Announcement Song--Game vs. Harrassment

In going through my digests over the past few days, I see that two
topics which were very carefully reviewed in my WoodBadge course have
become a hot topic on the list: the Announcement Song, and hazing.
As a Cubmaster and Cub Roundtable staffer, I've sung and used the
Announcement Song (one verse only) for five years. My view is that it is
a game between me and the Cubs--they catch me every meeting, they sing,
and I sing along.
However, I mentioned the song to one of the staffers for
W-CS-41--and boy, did I get a fast reaction! Her view was that far, far,
too often, the song gets out of hand. It then becomes a means for the
audience to "initiate" the speaker through a hazing ritual. As a person
who had a deep--and very common--fear of public speaking until well into
adulthood, it was only the "safe haven" of Scouting that helped her to
be an articulate and fun leader who has given many years to boys and
adult leaders. She sees the song as fun and appropriate to sing--but not
in response to EVERY speaker who should make the error of saying the
word "announcements".
In all aspects of Scouting, we teach by what we do and what we allow
to happen in front of us. Nothing has driven that home more than the
fine example I have seen at Cub Leader WoodBadge. The announcement song
is great--as long as it is a game where one of the rules is NOT to sing
it at anyone who isn't in on the joke.
We've had long discussions on snipe hunts, Bobcat turning, and other
activities that can quickly and easily turn into embarrassment,
humiliation, and fear for a boy. I guess we just have to take a long,
hard look at what we do "because it is tradition" and go the extra steps
to teach the rules based on the Promise and Law.
=20
Kelly Parker
CM,
Pack 43 MC, Troop 110
=20
Grand Canyon Council
"I
use to be an eagle=C9"W-CS-41
=20

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