Multicultural WORKS!

Our pack has 82 boys and includes Christian, Jewish and Muslim familes. Last
year, because Hannukah and Christmas were so separated, we had a Hannukah
part in November and a Christmas party in December. (The Muslim families
declined to have a public celebration, but were very thrilled to have been
asked.)

For the Hannukah party, the Christian families planned and prepared the event
because the Jewish families were busy preparing their home celebrations. For
the Christmas party, the Jewish and Muslim families planned and prepared the
event because the Christian families were busy with their home celebrations.
It was a fantastic two months. Our scout families became closer and each
family achieved a greater understanding of the other faith's customs and
traditions.

Well, this year, Hannukah and Christmas are about the same time. So we
decided to combine the two in our December Pack Meeting. What is fantastic
is that the pack parents have asked to continue the tradition (if you can
call 1 year a tradition) of having families prepare the celebration for the
different faith. So once again, Jewish families explain what would be
traditional in a Hannukah celebration and the Christian families cause it to
happen; and the Christian families explain what would be traditional in a
Christmas celebration and the Jewish families cause it to happen.

I know this works because I still remember one Christian scout who came up to
me after our Hannukah party. He just looked at me and said "That was cool".
You can't get a better rating than that! (And you know what, not one Jewish
family converted to Christianity and not one Christian family converted to
Judiasm...and we still have 2 Muslim families.) Everyone just learned a
little more about each other, gained respect for each others traditions and
basically had a great time.

YiS,
Michael Smith
Committee Chairman, Pack 160, Herndon, VA
msmith@plansys.com

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