____________. Earning those badges are a lot of fun aren’t they? Now I’d like the scouts to cover your ears. (In sort of a forced whisper) But not only are they fun, but the badges also teach them things. We teach them to obey their parents, their teachers and the rules. We teach them to play nice with others especially with brothers and sisters. We teach them that their family is important and that they are important to their family. We teach them that homework can be fun and bring them rewards.
Okay you can uncover your ears. See what they want to know is that Scouting is fun, we want you to know that scouting is important. Scouting is not something they do, it’s something they are.
Scouting makes for stronger families, better communities, and more successful lives. Scouting teaches LIFE SKILLS. And while Life Skills isn’t one of the 127 merit badges currently offered by the Boy Scouts of America, but Life Skills are what young people take away from earning any Scout badge!
But don’t just take my word for it. Let me show you what Time Magazine discovered in a survey they did. The folks at Time magazine talked with thousands of Scouts and this is what they discovered:
For every 100 boys who join scouting:
- 1 will save a person’s life with the information he learned through scouting
- 1 will save his own life with the information he learned through scouting
- 2 will become medical professionals
- 10 will have their first exposure to organized religion
- 2 will become active leaders in their church or synagogue
- 10 will discover a career or lifetime hobby from the merit badge program
- 2 will join law enforcement
- 1 will become a fire fighter
- 4 will earn the Eagle Scout rank
- 16 will return to scouting as adult volunteers
As you can see from these statistics badges are more than just an important part of the uniform and insignia – each badge exists to encourage Scouts to explore areas that interest them and to teach them valuable skills. Many times, these experiences lead to careers and lifelong hobbies.
This afternoon we are going to ask you to consider making a gift to help support Scouting locally. In the Westmoreland Fayette Council we spend about $125 per scout, above and beyond registration fees, camp fees and event registration fees, to just to maintain the current program. We want to do more for your children. We want to offer the best Scouting experience possible, offering them the chance to earn as many Badges as possible.
The Westmoreland Fayette Council helps to provide training, professional program support, operates three camps: Tenacharison, Camp Conestoga and Camp Buck Run, provides camporees, activities, operates a store where you can purchase supplies and much more.
Once a year we ask that you make a pledge of financial support for the Westmoreland Fayette Council so that we can continue to deliver and improve the quality activities, opportunities and personal growth that is today’s scouting. Please pick up the brochure that is in front of you. Just follow the directions by printing your name and address, enter the amount you would like to pledge for 2012 and sign the card. You can also chose when you would like to receive your pledge invoice, so there is no need to pay tonight. You can honor your pledge in the form of a check cash or credit card. It is just that easy.
I realize that every family has their own unique financial resources and responsibilities. You do not have to participate in order for you child to enjoy all the benefits of scouting. But every dollar allows us to do more for every scout today and for scouts to come in the future. Please take a few minutes to complete those forms now.
As a way to say thank you for supporting the Council everyone who pledges $125 or more will get this handsome badge to wear on their uniform (hold up patch). Additionally, your unit will benefit from your pledge (pull out unit poster). If your unit raises _________ amount in pledges this evening, or has ________ number of families participant the Council will provide Free Rank Advancement to your unit for the next twelve months! (If key volunteers from the unit made a donation at a kick-off or prior to the start of the meeting, color in the graphs. Hold up the graph and show them how close they are)
(Give them a minute to complete pledge cards)
Scouting is a proud program with over 100 years of success stories. Since we have been talking about badges this afternoon I thought it would be good to mention that periodically we change the design, name, and availability of badges depending on their popularity, shifts in the focus of the program, and changes in society. Therefore, even in this every changing world, Scouting continues to maintain its relevance!
At this time I would like you to pass the envelope that is laying at the end of each table around, feel free to place your pledge cards, any checks and even cash donations into that envelope – we will collect those and
I will be here throughout the meeting and I will announce your unit’s total pledge before the end of the evening. Please complete your cards now and hold them up as we come around and collect them. Thank you for listening to my story and thank you for being such wonderful Friends of Scouting.
(Make a recap later in the evening, showing the unit poster colored in and let them know how close to / how far over their goal they are! If they are close this could generate a little more from the crowd.